(299) What makes a happy life?
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By Janet Shin
Since ancient days, we have been taught several ways to bring luck into our lives. People have mentioned five studies to determine one’s destiny. They are fate, fortune, feng shui, learning and good deeds.
To restate their hidden meanings, fate refers to an innate facet of life which one cannot alter, and fortune is something that keeps changing. One should be aware of its comings and goings in order to take advantage of it in the right place and right time. Feng shui is associated with environmental factors. Meanwhile, the latter two, learning and good deeds, may sound irrelevant to the theme of destiny.
Saju reveals truths derived by the first two ― fate and fortune. By decoding the secret signs of one’s birth, we may tell one’s given destiny and how to develop one’s life with the addition of incoming fortune. It is mostly based on fatalism, as one cannot revise the saju letters generated from the birth.
In this regard, feng shui is different from saju because it is something people can select, modify and apply depending on individual situations. It has fascinated many people around the world as it gives hints to improve their lives proactively. With the help of a feng shui cure, one can promote the life energy, which brings wealth and success.
The underlying lesson of the five oriental teachings, however, is not what you simply comprehend. Actually the essence lies in the latter two, learning and good deeds. They even emphasize that only those who show mercy to others and lead a life of virtue may be able to understand feng shui and find an auspicious location.
Many people have been infatuated by saju and feng shui, in their times of trouble or in the hope for a better life. Notwithstanding their desperation, the luck never relieves all. Wise men said one could get a piece of luck only when he or she performs good deeds and makes an effort.
Some were born with a silver spoon in their mouths and others could have built their own fortune. Unfortunately success doesn’t visit us easily, yet it leaves us quickly by any possibility. Do not cling to wealth and fame, which are just overnight dreams. There is a saying that the rich do not last three generations. It is harder to maintain wealth than to acquire it.
Good deeds do not have to be a great charity which involves sharing your property. It pertains primarily to your daily practices, posture, tone, manner of speaking and the words you choose.
We know there are quite a few cases of corruption, inappropriate conduct and absurd behavior. Many recent social issues, such as the Korean Air “nut rage” incident and the abuse children at daycare centers, have aroused public rage. Public rebuke and legal pressure have crashed down upon those involved. The collapse of their comfortable lives provides us a lesson of how to live.
How people pose, their facial expressions and the verbal messages they try to deliver have lots of implications about whether they can cultivate a contented life or not. Pay attention to what you think, your routine and repetitive behaviors. We must understand that fame and success have to be accompanied by “noblesse oblige.” Goodness is a fundamental asset to lead a happy life.