๐ INTRODUCTION
โจ In this reflective teaching, Master Woo Myung examines the philosophy of Antisthenes, a pupil of Socrates, and clarifies which of his ideas on happiness align with Truth and which do not. ๐ฟ
He explains that although departing from worldly greed seems virtuous, true happiness is not found through suppression or discipline, but only when the self completely disappears and one lives in the natural flow of Truth. ๐
This message reveals why pureness arises not from restraint, but from becoming entirely free of the self through the Way toward Truth. ๐
๐ ORIGINAL WRITING BY MASTER WOO MYUNG
Antisthenes, a pupil of Socrates, thought that true happiness comes from departing from interests in worldly matters and engaging in spiritual simplicity and honest labor, and that building character through discipline and acquiring good habits, being free from avarice, and suppressing oneself are actions of virtue which form the basis of happiness. Which of his points are right and which are wrong?
Antisthenesโ thoughts on true happiness are reasonable but they are not correct because true happiness comes from being truly free of worries, but in order to be truly free of worries one must be completely without self. This means that one must live a life where oneโs self does not exist even though he is alive. When one lives in this way, everything becomes a source of happiness for suffering is something that does not originally exist. Penance and unhappiness exist because oneโs self exists; when one does not exist they will not exist. This state can only be reached by spiritually emptying oneโs mind entirely. This was very difficult for people to achieve in the past but now anyone can learn how to do so through dล โ the way towards Truth.
It is natureโs flow that man behaves in accordance with how things are; he eats when he wants to eat and sleeps when he wants to sleep. It is not natureโs flow to forcedly suppress oneโs self. Personality cannot be built through restraining; it can only be found in pureness. Pureness is when one is completely without self, and when his mind inwardly is the same as his outward actions; it does not reside in the suppression of oneโs self.
– Woo Myung
๐ REFLECT AT SANTA CLARA MEDITATION
At Santa Clara Meditation, practitioners are guided to follow the natural flow of Truth rather than forcing discipline through suppression. ๐ฟ Through reflection and practice, they learn what it truly means to become free of the self and live in genuine happiness, as taught by Master Woo Myung.
