Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Bitter cold makes us look to onset of spring

By Janet Shin Those who have studied or are interested in saju or other Oriental cultures related to astrology, would know that Eastern philosophies are based on the lunar calendar. There is a certain tacit definition that Western culture is related to solar energy while it is lunar energy in the Orient. If you are also one of those people, here is a theory that may upset your stereotype. As mentioned earlier, “change” is a keyword in studying saju. Without this understanding, we cannot comprehend any phenomenon in regards to yin, yang and the five elements. Their true meaning should be reinterpreted. According to Oriental teachings, it is not actually a concept of an “element” ― a compartmental understanding of things. It should rather be “changing stages of being.” The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. So, if we exactly understand their concept, we should focus on their interactions ― mutual generations and restrictions ― and how they balance and change from one to another. It is not only between the two elements but among several of them. Likewise

Feb 2, 2012

(173) New Year’s Resolutions

By Janet Shin We all want to live a healthy life. It doesn’t always mean physical health, but mental soundness as well as social integrity. At the beginning of the year, everybody makes various resolutions in the hope of improving their lives. How to kick it off meaningfully is everybody’s concern. Meeting a new boyfriend or girlfriend, getting a stable job or just being healthy may be examples of universal wishes to brighten one’s life. In the meantime, to quit smoking, to diet and to study hard are some of the most frequent resolutions for the New Year. They are easier said than done, though. Quite often, I am asked to say words of blessing at the time of the Lunar New Year holiday. I try to forward my best wishes based on people’s saju. It is definitely a better way of giving a true blessing and I want to share the efficacy with as many people as possible. If you want to give more than words of blessing to your closer friends, you may also buy some lucky gifts that can enhance their fortune. It only requires their birth year, month, day and time to read the saju, or four pi

Jan 26, 2012

(172) Feng shui tips for new year

By Janet Shin The Lunar New Year is just around the corner. At this time of the year, I usually get together with various groups of people and share fortune tips for a successful year. They expect to hear secrets for good luck in general, on top of reading their saju for a New Year, which is called “tojeongbigyeol (secret readings for the New Year)” in Korean. Most of us plan something to close the past year and welcome the new year. We want to know what will bring good luck and dissolve bad luck. The good luck may vary by one’s own situation and wishes. Some may wish a healthy life, while others a wealthy one. Some may wish to pass an important examination and others a successful career. Therefore the prescriptions should be customized for individual’s wishes. However there are some feng shui tips that may apply to everybody universally. They may sound just a matter of course, nevertheless they are not practiced well for various reasons. Your living and working spaces are the most important places where you get either positive or negative energy. They have a tendency to ge

Jan 19, 2012

Communication is key to solution for bullying

By Kelly Frances "Tears are welling up as I will no longer see my family in return for ending the days of harassment. Please don’t be sad because I am not here any longer, and please don’t kill yourself like I just did.” The country has been riveted for weeks by the suicide of a bullied student at middle school in Daegu. The student’s chilling farewell note left parents, teachers, and government administrators struggling to understand and mitigate the factors surrounding bullying. The case, combined with one of the highest rates of teen suicide in the OECD, has raised a serious question: What transforms a child into a relentless bully? "It's a complicated question, but the answer has consistent themes,” said Park Jin-seng, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who specializes in family counseling. "Bullying occurs in every human social system, and at the core lies a breakdown in communication." Park alludes to two personality types: masochistic and sadistic, or the stereotypical victim and bully, respectively. One type rarely exists without the other, and they often c

Jan 15, 2012

(171) Is there an auspicious site?

By Janet Shin People all dream of instant wealth. For many, it would be hitting the jackpot in the stock market or winning a huge cash prize in a lottery. While we still have various wishes, such as true love or good health and longevity, money fortunes seem to be everybody’s desire, even for those who are already loaded. People play the lottery hoping for a big win. In poor economic times, more and more people indulge. Despite a slim chance of winning, they still have dreams of going on a spending spree and quitting their unstable and low-salaried jobs. As a means to improve the odds of winning, people search for lottery outlets with many first prize tickets sold. It is said that there are almost 18,000 lottery outlets in South Korea. And many of them put up advertising banners saying that they are the lucky stores and have yielded many prize winners. We never know whether their claims are true. There are some stores known as Lotto “myeongdang,” or an auspicious site for Lotto. People form long queues to buy Lotto tickets at these lucky stores. Some are located fa

Jan 12, 2012

Lead poisoning shows symptoms

By Lim Ju-won Lead poisoning is a serious medical problem that affects not only adults working in occupations with possible exposure but also children and pregnant women. Defined as too much lead in the body, the poisoning is seen as an elevated lead blood level count of over 10 mcg/dL (micrograms per deciliter); but there is no real safe level for lead in the body. Though most people with lead poisoning show no major symptoms, others might experience abdominal pain, constipation, poor appetite, vomiting, lethargy, irritability and difficulty in concentrating. Chronic exposure to lead can increase the risk of hypertension, and cognitive and kidney problems even if the level is too low to trigger symptoms. In children, lead poisoning can cause learning and memory problems. Even small amounts of lead can harm a child’s brain and nervous system because they are both highly susceptible to exposure and are not fully developed. In pregnant women, even slight elevations in blood lead levels may have potential adverse effects on the developing fetus. Adults can get lead

Jan 8, 2012

(170) Fortunes in the Year of Black Dragon

By Janet Shin A new year has dawned. In most text messages I received last weekend, people were talking about the Year of the Black Dragon. A gimmick is hidden in this kind of description. As once explained, there is nothing numinous in this such as with the white tiger or golden pig. They are just combinations of the five elements and zodiac signs. The five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water have their own symbolic colors for the 10 heavenly stems and they are joined with 12 branch zodiac signs to signify yearly energy. So imparting a special meaning to each year with mythical fortune and giving people an illusion of luck if they carry black dragon charms are just groundless promotions. According to a sexagenary cycle, the heavenly stems and earthly branches create 60 combinations. Therefore the year of “im-jin,” or the black dragon, repeats every sixty years. Likewise, others have come and will come again every sixty years. In Korean history, many years of the black dragon were during wars. In 1232, King Gojong of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) transferred

Jan 5, 2012

English classes on Buddhism to open

The International Dharma Instructors’ Association (IDIA) will open English classes on Buddhism for anyone seeking to learn more about the religion. The IDIA, affiliate organization of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is taking in applications until Jan. 7 for a 10-week course from Jan. 7-March 17. Classes take place every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at the Jeonbeop Hall in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. The fee is 100,000 won for adults and 50,000 won for university students. The classes will cover a wide range of topics, including the life of Buddha as well as Buddhist doctrine and culture. Classes are taught by certified Dharma instructors of the IDIA. The IDIA is comprised of monks and devout Buddhists involved in missionary projects domestically and internationally. To become a certified Dharma instructor, one must pass an examination authorized by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. IDIA also conducts regular English Dharma talks at the Templestay Information Center; cultural exchange programs and interpretation and translation services. The IDIA was involved in the dev

Jan 2, 2012By Do Je-hae

(169) Feng shui to determine a power

By Janet Shin There is a quite interesting story regarding how princes inherited power in Korea, from a viewpoint of feng shui. Traditionally, kings tried to have as many princes as possible through by having many concubines. As a result, unless a king was ill or died young, he would have many sons and daughters. This usually resulted in revolts among princes when to take over the throne. Such conflicts were extremely violent during Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), leaving many stories regarding how royal families succeeded their power. Regarding this, fatalists often suggested an explanation through feng shui analysis. In light of the current situation in North Korea, we can look back into the past to find explanation. As the official heir of Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un was heralded as the “Great Successor” upon the sudden death of his father. However, as he is the third son of the North Korean dictator, much attention has been on his other siblings. Surprisingly, none of his two older brothers and younger sister, Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-chol and Kim Yo-jong, were offi

Dec 29, 2011

Korea’s isolated Buddhism opening doors

By Do Je-hae In the last decade or so, a rise in the popularity of Buddhism-related practices has brought the formerly isolated Korean Buddhism much closer to everyday life, even for non-Buddhists and non-Koreans. Meditation retreats, recreational yoga or templestay programs are now a familiar routine in the lives of many people within and outside Korea. In this backdrop, the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect under the leadership of Ven. Jaseung, has placed domestic and overseas missionary work as one of its main goals. One of the key policies of the Jogye Order, running many of Korea’s oldest and most prominent Buddhist temples, is to globalize the nation’s Buddhism which was first introduced here through China. The representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism has roots that date back 1,200 years to Unified Silla (668 — 935), when the Korean meditation practice of “Seon” (known as Zen in the West) was adopted from China around 820. Ven. Jaseung has been passionate about spreading Korean Buddhism, through overseas visits and the establishment of new

Dec 27, 2011By Do Je-hae

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