The Tao of Pooh

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Tao of Pooh

HuggyBear

5.0 out of 5 starsI was able to quit heroin for good. And trust me when i say that I ...

February 8, 2017

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This book saved my life! No really. When I read this book 12 years ago, I was able to quit heroin for good. And trust me when i say that I was an addict of the hopeless variety.

66 people found this helpful

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Ali S.

5.0 out of 5 starsNot only did I love the book

March 14, 2016

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I was introduced to this book as required reading for my yoga training certification. Not only did I love the book, but have bought several as gifts since reading it. It was a very easy to read, light-hearted and humorous, yet also contained deep philosophical ideas. The writing style is unique and entertaining and it is the perfect blend of entertaining and thought provoking content. As someone new to the ideas of Taoism, this book helps illustrate the major tenants in plain "layman's terms" even I could understand. Would be a great book for the vacation reader as well as the scholar. I think this book is suitable for readers of all ages, there is something to be gained for nearly every audience. I do not practice Taoism, however, the lessons in this book are applicable to nearly everyone living in our busy modern world. Definitely a great addition to your permanent library, I highly recommend.

38 people found this helpful

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Parker

5.0 out of 5 starsGreat intro to Taoist philosophy using examples from Winnie the Pooh

June 10, 2018

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The Tao of Pooh was awesome. It really helped me be content with where I am in life at the moment. It stresses a release from ego and being in touch with the flow of the world. I am pretty new to the concept of Taoism, but the author presented it in an easy-to-follow way and put more emphasis on the philosophy part than the religious part.

One common criticism is that it comes off as anti-intellectual at times. I agree to an extent, but it is important to realize that being smart doesn't instantly make your life better. There is no end to the pursuit of knowledge, and while science is a crucial part of modern life, it isn't the key to happiness or a fulfilling life.
I would recommend this to anyone who feels like there is something missing in their life, or for those who struggle to be happy because of depression and/or anxiety.

13 people found this helpful

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Happy Gal

5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful Classic

June 11, 2018

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An absolutely delightful but deep translation of the Tao Te Ching. Benjamin Hoff puts the teachings into the world and characters of Pooh and brings a unique way to understand what can be very difficult teachings to understand. This is my third purchase of this book, I wore the other two out. It's one of those books that you can read continuously, over and over, and keep learning new things every time.

3 people found this helpful

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Pop Bop

TOP 50 REVIEWER

4.0 out of 5 starsMellow and Illuminating

March 28, 2018

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A calm bear is a happy bear. There's a reason this is a classic. This is Tao for everyone, or at least for me.

5 people found this helpful

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Samantha

5.0 out of 5 starsAbsolutely adorable books for someone who both loves children's literature and ...

May 26, 2017

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Absolutely adorable books for someone who both loves children's literature and philosophy. These books are filled with delightful little insights into the motivations behind Pooh and his friends, comparing the id and the ego of Pooh and Piglet while drawing comparisons from literature and schools of thought throughout the world. If you're a lover of literature or just curious about why Pooh Bear does what he does, this is definitely an excellent addition to your collection!

3 people found this helpful

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MB

5.0 out of 5 starsI'm going through stage 4 cancer diagnosis shock and I ...

March 24, 2017

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I'm going through stage 4 cancer diagnosis shock and I find this book to be so comforting. Keep it simple and basic. Life is only as complicated as you let it become. I pick this up frequently to read and ground myself.

12 people found this helpful

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Audrey S

5.0 out of 5 starsSuch a wonderful read. Such a beautiful approach to life

July 3, 2016

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I have gifted this book to so many. Such a wonderful read. Such a beautiful approach to life.

7 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

1.0 out of 5 starsA Strange Rant

November 27, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The book starts out well enough in what I thought was its mission of examining the character of Piglet from the lens of Taoism. I am a fan of both. However, the book shifts about one-third of the way through to a thinly veiled personal tirade of the author about what is wrong with the news media/journalists, critics (e.g., art critics or perhaps more germanely book critics), educators, and bizarrely enough "Amazons"-- it appears the author has a problem with women who exhibit masculine traits. In any case, the author uses the character of Eeyore as a cover for this, but make no mistake about it, it is quite obviously a set of personal resentments that the author has evidently had bottled up for quite some time.

Unfortunately, this destroys the initial premise of the book, is a digression, misplaced, and I thought quite off-putting. It leaves a bad taste that doesn't dissipate. It also kills the credibility of what the author does have to say that is on- point about Piglet and the Tao. One gets the feeling that this author is a bitter old man with a personal axe to grind. Oh well. I say don't waste your money on this book. Instead read the original AA Milne creations.

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Kindle Customer

1.0 out of 5 starsThe angriest Taoist book ever written.

May 10, 2018

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This is just an old man yelling at a cloud.

5 people found this helpful

Agriculture in North Korea - Wikipedia

Agriculture in North Korea - Wikipedia



Agriculture in North Korea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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North Korean farmers in a field.

A North Korean farm, 2008.

The Hungju Chicken Farm, 2007.

A tractor in North Korea.

Crops growing in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Food grown in the private gardens surrounding people's homes.

Farming in North Korea is concentrated in the flatlands of the four west coast provinces, where a longer growing season, level land, adequate rainfall, and good irrigated soil permit the most intensive cultivation of crops.[1] A narrow strip of similarly fertile land runs through the eastern seaboard Hamgyŏngprovinces and Kangwŏn Province.[1]

The interior provinces of Chagangand Ryanggang are too mountainous, cold, and dry to allow much farming.[1] The mountains contain the bulk of North Korea's forest reserves while the foothills within and between the major agricultural regions provide lands for livestock grazing and fruit tree cultivation.[1]

Major crops include rice and potatoes. 23.4% of North Korea's labor force worked in agriculture in 2012.[2]


Contents
1Farming conditions
2Agricultural products
2.1Rice
2.2Potatoes
2.3Greenhouse products
3Food distribution system
4Agricultural policy
5Agricultural history
5.1Crisis and famine (1994–1998)
5.2Food shortages
6References
Farming conditions[edit]

North Korea's sparse agricultural resources limit agricultural production. Climate, terrain, and soil conditions are not particularly favorable for farming, with a relatively short cropping season. Only about 17% of the total landmass, or approximately 20,000 km2, is arable, of which 14,000 km2 is well suited for cereal cultivation; the major portion of the country is rugged mountain terrain.[1]

The weather varies markedly according to elevation, and lack of precipitation, along with infertile soil, makes land at elevations higher than 400 meters unsuitable for purposes other than grazing. Precipitation is geographically and seasonally irregular, and in most parts of the country as much as half the annual rainfall occurs in the three summer months. This pattern favors the cultivation of paddy rice in warmer regions that are outfitted with irrigation and flood control networks. Rice yields are 5.3 tonnes per hectare, close to international norms.[3]

Agricultural products[edit]
Rice[edit]

Rice is North Korea's primary farm product.[4]
Potatoes[edit]
Further information: Potato production in North Korea

Potatoes have become an important food source in North Korea. After the 1990s famine, a "potato revolution" has taken place. Between 1998 and 2008 the area of potato cultivation in North Korea quadrupled to 200,000 ha and per capita consumption increased from 16 to 60 kilograms (35 to 132 lb) per year.[5]

The potato was considered a second grade food item, but has become the main staple in rural areas, replacing rice.[6]
Greenhouse products[edit]

Since 2014 many greenhouses have been built, funded by the new semi-private traders in co-operation with farmers, growing soft fruits such as strawberries and melons. The traders arrange distribution and sale in the Jangmadang markets in cities.[7]
Food distribution system[edit]

Since the 1950s, a majority of North Koreans have received their food through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The PDS requires farmers in agricultural regions to hand over a portion of their production to the government and then reallocates the surplus to urban regions, which cannot grow their own foods. About 70% of the North Korean population, including the entire urban population, receives food through this government-run system.[1]

Before the floods, recipients were generally allotted 600–700 grams per day while high officials, military men, heavy laborers, and public security personnel were allotted slightly larger portions of 700–800 grams per day.[citation needed] As of 2013, the target average distribution was 573 grams of cereal equivalent per person per day, but varied according to age, occupation, and whether rations are received elsewhere (such as school meals).[1]

Decreases in production affected the quantity of food available through the public distribution system. Shortages were compounded when the North Korean government imposed further restrictions on collective farmers. When farmers, who had never been covered by the PDS, were mandated by the government to reduce their own food allotments from 167 kilograms to 107 kilograms of grain per person each year, they responded by withholding portions of the required amount of grain. Famine refugeesreported[citation needed] that the government decreased PDS rations to 150 grams in 1994 and to as low as 30 grams by 1997.

The PDS failed to provide any food from April to August 1998 (the “lean” season) as well as from March to June 1999. In January 1998, the North Korean government publicly announced that the PDS would no longer distribute rations and that families needed to somehow procure their own food supplies.[citation needed] By 2005 the PDS was only supplying households with approximately one half of an absolute minimum caloric need.[citation needed] By 2008 the system had significantly recovered, and from 2009 to 2013 daily per person rations averaged at 400 grams per day for much of the year, though in 2011 it dropped to 200 grams per day from May to September.[1]

It is estimated that in the early 2000s, the average North Korean family drew some 80% of its income from small businesses that were technically illegal (though unenforced) in North Korea. In 2002, and in 2010, private markets were progressively legalized.[8] As of 2013, urban and farmer markets were held every 10 days, and most urban residents lived within 2 km of a market, with markets having an increasing role in obtaining food.[1]
Agricultural policy[edit]

Since self-sufficiency remains an important pillar of North Korean ideology, self-sufficiency in food production is deemed a worthy goal. Another aim of government policies—to reduce the "gap" between urban and rural living standards—requires continued investment in the agricultural sector. Finally, as in most countries, changes in the supply or prices of foodstuffs probably are the most conspicuous and sensitive economic concerns for the average citizen.[original research?] The stability of the country depends on steady, if not rapid, increases in the availability of food items at reasonable prices. In the early 1990s, there were severe food shortages.[9][10]

The most far-reaching statement on agricultural policy is embodied in Kim Il-sung's 1964 Theses on the Socialist Agrarian Question in Our Country, which underscores the government's concern for agricultural development. Kim emphasized technological and educational progress in the countryside as well as collective forms of ownership and management.[11]

-----

Agricultural history[edit]

Agriculture in North Korea relies heavily on manual labor with few machines in sight. During harvest season, students are often drafted in from cities to help bring in the crops in time before the autumn rains.

As industrialization progressed, the share of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the total national output declined from 63.5% and 31.4%, respectively, in 1945 and 1946, to a low of 26.8% in 1990. Their share in the labor force also declined from 57.6% in 1960 to 34.4% in 1989.

In the 1990s decreasing ability to carry out mechanized operations (including the pumping of water for irrigation), as well as lack of chemical inputs, was clearly contributing to reduced yields and increased harvesting and post-harvest losses.[1]

Incremental improvements in agricultural production have been made since the late 1990s, bringing North Korea close to self-sufficiency in staple foods by 2013. In particular rice yields have steadily improved, though yields on other crops have generally not improved. The production of protein foods remains inadequate. Access to chemical fertilizer has declined, but the use of compost and other organic fertilizer has been encouraged.[1][3]

Crisis and famine (1994–1998)[edit]
Main article: North Korean famine

From 1994 to 1998 North Korea suffered a famine. Since 1998 there has been a gradual recovery in agriculture production, which by 2013 brought North Korea back close to self-sufficiency in staple foods. However, as of 2013, most households have borderline or poor food consumption, and consumption of protein remains inadequate.[1]

In the 1990s the North Korean economy saw stagnation turning into crisis. Economic assistance received from the USSR and China was an important factor of its economic growth. In 1991 USSR collapsed, withdrew its support and demanded payment in hard currency for imports. China stepped in to provide some assistance and supplied food and oil, most of it reportedly at concessionary prices.[citation needed] But in 1994 China reduced its exports to North Korea. The rigidity in the political and economic systems of North Korea left the country ill-prepared for a changing world. The North Korean economy was undermined and its industrial output began to decline in 1990.

Deprived of industrial inputs, including fertilizers, pesticides, and electricity for irrigation, agricultural output also started to decrease even before North Korea had a series of natural disasters in the mid-1990s. This evolution, combined with a series of natural disasters including record floods in 1995, caused one of the worst economic crises in North Korea's history. Other causes of this crisis were high defense spending (about 25% of GDP) and bad governance. It is estimated[citation needed] that between 1992 and 1998 North Korea's economy contracted by 50% and several hundred thousand (possibly up to 3 million) people died of starvation.[12]

North Korea announced in December 1993 a 3-year transitional economic policy placing primary emphasis on agriculture, light industry, and foreign trade. A lack of fertilizer, natural disasters, and poor storage and transportation practices have left the country more than a million tons per year short of grain self-sufficiency. Moreover, lack of foreign exchange to purchase spare parts and oil for electricity generation left many factories idle.

The 1990s famine paralyzed many of the Marxist–Leninist economic institutions. The government pursued Kim Jong Il's Songun policy, under which the military is deployed to direct production and infrastructure projects. As a consequence of the government's policy of establishing economic self-sufficiency, the North Korean economy has become increasingly isolated from that of the rest of the world, and its industrial development and structure do not reflect its international competitiveness.

Food shortages[edit]
The food shortage was caused as a direct result of the massive flooding and a mix of political failure and poor amounts of arable land in the country.[9][10][13][14] In 2004, more than half (57%) of the population didn't have enough food to stay healthy. 37% of the children had their growth stunted and 1/3 of mothers were severely undernourished.[15][16]

In 2006, the World Food Program (WFP) and FAO estimated a requirement of 5.3 to 6.5 million tons of grain when domestic production fulfilled only 3.8 million tons.[17] The country also faces land degradation after forests stripped for agriculture resulted in soil erosion.[18] Harsh weather conditions that dented the agricultural output (wheat and barley production dropped 50% and 80% respectively in 2011) and rising global food prices stressed greater food shortage, putting 6 million North Koreans at risk.[19]

With a dramatic increase on the reliance on private sales of goods, as well as increased international aid, the situation has improved somewhat with undernourishment no longer being a major concern for most North Koreans as of 2014, although PDS (the Public Distribution System) still continues.[20]

The yield in food production in 2016 increased by 7 percent from 4.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 4.8 million tonnes and North has produced more food than South.[21][22][23] It is estimated production decreased by 2 percent in 2017 to 4.7 million tonnes.[24]

References[edit]
North Korea portal
Agriculture portal

^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (PDF) (Report). Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme. 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ "CIA World Factbook (2012 estimate)". Cia.gov. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
^ Jump up to:a b Randall Ireson (18 December 2013). "The State of North Korean Farming: New Information from the UN Crop Assessment Report". 38 North. U.S.-Korea Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ Suominen, Heli (July 31, 2000). "North Koreans study potato farming in Ostrobothnia". Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
^ "2008 – The International Year of the Potato". Current Concerns Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
^ Ralph Hassig; Kongdan Oh (16 November 2009). The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 110–. ISBN 978-0-7425-6720-7.
^ Lankov, Andrei (5 March 2017). "Taste of strawberries". The Korea Times. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
^ "It's not all doom and gloom in Pyongyang". Asia Times. September 23, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
^ Jump up to:a b United Nations Development Program, Millennium Development Goals and the DPRK, retrieved 21 October 21, 2011, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
^ Jump up to:a b Woo-Cumings, Meredith (2002) The political ecology of famine: the North Korean catastrophe and its lessons. Online at: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/SIDEL/images/WooFamine.pdf
^ Josephson, Paul R. (25 December 2009). Would Trotsky Wear a Bluetooth?: Technological Utopianism under Socialism, 1917–1989. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-8018-9841-9.
^ "Foreign Assistance to North Korea" (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
^ Coll, Steve. "North Korea's Hunger". The New Yorker – Daily Comment. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ "CIA World Fact Book".
^ Václav Havel; Kjell Magne Bondevik; Elie Wiesel (October 30, 2006). Failure to Protect – A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in North Korea (PDF) (Report). DLA Piper and U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. p. 12.
^ "Mass Starvations in North Korea". North Korea Now. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ Human Rights Watch (2006). "A matter of survival: the North Korean government's control of food and the risk of hunger". 18 (3). Retrieved December 14, 2013.
^ "CIA World Factbook". Central Intelligence Agency.
^ Kate, Daniel Ten (September 16, 2011). "North Korea's food shortages worsening, U.N. says". Bloomberg News. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
^ Andrei, Lankov (March 21, 2013). The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia. ISBN 9780199975846.
^ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-15/north-korea-s-economy-remains-tiny-but-has-some-bright-spots
^ http://www.dailynk.com/english/m/read.php?cataId=nk03600&num=14330
^ https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/09/27/North-Koreas-food-shortage-grows-but-elites-remain-unaffected-Seoul-says/4001474997303/
^ http://m.yna.co.kr/mob2/en/contents_en.jsp?cid=AEN20180228006500320&site=0200000000&mobile

2018 동북아평화학교 1강 평화감수성과 예술 김봉준

정토회 | 스님의 하루 - "재앙이 바로 복입니다."

정토회 | 스님의 하루 - "재앙이 바로 복입니다."

근(勤)[편집]

근(勤, 산스크리트어: vīrya, 팔리어: viriya, 영어: diligence, energy, perseverance, enthusiasm, sustained effort) · 

정진(精進) 또는 노력(努力)은 설일체유부의 5위 75법에서 심소법(心所法: 46가지) 중 대선지법(大善地法: 10가지) 가운데 하나이며, 유식유가행파와 법상종의 5위 100법에서 심소법(心所法: 51가지) 중 선심소(善心所: 11가지) 가운데 하나이다. 

음역하여 비리야(毘梨耶)라고도 한다. 설일체유부에 따르면, 근(勤)은 용한(勇悍: 날래고 사나움^[53], 용맹스럽고 힘참^[54][55]), 즉 마음(6식 또는 8식, 즉 심왕, 즉 심법)으로 하여금 용맹스럽고 힘차게 노력하게 하는 것을 본질로 하는 마음작용이다. 즉, 악을 끊고 선을 닦는 데 있어 마음(6식 또는 8식, 즉 심왕, 즉 심법)을 용맹하게 하여 어려움에 굴하지 않고 계속하여 노력하게 하는 마음작용이다.^[56][57][58]

용한(勇悍)은 일반 사전적인 의미는 '날래고[勇] 사나움[悍]'인데, 불교 용어로서는 이 일반 사전적인 의미를 포함하며 또한 '용감하고 모짐, 결단력[勇]이 있고 인내[悍]함, 모질게 노력함'의 뜻이 있다. 간단히 말하면, 용한(勇悍)은 결단과 인내(determination and perseverance)를 뜻한다.^{[59][60][61][62][63]}

설일체유부의 중현(衆賢)은 《아비달마장현종론(阿毘達磨藏顯宗論)》에서, 근(勤)은 이미 생겨난 온갖 공덕(功德, 산스크리트어: guna)은 수호하고 과실(過失)은 내버리며, 아직 생겨나지 않은 온갖 공덕(功德)은 생겨나게 하고 과실(過失)은 생겨나지 않게 하는 것으로서, 마음(6식 또는 8식, 즉 심왕, 즉 심법)의 타락됨이 없는 것[無墮性]을 본질로 한다고 하였다. 즉 근(勤)이 존재하기 때문에 마음(6식 또는 8식, 즉 심왕, 즉 심법)은 참다운 이치에 따라 지어지는 일, 즉 선법(善法)의 공부(工夫)로 견고히 나아가 멈추지 않는다고 설명하고 있다.^[56]

=============

개인 정진이라는 것은 108배를 하고 300배를 하고 500배를 하는 것을 말하는 것이 아니라 자기 변화를 가지고 오는 것을 말합니다. 여러분 각자 자신만의 과제를 정해 보세요. 삶을 살다 보면 가족관계를 비롯하여 다양한 인간관계를 맺게 되는데요. 다른 사람이 봤을 때 ‘당신은 이것 하나만 고치면 좋을 텐데’ 하는 점이 아마도 많이 있을 거예요. 그중 하나만 정해서 한 번 고쳐보는 거예요.

무엇을 고쳐야 할지 스스로 알고 있으면 스스로 과제를 정하면 돼요. 혹시 스스로 모르면, 아내나 남편, 부모님이나 자식 혹은 도반들에게 이렇게 물어보면 알 수 있습니다.

‘내가 살면서 부족한 점이 참 많은데, 다 고치지는 못하고 그중 이것 하나만은 꼭 고쳤으면 좋겠다 하는 게 있으면 말해줘요.’

이런 건 아주 소중한 정보이기 때문에 물어봐도 함부로 잘 말해주지 않습니다. 그러니 선물을 사주거나 술상으로 대접을 하면서 간곡하게 청해야 말해줍니다. 그렇게 정성을 들여야 속에 있는 이야기를 해줘요. (모두 웃음)




혹시 ‘또 무슨 꼬투리를 잡으려고 이러나’하거나 ‘뭐 잘못 먹었나’ 하고 의심하면 ‘아니야, 그냥 한 번 물어봤어’ 하고 그냥 넘어가세요. 원래 그렇게 귀한 얘기는 쉽게 해주지 않는 법입니다. (모두 웃음)

그렇게 과제를 하나 정하면, 금방 다 해결하겠다거나 완전히 뿌리 뽑겠다는 욕심을 내지 말고, 하나만 선택해서 이것만은 해결해보자는 자세로 임해 보세요. ‘우리 아내가 바라는 소원 하나 들어주자’, ‘우리 남편이 바라는 소원 하나 들어주자’, ‘우리 아이가 원하는 소원 하나 들어주자’, ‘우리 부모님이 원하는 소원 하나 들어주자’ 이런 마음으로 도전해보는 거예요.

이렇게 하면 첫째, 나 자신이 좋습니다. 그리고 둘째, 내가 변화를 보이면 나와 관계 맺고 있는 사람들과 신뢰가 형성됩니다. 이렇게 신뢰가 형성되면 내년 봄이나 훗날 이 좋은 가르침을 주위에 전할 때 그렇게 구축된 신뢰가 매우 큰 힘이 됩니다.

엄마가 변화하면서 딸에게 ‘너도 기회 되면 정토불교대학 한 번 다녀 봐’ 하면 신뢰가 되는데, 엄마가 늘 절에 다니지만 행동에는 아무런 변화가 없다면 딸 입장에서는 ‘절에는 다녀서 뭐하나’ 하게 됩니다. 거기에 대놓고 아무리 좋은 이야기를 해도 신뢰를 받지 못합니다. 설령 내가 하는 말이 그럴듯해도 상대방 마음에서는 잘 받아들여지지 않습니다. 그러니 각자 자기만의 과제를 하나씩 정해서 꼭 정진을 하시기 바랍니다. 모두 정하셨어요?”

“네!”


“그럼 각자 뭘 고칠지 발표 한 번 시켜볼까요? (모두 웃음)


정진을 꾸준히 해나가면 다른 활동도 저절로 됩니다. 부부간의 갈등이 심하고, 남편이 폭력을 행사하고, 아이가 말을 잘 듣지 않고, 가정에 불화가 심해도, 꾸준히 정진을 해나가면 시간이 흐르면서 잠잠해집니다.
그런데 우리는 그런 어려움이 있으면 오히려 정진을 그만둡니다. 문제가 복잡할수록 더욱 정진해야 합니다.

사회적인 활동이 개인의 정진에 방해가 된다고 말하는데 과연 이 말이 맞는지 한 번 생각해봐야 합니다. 정진을 하지 않고 사회적인 활동을 하면 그 활동을 하는 중에 내가 스트레스를 받습니다. 무언가 변화시키고자 해도 쉽게 변화가 오지 않으니까요. 그러다 보면 안개에 옷이 젖듯이 자기도 모르게 짜증이 많아집니다. 시간이 흐르면 ‘내가 이걸 꼭 해야 하나’, ‘이걸 한다고 뭐가 좋을까’ 하는 회의까지 들기 시작합니다. 그래서 결국은 활동을 그만두게 됩니다. 마음에 들 때는 큰 에너지로 활동을 하다가 뜻대로 안 되니 좌절하는 겁니다. 이것은 정진을 하지 않기 때문에 생기는 일입니다.

그러나 꾸준히 정진을 하고, 일이 안 될수록 더욱 정진에 힘쓰면, 안 될 때 그만두는 것이 아니라 계속 장애를 극복하기 때문에 그다음에 더욱 큰 힘이 생깁니다. 우리는 이명박, 박근혜 정권 하 9년 동안에도 꾸준히 평화운동, 통일운동 그리고 북한 지원 사업을 해왔습니다. 물론 정부가 허락하지 않는 부분은 어쩔 수가 없었지만 그렇지 않은 곳에서는 꾸준히 활동을 이어왔습니다. 꾸준히 해올 수 있었던 이유는 요즘처럼 분위기가 좋을 때 시작한 것이 아니라, 남북 관계가 가장 안 좋을 때 활동을 시작했기 때문입니다.







시작할 때 주변에서 욕도 많이 먹었습니다. 욕을 엄청 많이 먹으면 대부분 그만두게 됩니다. 그런데 우리는 욕을 먹어가면서도 그만두지 않고 계속 해왔기 때문에 그 후로는 분위기가 좋고 나쁨에 크게 구애를 받지 않습니다. 정토회를 시작할 때 정말 조그만 사무실 하나 두고 청년들 몇몇과 함께 시작했기 때문에 중간에 아무리 큰 어려움이 있어도 ‘그래도 시작할 때보다는 낫다’ 하는 긍정성을 잃지 않습니다.

장애는 지나 놓고 보면 굉장한 복입니다. 어떤 일을 시작할 때 잘 안 되면 당시에는 아주 큰 재앙 같지만 지나 놓고 보면 그것보다 더 큰 복이 없습니다. 왜냐하면 처음부터 잘 안 되니까 계속하려면 연구를 해야 합니다. 계속하려면 마음속에 그 일을 하고자 하는 다짐은 더 커야 하고, 일을 성사시키기 위한 연구는 더 많이 해야 합니다. 그렇게 장애를 극복하고 나면 더 큰 일을 할 수 있는 역량이 갖추어집니다.

인생에서 장애를 넘어보지 않은 일은 모래 위에 성 쌓기와 같고, 언제 무너질지 모르는 물거품과 같습니다. 그래서 제가 농담으로 ‘내가 하는 일은 넘어질 일이 별로 없을 거야’라고 말합니다. 부처님이 도와줘서 그럴까요? 아닙니다. 왜냐하면 저는 매일 넘어지기 때문입니다. 남이 볼 때는 잘 된 것처럼 보일지 모르지만 지금까지 제가 세운 계획대로 된 게 없어요. (모두 웃음)

뭘해도 늘 계획대로 안 되었어요. 어떻게 보면 평생을 안 되는 일만 늘 하는 거예요. 이렇게 해도 안 되고, 저렇게 해도 안 되는, 그 안 되는 일들이 계속 쌓여서 지금 조금 된 것 같아요. 그래서 우리가 하는 일은 무너질 수가 없습니다.

오히려 처음부터 잘 된 일은 쉽게 무너질 수 있어요. 그래서 재앙, 실패 그리고 일이 안 되는 것이 복인 줄 알아야 해요. 실패야말로 나에게 오는 진정한 복입니다. 신앙을 가진 사람이라면 실패가 곧 하나님의 축복이고, 부처님의 가피입니다. 이렇게 보는 눈이 열리면 해탈하게 됩니다.

이 세상에서 일어나는 일 중에 복 아닌 것이 없습니다. 기독교 신자라면 이 관점이 잡혀야 어떤 상황 속에서도 ‘주여, 뜻대로 하옵소서’ 하게 됩니다. 뜻대로 하라는 것이 노예 같아 보일지 모르지만 잘 보면 그것이 곧 자유로움입니다. 무슨 일이 일어나든 구애받지 않게 돼요. 추우면 옷을 입고, 더우면 옷을 벗고, 물이 있으면 배를 만들어서 타고 가는 거예요. 그렇게 마음을 먹으면 ‘무슨 일이든 일어나 봐라, 나는 간다’ 이렇게 됩니다. 이건 ‘못 먹어도 고’처럼 무모한 게 아니에요. 어떠한 제약이 생겨도 뜻한 바대로 나아간다는 뜻입니다. 산이 있으면 넘어가고, 물이 있으면 건너가고, 장애가 있으면 잠시 멈추었다가 다시 나아가는 거예요.



지금 이대로 좋다


지금 이대로 좋다는 것을 알아야 합니다. 세상의 가르침과 불교의 가르침은 차이가 있습니다. 우리가 지향하는 삶은 산 꼭대기에 있다. 밧줄을 타고 열심히 올라가면 나도 산 꼭대기에 이를 수 있다. 이것이 현재 우리가 가지고 있는 인생관입니다. 그런데 부처님의 가르침은 지금 내가 있는 이곳이 극락이고 천당이라는 겁니다. 천당에서 깜빡 졸다가 악몽을 꾼 거예요. 꿈을 꾸다가 산 꼭대기에서 떨어진 거예요. 그러면 얼른 꿈에서 깨면 끝날 일이에요. ‘내가 개꿈을 꾸었구나’ 하고 꿈을 깨면 나는 원래 있던 자리에 있습니다. 밑에서 위로 기어올라가는 것이 아니라 원래 내가 살던 곳이 극락인데 잠시 한 눈 팔다가 미끄러진 것이니 정신만 차리면 제자리로 돌아가는 거예요.

내가 중생인데 노력해서 부처가 되는 것이 아니라, 나는 원래 부처인데 꿈속에서 잠깐 중생인 줄 착각한 거예요. 앞으로 수행 정진하면 행복해지는 것이 아니라, 나는 이미 괴로울 일이 없는 행복한 조건에 살고 있는데 한 생각에 사로잡혀서 괴로움 속에 있는 거예요. 그때 ‘아, 내가 착각했구나!’ 하고 알면 원래대로 돌아옵니다.

여러분은 노력해서 무언가 되어야 하는 게 아니라 지금 이대로 괜찮습니다. 지금 안 괜찮은 사람 손 들어보세요. (모두 웃음)


지금 자신이 별 볼 일 없는 사람이라고 생각하는 사람은 자신을 성인 군자라고 착각하는 사람이에요. 인생이란 원래 별 볼 일이 없습니다. 그래도 토끼보다는 낫고, 다람쥐보다는 나아요. 지금 이대로도 괜찮습니다. 이건 굉장한 자각입니다.

정진을 통해 지금 이대로 내가 괜찮은 사람이라는 것을 자각해야 합니다. 내가 자유롭고 행복하게 살 수 있다는 점을 자각해야 합니다. 가끔 착각해서 지옥 꿈을 꿀 때도 있지만, 그때마다 ‘정신을 차려야지’ 하고 자각해야 합니다. 자각이 가장 중요합니다. 이렇게 자각이 이루어진 사람은 절을 운동삼아 하는 거예요. (모두 웃음)

수행도 이렇게 가볍게 생각하면 좋겠습니다. 인생도 가볍게 사셨으면 좋겠어요. 여러분 모두 다 훌륭하고 귀한 사람입니다. 여러분들 모두 다 태어날 때는 귀한 딸, 귀한 아들이었습니다. 이렇게 괴롭게 살라고 부모님이 여러분을 낳은 게 아니에요. 모두 다 금쪽같이 귀한 딸, 귀한 아들이었습니다. 금쪽같이 키웠는데 이렇게 괴롭게 살아서 되겠어요? 그러니 괴로움 없이 삽시다. (모두 웃음)

아무런 도움이 되지 않아도 뭐라고 하는 사람은 없지만, 이왕 사는데 이웃과 세상에 도움이 되면 좋지 않겠어요. 내 만족을 위해서라도 세상에 쓸모 있는 사람이 되는 게 좋습니다. 그래서 천일결사의 목표에서 가장 먼저 나오는 말이 ‘괴로움이 없는 사람, 자유로운 사람이 되어 이웃과 세상에 잘 쓰인다’입니다. 9-7차 백일기도 기간에도 모두 행복한 수행자가 되시기 바랍니다.”

한 사람, 한 사람 귀하게 여겨주는 스님의 마음에 모두 우레와 같은 박수갈채를 보냈습니다. 새로운 백일, 새로운 마음으로 다시 정진을 이어갈 것을 다짐해 봅니다.


마지막으로 이번 백일 동안의 실천과제를 발표하고 나니 어느덧 입재식을 마칠 시간이 되었습니다. 끝으로 평화재단 이사 김홍신 작가님의 인사말을 들었는데요. 김홍신 작가님은 다양한 사례를 들며 ‘식물과 동물도 변화하고 진화하는 세상인데, 법륜스님과 정토를 만난 우리가 변하지 않을 수 있겠는가?’라고 말해 큰 박수를 받았습니다.



대중들은 산회가를 함께 손잡고 부르며 헤어짐의 아쉬움을 달랬습니다.


행사를 모두 마친 후 스님은 서초동으로 돌아와 청년 활동가들과 회의를 하였습니다. 요즘은 청년들이 정말 살기 힘들다는 얘기가 많은데요. 평화재단에서 봉사하고 있는 청년 활동가들도 직장 생활을 병행하면서 봉사 소임을 하는 것에 어려움이 많습니다.


스님은 어려운 여건에서도 한반도의 평화를 위해 다양한 시도를 하고 있는 청년들을 격려했습니다.


“직장을 다니면서 봉사를 하는 것이 힘들게 느껴질 때도 많겠지만, 직장을 다니면서 봉사를 하기 때문에 발생하는 좋은 점이 많아요. 직장을 다니면서 봉사를 해야 하면 실무적으로 일할 시간이 부족하기는 해요. 그러나 우리들이 전법하고자 하는 중심 대상은 직장 안 다니는 사람이 아니라 직장 다니는 사람이에요. 그래서 내가 직장을 다니면서 활동을 개발하면 직장에 다니는 사람에 맞는 개발을 할 수 있어요. 내가 직장을 안 다니고 개발을 하면 직장 다니는 사람들의 처지가 충분히 고려가 안 될 수가 있어요. 너무 배려를 하든지, 그렇지 않으면 너무 배려를 안 하든지 말이죠.


나부터 직장 생활을 하면서 밤잠 안 자고 일을 하면 대중들이 감동을 받게 돼요. 스님이 이렇게 직접 활동을 많이 하니까 대중들도 따라 하는 거예요. 스님이 아무 일도 안 하고 산속에서 참선만 하면서 대중들에게 뭐해라 뭐해라 얘기하면 설득이 안 돼요. 스님부터 늘 여기저기 뛰어다니면서 수행도 하고 사회활동도 하니까 제 말이 대중들에게 먹히는 겁니다. 직장 다니면서 활동하는 게 힘은 좀 들지만 이렇게 좋은 점이 많아요.

이제는 모든 활동가가 자기가 중심이 되어서 사업을 개척해 나가야 해요. 앞으로는 어디에 소속되어 실무만 맡으면 되는 일은 점점 없어져요. 현장으로 가서 본인이 직접 참가자를 모집해서 프로그램을 운영해야 사람들이 따르고 리더십이 생겨요.”

스님의 격려에 청년 활동가들도 더욱 적극적으로 활동을 해나가 보기로 다짐했습니다.

오늘은 새롭게 100일을 출발하는 날입니다. 각자 과제를 하나씩 정하고 새로운 마음으로 출발하는 새날 되시길 바랍니다.

<스님의 하루>에 실린 모든 내용, 디자인, 이미지, 편집구성의 저작권은 정토회에 있습니다. 허락없이 내용의 인용, 복제는 할 수 없습니다.
스님의 하루
“지금 이대로도 나는 소중합니다.”
“어떻게 국회의원의 이미지를 좋게 할 수 있을까요?”
“남편은 안중에도 없고 자식만 챙기는 아내, 서운해요.”
"외도한 남자와 헤어지고 새로 만난 남자가 또...”
“직장 생활이 힘들 때, 참아야 할까요, 그만둬야 할까요?”
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18 As British Quakers divest from the Occupation, Jewish leaders seek to discredit and smear them

As British Quakers divest from the Occupation, Jewish leaders seek to discredit and smear them
NOVEMBER 25, 2018 

BY ROBERT A. H. COHEN
13 COMMENTS
3516


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Last week Quakers in Britain became the first Christian denomination in the U.K. to adopt a responsible investment policy towards the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian land. It was the first denomination but I doubt it will be the last.

Within hours of the announcement, the Board of Deputies, the body which asserts its right to represent Jewish interests in Britain, had issued a statement of rebuke from its President, Marie van der Zyl. In a few short paragraphs, van de Zyl gathered together all of the usual anti-BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) talking points and fired them in one almighty blast at the Quakers.

The Board’s statement is worth examining in detail since it reveals so much about the Jewish establishment’s mission to set the parameters of acceptable debate on Israel to the detriment of interfaith relations.
A moral duty

Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, explained why the Quakers had taken the decision:


“Our long history of working for a just peace in Palestine and Israel has opened our eyes to the many injustices and violations of international law arising from the military occupation of Palestine by the Israeli government.

“With the occupation now in its 51st year, and with no end in near sight, we believe we have a moral duty to state publicly that we will not invest in any company profiting from the occupation.”

The Quakers also reaffirmed a 2011 decision to boycott goods produced in Israeli settlements.

President van de Zyl’s response was a verbal assault which showed no respect for the Quakers nearly 400 years of commitment to peace and justice in Britain nor the practical experience it has in bringing reconciliation to some of the world’s most troubled places. Instead, Marie van de Zyl was an inch away from accusing the Quakers of antisemitism.


“The appalling decision of the Friends House hierarchy to divest from just one country in the world – the only Jewish state – despite everything else going on around the globe, shows the dangers of the obsessive and tunnel-visioned approach that a narrow clique of church officials have taken in recent years.”

There’s a lot going on in that opening salvo but all of it is devoid of historical or political context.

What exactly is so “appalling” about a Christian denomination with a natural concern for what takes place in the Holy Land, choosing to demonstrate its historic commitment to non-violence by implementing a policy of divestment from companies which profit from the occupation of Palestinian land?
Inconsistency?

Quakers have used boycotts as a tactic many times over the centuries. In the 19th century they boycotted produce produced by slave labour, even refusing to put sugar in their tea. In the mid 20th century American Quakers supported boycotts in support of Black Civil Rights. In the 1980s Quakers backed anti-apartheid boycotts. Today, Quakers in Britain refuse to invest in fossil fuels.

The Board ignores this ethical tradition, preferring to distort the Quakers’ motivations by accusing its leadership of being solely concerned with “one country”, “the only Jewish State” and thereby planting the idea that there must be something antisemitic in all of this.

The Board knows full-well that no country or group has ever applied boycotts consistently, and that includes Jews and the State of Israel.

In the 1970s Jewish activists boycotted Soviet Union sponsored culture events in the U.K. Should they have also boycotted Idi Amin’s Uganda before they had the right to campaign for Soviet Jewish rights? Must Israel today call for trade sanctions against every distasteful regime around the world before it can talk about Iran? The British Quakers are naturally focused on a part of the world where they have obvious interest and decades of experience. What on earth makes it antisemitic?

But the Board ignores another critical consideration in the Quakers’ decision that goes a long way in explaining why its divestment tactic is being applied to Israel. The Palestinian people, including a comprehensive coalition of Christian organisations, have themselves called for this form of global support.
International

The Board condemns the Quakers for ignoring “everything else going on around the globe” but a quick look at the Quakers’ website shows how ignorant this accusation is.

The Quakers International Work page shows its commitment to challenging corruption and abuses of power in Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi and its conciliation work in South Asia. This is alongside its longstanding work in co-ordinating the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). In recent decades the Quakers have also been actively involved in conciliation work in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka.

In contrast, if you look at the Board of Deputies’ website you’ll find nothing about concern for the rest of the world apart from Israel and the Middle East.


So which organisation is displaying a lack of global awareness? Which organisation is “obsessive” and “tunnel visioned”?


Narrow cliques

As for the “narrow clique of church officials” the Board’s President really ought to visit some Quaker Meetings around the country if she thinks this decision will not have considerable support from Friends at the grassroots.

I’ve spoken about my Jewish solidarity for the Palestinian people all over the country and, invariably, I find myself speaking in Quaker Meeting Houses. That’s because Quakers are willing to allow their buildings to be safe spaces for free speech in the name of peace and justice.

I’m yet to find a synagogue offering me the same hospitality. In fact, Board of Deputies officials are in the habit of trying to stop me speaking. So where in reality is the “narrow clique” controlling the debate? Friends House or Torriano Mews?
One-sided propaganda

The statement from Marie van de Zyl notes that there was:


“no particular trigger incident for this decision, just the ongoing insistence of certain Quaker bureaucrats of feeding a diet of one-sided propaganda to those unfortunate enough to rely on them for information.”

The reason there was no “trigger incident” is precisely because Quakers in Britain has taken its time in reaching this decision. It’s not a knee-jerk reaction to anything. It’s recognition that 25 years of ‘peace process’ has made the situation worse with the prospect of justice and peace further away than ever. A different approach is needed to shift the dial.

As for “one sided propaganda”, I haven’t noticed the Board of Deputies ever offering a broad spectrum of views on Israel.
Controlling the debate

What’s interesting to observe about the Board’s attitude is the presumption that it has the right to dictate to other faith communities what their policy on Israel should be. Marie van de Zyl contrasts the Quakers’ independent thinking with how she prefers Church denominations to behave:


“While other churches have reached out to the Jewish community at this time of rising antisemitism and polarisation to work together to tackle prejudice and promote peace in the region, the Quaker leadership has chosen to import a divisive conflict into our country, rather than export the peace that we all want to see.”

In other words, let us tell you what to think and what to do when it comes to Israel.

And note how criticism of Israel is placed firmly within the context of “rising antisemitism”. Only the Board, it appears, understands how to “tackle prejudice” and “promote peace”. Anyone that considers an alternative course of action is just “importing a divisive conflict”.

Van de Zyl concludes her diatribe by calling on Quakers in Britain to reverse its decision and “join those of us looking to build bridges instead.”

But what is the Board’s idea of bridge building? What kind of Church behaviour on Israel is considered acceptable to Marie van de Zyl?
‘Investing in Peace’

We’ve seen the answer this month with a series of events around the U.K. organised by the Board of Deputies and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland with the title ‘Investing in Peace’.

The Board brought together Jewish Israeli and Palestinian peace activists with a message not to “take sides” but to “build bridges” through grassroots relationships.

I’ve got nothing against any of this in principle. It’s good as far as it goes. But it’s designed not to go too far. I can tell this from van de Zyl’s quote in the accompanying press release:


“At a time when tensions and emotions are understandably running high, it is so refreshing to have balanced, nuanced dialogue on this topic.”

So, Investing in Peace sets up the discussion within a paradigm of “balance” and “nuance” as if the lack of such things has been the stumbling bloc to peace over all these years. It’s a narrative which ignores the power dynamics on the ground. The dynamic of oppressed and oppressor in Israel/Palestine. But if that true relationship is not acknowledged and confronted, neither justice nor peace are likely to emerge.

The Board of Deputies has shown itself incapable of understanding why Quakers in Britain could be justified in adopting an ethical investment policy directed at Israel. That’s because the Board of Deputies is acting not as a Jewish community body in the U.K. but as a plank of the pro-Israel lobby. In that role it’s determined to maintain the illusion that Israel/Palestine is a “conflict” requiring “balanced” debate and a heavily managed interfaith conversation.

The Quakers, on the other hand, have grasped the reality and seen through this distortion. I hope others will follow them.