즉문즉설로 수많은 사람들의 고민을 듣고 길을 제시한 법륜 스님,
A Taste of Enlightenment에서 살아있는 자신의 수행담을 들려준다!

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has been providing insightful wisdom to a great number of people who have been asking questions about their problems at his Dharma Q&As.In his book A Taste of Enlightenment, he shares the stories of his personal experiences attained in the course of his practice!12년 국내 300회 강연뿐만 아니라 2014년 세계 100회 즉문즉설 강연을 통해 전 세계로 직접 찾아가 사람들의 인생 고민을 직접 만난 법륜 스님. 진리의 길, 깨달음의 길에 이르는 방법을 알려주는 A Taste of Enlightenment를 펴냈다. 특히, A Taste of Enlightenment에서는 법륜 스님 자신의 인생에 큰 전환점이 되었던 깨달음의 순간을 생생하게 들려준다. 부처님의 삶, 선사들의 깨침의 이야기는 이제 법륜 스님 자신의 수행담으로 이어졌다. 이제는 우리들 스스로가 깨달을 차례다.

In addition to holding 300 Dharma Q&As in Korea in 2012, in 2014, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim traveled around the world and held 115 Dharma Q&As to listen to the difficulties of people all over the world. He has published a new book A Taste of Enlightenment, which offers the way to the path of truth and enlightenment. Also, in the book, he offers vivid accounts of his moments of enlightenment, which became significant turning points in his life. The stories of the Buddha's life and the enlightenment of Seon masters gave way to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim's own stories of enlightenment. Now it's our turn to attain enlightenment ourselves.

“네가 누구냐?”, “왜 네 것이냐?” 물으면 우리는 대답을 못한다.
지금 이대로도 우리는 행복한가?
When we are asked “Who are you?”, “Why are these yours?,” we cannot answer.
Are we happy as things are now?

지금까지 수도 없이 ‘나는!’ 하고 살았지만 정작 “네가 누구냐?” 라고 물으면 우리는 대답을 못한다. 지금까지 수도 없이 ‘내 거야!’ 하고 살았는데 “왜 네 것이냐?”라고 물으면 모른다. 우선 자기 인생을 다시 생각해보아야 한다. 내가 옳다는 생각을 다시 점검해볼 필요가 있다. 스스로 점검하면 좋지만 어려우면 주변의 도움을 받아서 자신을 객관화시켜 볼 수 있어야 한다. 그러면 고민거리가 대부분은 해결된다. 이제는 집중해서 마음공부를 해야 한다. 깨달음은 멀리 있는 것이 아니다. 지금 바로 우리 옆에 있어서 언제라도 그 혜택을 입을 수 있는 것이다. 내일 무슨 일이 일어날지 모르는 이 인생사에서 무슨 일이 일어나도 아무 문제가 없는 삶을 살아가는 것을 해탈, 열반이라고 한다. 비가 오면 비가 오는 대로 좋고 맑으면 맑은 대로 좋고 추우면 추운 대로 좋고 더우면 더운 대로 좋은, 자유롭고 행복한 삶을 살아야한다.

Until now, we have lived our lives talking about “I” countless times. However, the truth is, when we are asked, \"Who are you?\" we cannot answer. We have also been insisting, “It's mine!” But when someone asks, \"Why is it yours?,\" we don't know the answer. First of all, you have to rethink your life. You need to re-examine the idea that you are right. It’s good to check yourself, but if that’s difficult, you should try to see yourself in an objective light with the help of those around you. Then, most of your problems will be solved. Now, you need to practice diligently. Enlightenment is not far away. It's close to us, so we can attain it at any time. Our lives are completely unpredictable, and being able to live with equanimity no matter what happens in life is called liberation and nirvana. We need to live a free and happy life in which it’s good regardless of whether it rains or shines and it’s hot or cold.

죽을 때까지 애써도 해결 못 하는 것이 아니라,
지금 깨닫고 나머지 인생은 행복하게 살아야 한다!
You shouldn’t struggle in vain all your life until you die.You should attain enlightenment now and live happily for the rest of your life!

법륜 스님은 우리가 진정 행복해지고 자유로워지는 길은 ‘자기의 문제를 자기가 인식하는 것으로부터 시작한다.’라고 강조한다. A Taste of Enlightenment에서 법륜 스님은 자기가 단도직입으로 살핀다면 인생살이가 절대 복잡하지 않다고 말한다. 지금 행복해야 한다. 지금 살아있는 것만으로도 행복해야 한다. 죽을 때까지 수행해서 죽기 전에야 깨닫는 것을 목표로 하면 안 된다.

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim emphasizes that the way to become truly happy and free begins with becoming aware of your problems. In A Taste of Enlightenment, he explains that life is never complicated if you examine everything directly. You should be happy now. You should be happy for just being alive at this moment. You should not aim to practice all your life and attain enlightenment right before death.

“Young man, when a person sits on a ridge between rice paddies and keeps one's mind pure, that person is a practitioner. And the place where that person sits is a temple. That is Buddhism.”

His words shocked me to the core. I had complained that Buddhism needed to be reformed. Everything that I had been doing was an exercise in futility. It was as if I’d been trying to pluck an illusory flower from the air. My efforts were doomed to fail because I was trying to reform something that was not Buddhism. In plain language, the monk told me that I was deluded and that my efforts were totally futile. An experience like this is an awakening

PREFACE
Your Awakening Beyond the Awakening of Seon Masters

Part 01 Where Are You Right Now?

Someone Said So
Where Did You Come From and Where Are You Going?
Can You Attain Enlightenment Through Sitting Meditation?
“Chang-Cheong Chang-Cheong”
There Are No Blessings to Be Attained
Bring Forth Your Uneasy Mind
Grave Sin
What Is This Thing That Came?
How to Change Your Fate
Do You Know Yourself?

Part 02 Do You Know Yourself?

How Can There Be Relics from a Wooden Buddha?
Who Made God?
Making Rice with Sand

Is Cow Dung Sacred or Dirty?
When Caught Up in Our Own Thoughts 80 How a Teacher and a Disciple Became Sworn Enemies 86 Holding the Bucket Upside Down
Saying “Yes” When You Really Don’t Want To

Part 03 Reflect Upon Yourself

The Story of Lady Bodeok
In the End, It’s Your Decision
Husband Buddha, Wife Buddha
Go to Another Temple
Awakening in Everyday Life
You’ve Been Deceived but You Don’t Even Know It

Part 04 Develop Strength Through Practice You Don’t Have to Believe it

Does a Dog Have Buddha-Nature?
What Is This?
A Question That Comes Like a Bolt Out of the Blue 172 Beyond This World
Do You Know That You Don’t Know?

Part 05 Practice in Your Daily Life

Realizing That Dirtiness and Cleanliness Are Not Two Different Things
Turning Away from Sentient Beings
Who Are the Sentient Beings?
A Life Not Obstructed by Anything
Awakening Can Happen the Moment the Mind Arises 227 A Golden Opportunity
The Moment Love Turns into Hate

Part 06 Be Awake to the Here and Now

Be a Pine Tree in Front of the Pagoda 249 Holding onto Myself
Are You Awake?
United We Fall, Divided We Stand
Start by Accepting Reality
No Reason to Blame Others

Part 07 Turn Things That Have Already Happened into Something Useful in Your Life

The Pain of Death and Abstaining from Killing
True Understanding
The World as It Is
The Present Is the Sum of Past Causes and Conditions 298 Choice and Responsibility
The Principle of Acceptance
The Path to Loving Yourself as Well as Others

EPILOGUE
How to Live Happily and Freely