Feb. 22. 11: Fr. Lee Tae Seok, is he a religious hero?
His moral action indeed contributed to the society. His action led more people to walk on a better path. Fr.Lee Tae Seok was the first priest who volunteered to work in Tonj. Tonj is a small town in Southern Sudan. Sudan was going on a war over 20 years. Fr. Lee received hundreds of baby and treated the injured soldier and the leprosy patient. When it came to be an emergency he didn't’ even wore his gloves. He built the first medical centre,first school and let electricity let in by the solar energy in Tonj which was amazing. He was the only doctor in the medical centre and the centre had average of 200 patient a day. Fr.Lee Tae Seok is a Christian(Roman Chatolic) priest. He was born in 1962 September 19. He was born as the second youngest children among his 10 siblings. He graduated the medical university but, gave up his mother’s hope of him being a doctor but, follow his own dream of being a priest. He entered the Gwang-Ju Chatolic university to be a priest. While he was studying he went to Kenya(Africa) volunteer work and got interested in Sudan where it was going on a battle for 20 years. “Meeting People in Sudan reminded me that good loves us all” and “I learnt by meeting the people in Sudan that continuously sharing leads to happiness” is the quotes from his book which he wrote while he was in Sudan for 10 years. And the film of his life came out in September 2010 after 8 month of his death. He certainly embodies inspiration,reliable and caring.
Inspiration by watching his film will never leave me. Fr. John Lee was told that he is going through the last stage of cancer when he went back to Korea for more medical tools. He knew that he couldn’t live long and hid the truth that he’s suffering with cancer. He even opened a concert in order to get more support from people to help people of Tonj. But, it didn’t last long, he fainted and was sent to ER. When he was fighting with the colon cancer he said “I saw an angel and he told me to go to Tonj, I have to go back.” But, his mother didn’t let him go and sent him to hospital for treatment. Every time after the painful treatment he said I have to go back. And the last day of his life he said to his brother(priest) to lead the donation group of Tonj instead of him. And he passed away as 46 years old man who devoted his life in Tonj which was going on a mass suffer. His life inspired the Buddhist and the head of the Korean Buddhist association told the others that if we had a monk like him the future of Buddhist will be better.
Reliable is one of the best traits that I would choose for Fr.John Lee. He took a plane to Tonj and when he arrived people of Tonj gathered holding a sharp spear in hand and a suspicious look in their eyes. He said that he was from Korea and to help them. At first children were threatening him with a knife and weapons. He instantly knew that they are hungry of love and care and it’s his task to give them right education ,care and love. He built the school and medical centre for people and it was free to get treated. He asked a lot of well educated to teach the children of Tonj hoping they could be a better person. He constructed the Brass Band and he composed all the song and he directed everyone. His band played for the president and the rich people too. Slowly he was called as Fr.John Lee. People relied on him so much but, never forget to repay him. Brass Band cherished the memory of Fr.John Lee. Children were holding pictures of him soldiers let them pass through the non-permitted area.
Fr. John Lee was indeed caring. Most people of Tonj suffered Leprosy. One by one their body parts disappeared. Fr. John Lee was a doctor and a priest and knew how to treat them. He opened a clinic and treated more than a thousand Leprosy patient. Of course, some died because the ill was to deep to get treated. “Fr. Lee never refused to have a patient even though he was in his bed sleeping” said Ms. Lee Su Jin who volunteered to work in Tonj for 1 years and now a doctor in S.Korea. He always treated patients with a smile. This reminds me of the quote “Peace starts with a smile”-Mother Teressa. He created peace between the people and that made them connected. Connection is really important for human to live. Human can’t live alone we have to depend on each other like biodiversity.
Religion is a trust, not something that are causing bad relationship. People fight because of religion and people get hurt or harmed by it. Humans are born to follow the Morals but, sadly there aren’t so many of us who’s following it. Fr. Lee Tae Seok gave up his possesion and did the right thing for people which is following the moral. His created the path and walked toward the better world but, he couldn’t finish the walk and it’s our duty to follow the path and walk on the path.
Dec. 10. 2010: We Need Someone To Stand Up For Us!! (North Korean Civillians)
Firstly, I would like apologize for not putting the artist's name up because I can't find it. But, instead I will try my best to talk about this painting. In this story, the candle is the hope of North Korean civillians that someone will save them from the government. And the wind is the North Korean government. The candles need someone to block the wind to blow off their last hope. This story is about journey of freedom. Recently, the escaped North Korean lady without a husband was caught by the police and sent back to North Korea but, not her son. She escaped to China but, unfortunately sent back. South Korea's biggest TV station KBS went to China to interview her son. Her son said " I miss mama so, I prayed to god everyday." It was really touching interview. Why did this had to happen to a small boy? It is so wrong to flee from oppression?
The Greek myth "Daedalus and Icarus" is the same story like this. Daedalus and Icarus also wanted freedom so, they flee. But, Icarus died and only Daedalus survived. It's the same the mother and the son wanted freedom but, the mother was sent back and she could die. North Korean leader's are just holding the power but, not using it to help the citizens. It's like people buying wine but, keeping them as a souvenir. "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." (Mother Teresa). The quote means that peace will never occur until people are connected. The poem "No Man Is An Island" is poem of connection. People should be all connected but, sadly that is not happening in North Korea. The North Korean leaders are not connected to the citizens but, only with the powerful people. They are using violence to take people's freedom like Burma. Burma is also taking people's freedom for their benefits. In Burma there is Aung San Suu Kyi but, in North Korea there is no one who's standing up for people. The civillians of North Korea needs someone to stand up for them.
Dec. 2. 2010: Many life depends on our actions.
The painting is called "faceless poverty" by a not so famous artist Sarojit Mazumdar. This picture shows the pain of faceless and also the pain of poverty. You could see that his cloth and face is colored as black which emphasizes the pain. I would like to talk about poverty, which normally people ignore because, thinking that it's not their fault. I think that poverty is made by us. There are over 3 billion people who live on less then 2.5$ a day. We spend so much a day just because buying new stuff. If we spend less a day and donate some money continuously, the world will have less people who suffers a poverty. I will show you what happened because of poverty. Nearly billion people can't write, read or sign their name.1 billion children live in poverty. 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. This is a thing happening just because of money. I will talk about the most common thing to create poverty, food. When we eat food we sometimes leave out some and just throw it. Even when the food is not expired yet but,it's going to be soon will be expired, we just throw it away. Sometimes people even play with the foods. " The ones who's playing with the food is never been in a hunger " this is a quote from Talmud. People usually never respects what they have and try to buy more. I know that people's willingness of buying is really strong but, I think we are born to reduce that useless willingness and try to live in a modesty. "Poverty is the mother of crime." is a quote from Marcus Aurelius. I think that about 50% of the crimes made by people is because of poverty. As the quote said they had to create a crime in order to live. I am sure that everyone who's seeing my blog is a person who's not in poverty. Money is created by human but, now it's killing humans and make humans suffer. Did you know that money can lead human to betray, crime, guiltiness and killing too? Why don't we try to send some food to a food foundation for poors like Food Bank? They can't get educated because, they don't have enough money. " The root of the education is bitter but, the fruit is sweet " is a great quote of education. We can get the root down deeply to the earth and taste the fruit someday but, they can't even get their root down.
I really think that this is connected to the poem " No Man I s An Island " by John Donne. Peoples are connected. People living in poverty is also a piece of the whole just the small part which wants to be a bigger piece. We as a bigger piece than them must support them to be a big piece like us or maybe, even a bigger piece.
You can visit this page to find out more informations about more information.
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty.
Nov. 29. 2010: Why, no peace?
I would like to talk about peace. North Korea attacked South Korea on November 23 2010. They shot 100 missile to Yeon-Pyeong island. Yeon Pyeong island is located near North Korea but it's a South Korea's land. By that accident two soldiers died and two civilian died. South Korean government shot back at North Korea. The funerals of the soldiers were held on November. 28. 2010. It was really sad that two young soldiers have died. One soldiers had just left two weeks to finish military service. Their parents and siblings came and cried out loud to their dead sons. North Korea shot missiles again in the same place on November 25 2010. Fortunately no one was hurt or dead because peoples who lived in the island escaped to the hiding place. The hiding place was 60 years old building and only had a candle to depend on. Peoples had to squeezed their self in order to make each others space to sleep. All the houses in the island is empty and theres only dogs without an owner left in the island. There is an event going on to rescue the dogs. The third attack was on November. 28. 2010. This time two civilians died again in a horrible shape that I can't say it through my mouth. What I am trying to say is that peace is a reminder of human connection. As I said if one's connection is destroyed other connection will be destroyed to because, we all depend on each other. "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." is a quote by Mother Teressa. It has the exact same meaning with what I'm trying to tell people. "Peace begins with a smile" is also Mother Teressa's quote. I would like to tell people that even when you meet the person you hate just give him a smile that will make a whole difference. Start your day with a smile you will feel happy the whole day. "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." is Albert Einstein's quote. It really makes difference just with how you understand things. We need to understand each other to be connected and be stable.
Nov. 27. 2010: Equal in every thing.
I totally agree to Eboo Patel's speech. He said that no religion is the best but all the same. I had to experience a lot of teasing by the Christian friends from Korea just because that I am a Buddhist. They teased me that if you trust Buddha you will turn into a stone, and I said that then you're going to be on the cross. But, nowadays I regret myself saying that because, it caused pain to me and and also to my friend. He said that he joined the white game and tried to forget all the Indian's stuff. This really is connected to Jesus Colon and James Berry's poem. Jesus Colon only thought about the disadvantages of him but not the advantages. But, Patel only thought of his advantages but not the disadvantages. He ignored the difference and tried to shed it and forget it from his mind. Recently and also in past there's been a lot of war going on just because of the pride of their religions. I really think so that no religion is the best because it's a trust not a pride. I am a Buddhist but I don't mistreat other religion, I sometimes go to church because of friends and learn the advantages of that religion. I really think that people should throw the pride of their religions and try to not think that he or his religion is the best and criticize other religions.Nov. 25. 2010: Is standing up so wrong?
Guernica was a peaceful village till the bomb was shot. People in Guernica was supporting democracy and made the General Franco to destroy them. They stood up and asked him all his authority perhaps, it was them who made them attack. Weapons were made by human but, it made people suffer. The picture only uses black,grey and white. Those colors could be representing death and horror. Fatmire Feka has went through a war too. The war started when she was only 7 years old. Her village was also destroyed. I'm sure that this painting could also represent the Korsovan War. She thought that she has nothing but, she has earned something from the war. She reliezed that this kind of war must never happen again and became a peace maker. "The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it." (George Orwell). George Orwell was a journalist and also an author. He showed passion in democracy. Before he became a author he was a policeman. He worked in Burma. Burma is the home town of Aung San Suu Kyi. Why do authority made by a person have to make other people suffer? Isn't it our duty to stop the authority which is going to leave suffer? I can't just believe that this accident just happened for the growing power and the benefit of Hitler's Nazi party. The piece had to be broken because of someone's benefit. It's wrong and it must never happen again.
Nov.21 2010: Ban Gi Mun's Success Story
The current Secretary-General of the United Nations is Ban Ki Mun. He is a first korean to enter UN. His childhood was not so good but, it didn't stop him from his success. He was born in 13 June 1944 and he is 66 years old. When he was born, Korea was still under the japanese control. Also when he became 7 years old 6.25 war was going on.(...... He and his family moved to Chung-Ju when he was 3. He entered the Gyo-Hyun elementry school where his cousin sister is working as a teacher. The school was destroyed because of the korean war so the government gave tents to build a temporary school when he entered school. He was often teased by the his other friend because of his mole on his nose. After school he had to walk 6 miles in order to reach home, he used that time to revise what he did on school that day while in the same time other friends of him were playing. He dreamt of being a diplomat after meeting the forgein minister when he was in grade 5. When he became grade 6 the school held a calculation on the abacus competition. He was thrilled but also worried because his rival Han-Seung-Soo was out-standing in caculation using abacus. He asked Seung-Soo to compete him everyday but he lost everytime. Ban-Gi-Mun practiced caulation day and night. The final day of desiding who will go for the competition, his teacher didn't know who to pick because they were in the same levles. They decided who ever wins the caculation game will go for the competition. As the gift of his excellent effort Ban-Gi-Mun won Seung-Soo with 1 second and went out for the competition. He first learnt english when he entered middle school. He said that english seemed like a worm dancing for him when he first learnt english.But, he tried so hard to get used with english and it worked. He memorized the whole book in a trimester. One day his teacher asked him to publish an english book for the school. He went to the fertilizer factory in order to meet the american advisors. The advisors helped him to publish it and asked him to study english from them. Time passed, it was when he was in his high school, he participated in an essay contest which was sponsored by the Red Cross. After the test he found out a shocking fact, even he had the highest mark but, he couldn't won because of the mole on his nose. The teachers and the american advisors continously sent a letter to UN about that shcking fact. The effort moved the director and he could go to America. After his trip he entered Seoul National University as a highest mark. After his graduation he entered Foreign Ofiice as the highest mark. People thought that he would go to America but he went to India. He choose India because he and his family could live without much money.Nov. 15. 2010: Life, being watched
I would like to talk about freedom. I think that almost everyone is allowed to do variety of things. That's called freedom. Like me I am really grateful that I am born in a happy family to have freedom but, some peoples are not. Burma, home town of Aung San Suu Kyi is like a prison which they never allow freedom to appear in front. Thxa Soa, he is a famous hip-hop singer in Burma but, in his songs there's a criticism of the millitary. In Burma nothing is allowed before they get permission from the government. Even books and lyrics must go through a government approval to get published. I am sure that every single Burmese citizens knows what has happen to Aung San Suu Kyi. She was under house arrest for 15 years. 75% of his albums are banned. But, the freedom of the hip-hop spread fast and let the citizens enjoy it. A nation should protect their citizens but, they are oppressing the citizens. He is really brave and not scared of being tortured. He could die by singing which is criticizing the government. He wants to keep the right of the citizens and protect it. We really need this kind of people in world. Who can stand up for people and do something to help even it's a small thing.In John Donne's poem "No Man Is An Island" remind us that people are all connected. Connection requires understanding. Sadly the current Burmese government is not understanding each other. That occurs the relationship between the country and citizens break. "A broken piece of a pottery will never be back together" is a Korean Quote. The broken piece is the trust of the citizens to the government and it will never be back together.
Nov.12 2010:Journey of Fatmire Feka
Forgiving something or someone is a hard task. Fatmire Feka is a korsovan. In the world war 1 Korsova had a critical damage. Fatmire Feka who was a victim of a world war 1 has forgiven the Serb who destroyed her life and her family's life. She lost her brother and sister during the war. She was just a little girl when she experienced the war,hunger,poverty and pain. Maybe, if that did not happen she wouldn't be a peace seeker today. Her speach was very inspiring to me when I heard it. It was a touching story that made my tears fell down to my cheek. She and her family hid in the garbage dump for 2 weeks and even tried to sneek into the village and bring their chickens for survival which they didn't bring with them. After the war she was adopted to a canadian family by UN. After ten years now, she is back as a 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize and her touching story kept deep in her heart. Psople says that she is amazing yes, she is amazing she is brave and fights for justice which she didn't had in her childhood. Fatmire Feka is working to prevent children suffering from pain anymore. I never had forgive someone who made me really go through pain. But, she has forgiven her life destroyer who made her suffer a massive pain."The blocks" is written by a author called Allan Gibbons. In the blocks Hashim the asylum seeker boy was in the same situation like Fatmire Feka. They both suffered from pain when they were young. A thing which any child must never see. But,still they are not ashamed about theit story instead they are proud and strong. They both know how to forgive someone or something. I think that they are not asylum seeker but, people who spread peace and how to forgive someone. "The Island" is a picture book written by Armin Greder. In the story, only the brave fisherman stood upped for the stranger to protect him. Maybe, the fisherman could be Fatmire Feka and the stranger is the peace seeker. Fatmire Feka stood up for people who doesn't have power to protect them selves. She is truly a hero a, hero we hope to see all over the world.
Oct 1 2010: Frida Khalo
Frida Khalo De Rivera is a Mexican artist (July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) born between Guillermo Kahlo and Matilde Calderón y Gonzalez. I really admire her work "The wounded deer" it shows her pain.
Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as national treasure. She had a stormy but passionate marriage with the Mexican artist Diego Rivera who was 21 years old older than her. Her husband Diego Rivera had an affair with her younger sister Christina. It caused their passionate love to a disastrous divorce. But, she remarried him on his 54th birthday. She suffered lifelong health problems, many of which was caused from a traffic accident in her teenage years. Kahlo suffered polio at age six, which made her right leg thinner than the left, which made her wear long and colorful skirts.The accident caused her sterility forever. These problems are reflected in her works, more than half of her paintings which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo said, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best." She didn't stop drawing after her accident but she drew more and mature picture. Oct.1: A HUMBLE MONK
I am so impressed about this monk. He was called as " Bub-Jung." The monk died at "Gilsang Temple" in Seoul on Thursday after suffering from lung cancer since 2007. His funeral was held with all the prayers on thursday 2010 march 11. He was known as "The monk who owns nothing" because he always said "When you do not own anything, you actually own everything in the world." He also was a novel writer. "Musou" is the best among all of the books he wrote. The meaning of "Musou" is own things you need and don't own anything unnecessary. It was published on Monday 1985 July 1. The reason why I choose him as a hero is because, he knew that he could live a best life as a monk but he didn't but instead he lived in a wooden hut in Mount Jiri and it was abandoned by the victim of the "Korean War." He spent time meeting prayers come to ask him his opinion or feed the animals come and ask for food. That informations shows he followed his word.(5 th line)
He is so great that every buddhist respects and admirse him. I also admire him just like other people. When I get old I would like to get out of the city and live in a quiet place where I can live peacefuly. Some where like "Jeju Island" is one of the place I would like to live when I grow old. Hopefully when I become old there will be stil be quiet place which is not developed
