Last April, Jet Li, a famous actor, remarked that he would become a monk. Although he had everything, he wanted to be converted to Buddhism. What led him to made the decision?
 What is the main doctrine of Buddhism? We rarely know the answer even we attended some Buddhism classes at Dongguk University. I would recommend a good guide book, My Buddha Study, to more know about Buddha's teaching. The book is written by Kim Jung-ah, a fairy tale writer and filled with tales and maxims concerning Buddha. Let's turn a page of the book.
 Once upon a time, there was a monk who cultivates himself at a small cell. One winter day, he was getting worried due to running out of rice which offer to Buddha. When he went out to get some firewood, he could incidentally find a bowl of rices under a rock. He fortunately could offer food to Buddha with the rice. The next day, a bowl of rices was lying under the rock as yesterday. The happening repeatedly occurred and became known to neighboring villagers. They stormed and digged around the rock. But, They couldn't get anything and nobody couldn't find rices at the place after the village people's visiting.
 Hwaumkyung, a Sutra, said "all desire of men are ephemeral, like a bubble, a phantom, a wild horse, the moon in the water and a floating cloud." The desire arise from a foolish idea. A worthless wants likes putting another shoe on a shoe. It is a folly, it only makes more uncomfortable. 
  You might have an experience that you couldn't control yourself because of a desire. Indeed, Jet Li wanted be a monk to escape from the desire and to manage himself. We should free from the desire in our lives. Despite importance of course credits and TOEIC degree, these are just ways to achieve one's goal. These never be a purpose. But, we hang on them as goals. It would be the height of folly. When we accept degrees such as TOEIC as just a way to approach our aim, we would gladly study them. If you have regard them as a object for your greed, it would cause anguish.
 As you can see, Buddha's lesson is not difficult and odd.  If you want to learn the Buddha's teaching you can get them easily at relationship with other people, daily lives and nature. And various books are telling Buddhism. My Buddha Study easily describes using anecdotes and tales. Moreover the book is published as a e-book. (http://ebook.dongguk.edu)

Kim Hyun-ah  kimyang@dongguk.edu

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