영성, 몸-마음, 젠더, 생태, 평화 Scapbook: 우희종 - 일반인들에게는 ‘만행 하버드에서 화계사까지’로 널리 알려진 석현각 스님 문제의식입니다. 자승 총무원장 시절,...

2023/12/14

우희종 - 일반인들에게는 ‘만행 하버드에서 화계사까지’로 널리 알려진 석현각 스님 문제의식입니다. 자승 총무원장 시절,... | Facebook

우희종

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일반인들에게는 ‘만행 하버드에서 화계사까지’로 널리 알려진 석현각 스님 문제의식입니다. 자승 총무원장 시절, 종단 자정 운동이 한창일 때 한국을 떠난 이후 모처럼 나눈 대화에서 현각스님은 사찰 방화자살을 소신공양이라 꾸미는 한국불교,

그러나 간화선이라는 좋은 가르침을 지닌 한국 불교에 있어서 시대에 맞는 한국 불교로 변화해 세상에 보다 기여할 수 있는 지점을 언급합니다.

한국불교의 세계화라는 평소 현각스님의 문제의식에

간화선 수행과 과학을 전공한 저도 공감하기에 최근 오간 내용 그대로 공유합니다. (긴 글입니다)

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Pofessor 우희종, on every kind of subject (at least what is expressed on this site), your insight is so bold and profoundly courageous (especially for the Korean context), so deeply principled, so eminently reasonable, and expressed with such passion and authenticity. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and light so freely, especially because you speak regarding matters which so many in Korean society would feel too intimidated to address, especially so openly (눈치!!!!!). You are lighting the way for so many of your 후배들과 제자들.

For opening the mind of Korean society even further, 진심으로 감사합니다…

***

Dear Zen Master,

As a practitioner of 간화선, I am grateful that you are spreading zen widely. I would appreciate it if you could leave good words about Korean Buddhism and society from time to time. 감사합니다^^

***

Korean Buddhism saved my life, and has given us a vital technology (aligned perfectly with all of the latest discoveries of neuroscience, and the best psychological therapeutics) — for helping the lives of countless beings.

However, the “Korean Buddhism“ that I speak of is generally the wisdom and practice of its masters of decades ago (the immediate post-Japanese-occupation/post-Korean War generations), and a few contemporary practitioners – – not the current corrupted remnants, who would sell this as an object of profit, power, and mere “cultural” commerce, which saddens me to no end.

Regarding your good request to “leave good words…”: I speak passionately, and quite often, to whoever who will listen, about this infinite gratitude to Korean Buddhism, and to the deep Korean civilization which gave birth to it, and has sustained it. I openly admit that I would be NOWHERE in this life had I never found Korean Buddhism, and had I never been supported by the countless lay-believers who believed in this strange American (and other Western 스님들), his passion for practice, and his sometimes shocking methods of expression.

Until the end of my days, I must strive to pay back this enormous, truly staggering karmic debt to the Korean people for transferring to us this extraordinary mind-technology of 간화선, which far, far exceeds the claims and empty “revelations” of pretty much all organized religions.

As you know better than me, the current wave of serious scientific interest and regulatory approval of ancient psychoactive compounds – – especially psychedelics – – in the alleviation of mental suffering and spiritual growth is an area which has captured my attention and interest in recent years. Peer-reviewed studies at leading universities like Johns Hopkins, Imperial College/London, Yale, NYU , and funded by the NIH and the Pentagon, show extraordinary verifiable impact for these natural compounds in the alleviation of mental damage, trauma, and in authentic spiritual work, especially when employed in controlled environments, under the watchful eye of experienced clinical observation and direction.

Leading figures in the field often contact me as a long-term meditator to evaluate their findings and promise in the light of true spiritual work. I foresee a pathway opening nowadays which will lead me to speak more openly on this vital subject. Buddhism is nothing if not a “science of the mind” (as His Holiness the Dalai Lama has famously said), and Buddhist leaders have always had the courage to allow our supreme technologies to be tested with the rigor of true scientific discovery. As the son of a biochemistry PhD mother, I feel obligated to make whatever contributions I can to this rapidly emerging field, which I know to have serious and immediate implications for furthering the work of meditation, and an investigation of the mind.

As such, I expect to make more contributions in this field whenever asked, since it is something which has so much proven promise for advancing insight into the nature of human suffering, and furthering the alleviation of suffering through a deeper knowledge of the workings of mind. I would seriously enjoy any sort of conversation you would wish to have about such work, if we ever have a chance to meet in person. It would be a quite significant honor to have such a conversation with someone as esteemed as you, especially since you are an eminent scientist with SUCH a profound and passionate faith and wish for the advancement of Korean Buddhism and 간화선 — this mind-science above and beyond all religion!

I am aware that there is the very real possibility (even likelihood!) of grave misunderstanding and “bad rumors” in Korea when I begin to speak more openly about the benefits of this type of work, especially when it enters the narrow-mindedness of Korea’s neo-Confucian mindset and culture. I am prepared for that, because I believe so profoundly in the deep promise that these compounds offer humanity (in controlled settings), which is backed up by the peer-reviewed/double-blind research of some of our leading scientific faculties and institutions, and is receiving BILLIONS of dollars of public and private funding in the last years alone.

Perhaps that is why I have chosen to speak so openly with you now, in the fullest transparency, in anticipation that such spiritual/scientific interest will seem to conflict with a social and cultural conditioning which surrounds the Buddhist traditions of Korea, which I know and love so well. I wish to get out ahead of any future misunderstanding, so as to be as transparent as possible, as a “prophylactic“ against any further hurt that can be generated for Korean Buddhist believers in media, or in Buddhist society.

This overly long message – – unfit for social media – – is my first act of honesty and transparency about a matter of serious and grave importance for the very future of humanity, and my unavoidable obligation to use the invaluable mind-science given to me by Korean Buddhism to help to advance this research informed with the tools of your ancestors’ deep ancient wisdom.

If you do have a chance, I strongly urge you to locate online the recent documentary which has received a great deal of attention in scientific and spiritual circles: “Descending the Mountain“ (2021) This will give you some insight into the meeting of science with the technologies of our beautiful 선 tradition — Europe’s most esteemed elder Zen Master, working together with a most esteemed psychiatrist/neuroscientist from Switzerland, to explore the way meditation and natural psychedelic compounds can advance the development of healing and wisdom. In the very-near future (less than 10 years MAX), such practices will become so common that we will laugh at the current fear and nervousness in Korean society about speaking of them in such awkward ways!

Thank you so very much for reading and reflecting on this overly long reflection. I share it with you, and with your readers, as a sign of my profoundest respect for the role which you represent — as a prominent scientist, as a deeply courageous (and sometimes very humorous!) public intellectual, and as a saddened yet hopeful 신자 — in the advancement of Korean Buddhism, especially from its currently degraded state.

(There is a further addendum to this note which this FB reply-function repeatedly does not accept, seemingly for space-constraints. It is about 3 paragraphs which could be supplied through some other avenue later.)

대단히 고맙습니다!

독일 불이선원장

현각 두손 간절히 모아

***

I very agree with your concerns. Since all of our activities are based on the body, which is dependent on ever-changing relationships, the change in perception that comes with Zen practice is bound to go hand in hand with the change in the body, even if we don't realize it. I think that the materialistic thought system of modern science, if engaged with the relational thought of Buddhism, will give us deeper insights, and vice versa. It will be an encounter that will benefit many people, and moreover, it will allow us to go beyond the limitations of the Cartesian rationalistic modern science itself.

As I sympathize with your broad sense of the problem, I would like to meet with you sooner or later to have a more sincere and diverse discussion. It is good to see that you are carrying on the wonderful tradition of Korean Buddhist Ganhwa Zen.

In the meantime, I will try to spread your words more widely around, thank you.

우희종