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What is the lesson of a man who has been attracted by the charm of Dasan for 50 years?
WRITER Department of External Cooperation WRITE DAY 2019-07-01
COUNT 135
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What is the lesson of a man who has been attracted by the charm of Dasan for 50 years?
Department of External Cooperation 2019-07-01 135

"Mok (牧), protecting lamb from coyotes and tigers!"
A review of <Pukyong CEO Happiness Humanities Concert> Lecture 67th, about the Chairman of the board, Park Seok-moo

Who were the four people that UNESCO designated as a figure to celebrate this year?

They were Jeong Yak-yong, Rousseau, Hermann Hesse and Debussy.


△ △ Chairman Park Suk-moo lectures enthusiastically ⓒphoto by Lee Sung-jae (PR team)
That year was the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jeong Yak-Yong, and Rousseau was the 300th anniversary of his birth, the 150th birthday of Debussy, and the 50th anniversary of Hesse.

Pukyong CEO Happy Humanities Concert, the fifth lecture of this year was Jeong Yak-yong, his pen name, Dasan (1762~1836), a great scholar in the late of Joseon Dynasty.
 
The lecturer of the lecture about 100 people of Busan‧Ulsan‧Gyeongnam attended at Somin hall, 2nd floor of Mirae Building at Pukyong National University at 7 am on 13, June, was Park Seok-moo, chairman of the Dasan Institute (77yr old), he is acknowledged to be the best Dasan expert who has been accustomed to living in the charm of Dasan for 50 years.

Why do we have to call Dasan, the person 200 years ago, at daybreak?

Mr.Park made a pithy remark, "Dasan is a special person who is hard to find in history, because he has studied and researched diligently as he was a genius brainer, and has left more than 500 books in 18 years of exile."

Then, what is the key factor of such Dasan spirit?

Mr.Park said, "The spirit of Dasan is contained in the letter 'Mokmin(牧民)’of the 'Mokmin Shimseo' (牧民心書 means, 'Mind of Governing the People'), the title of his representative book.

What is meant by 'Mok (牧)'?

He said, "The Mok (牧) is to protect the lamb from the damage of the coyote or the tiger."

"At that time, the gangstering landed gentry was like a coyote or a tiger to a common people. So, 'Mok' does not mean to control and rule the people but to emphasize protecting and supporting the people to live comfortably.", he explained.

"It was a period of absolute power in which the people had to fear in front of the power. At that time, no one would stop the landed gentry forces tormenting the weak. It would not have been easy to say that to protect and support the people from the landed proprietor, just like 200 years ago, to take care of the sheep from the coyote or tiger."

"How has our society changed from that?" He talked about blacklists and Jang Ja-yeon case in our society. He emphasized, "Governors and officials should reflect on whether they are doing bad things by deceiving and harassing people to keep their place."

What is the meaning of 'Min (民)' that Dasan tells among the four letters 'Mokmin Shimseo (牧民心書)'?

Mr.Park said, "Dasan presented six types of 'Min' to protect, care for and support the 'Mokmin Shimseo'."

They are: △ old people, △ infants, △ people in difficulties (widower, widows, orphans, elderly people living alone) △ people suffering from illnesses (people with serious illnesses, people with disabilities) △ people taking into mourning △ people suffering from disasters.
 
Mr.Park said, "Love, care, and support these six types of Min (民). It is the mission of the governor. That is the role of the leader. This is the spirit of love for the people and welfare policy designed by Dasan."

He said, "Dasan ultimately pursued utopias such as a country where people live comfortably and free from poverty and disease, a free and fair world, and years of peace," and added, ""It is a claim of Dasan to find out why we cannot do it and solve it."

What about the appearance of Joseon from the viewpoint of Dasan at that time?

'The world has been rotting for a long time. There wasn't a thing that wasn't sick. If we do not reform right now, our country will perish!'

So, what was the prescription of Dasan that will not let such a country perish?

Mr.Park introduced three prescriptions of Dasan.

1. Change our mind. Let 's change the Neo-Confucianism to Silhak (practical learning) and correct the attitude and spirit of life.
2. Revise laws and systems.
3. Promote national wealth through technology development.

Mr.Park said, "Dasan's foresight that technology development alone will live in the age of neglecting technology is amazing." He asked back, "Is not the spirit of Dasan still in place to develop technology to promote national wealth to prevent corruption and to make people comfortable?"

He said, "In the 500 books of Dasan, there is a lot of wisdom about what a person should do as a man, and what it is like to live like a man." and he emphasized, "This is why we need to read the book of Dasan and learn the spirit of Dasan right now."

A Dasan's book recommended by Park, the Dasan expert, was 'A letter from an exile'. He translated the text of Dasan in Chinese characters to Korean directly.

He explained "This book is full of Dasan's gem-like insights into what it is like to be a parent, what the brotherly affection is, and how to live life. It is a treasure house of humanities."

Let's take a moment to read the Dasan's letter to his son in this book.

『"Indeed the taste of liquor is in soaking your lips. Those who drinks as cows drink water, not soaking in their lips or tongues, but pour liquor straight into their throats, how do they know the taste?"

Drinking is a bit of a mood to little drunk, but if the face gets as red as beetroot, throws up, and falls asleep, what drinking mood is there?

In short, among people who like drinking, there are many people who get infected if they get sick. If an alcoholic poisoning (酒毒) is absorbed into the stomach and rotten overnight, the whole body goes collapse. It is a terrifying thing to do.

It was because of alcohol that the country was ruined, the family break down, and the wicked behavior, so in the old days, a horn shaped cup was made to drink alcohol. Because they could not control themselves while they use the cup, Confucius said, "If a horn-shaped cup cannot serve as a horn-shaped cup, would it be named as a horn-shaped cup?"

What kind of person will you be if you have the name of a bad drunk as a person of a family who does not learn like you?

Be careful and never get close to your mouth. Please follow the words of this pathetic father. The illness caused by alcohol comes from the back and the brain, and it becomes anal fistula and jaundice, which causes a paradoxical disease and once you get sick, there will be no effect for one hundred medicine. I hope and wish you again. Stay away from drinking, never drink.』- In <A letter from an exile>. Written by Jeong Yak-Yong, edited translation by Park Seok-moo, page 94.  <Pukyong Today>


△ The appearance of the Somin hall of Mirae building where lecture is held.