Working at the office of education was boring. People call us, serving in public office instead of in the army, a “Public interest service personnel.” I did such a simple work like typing and filing documents or planting trees around the office. Twice a week, I could handle with some electronic equipment in auditorium for events, controlling microphone volume and light levels or videotaping guest speakers’ lecture.

Once I was carrying some heavy furniture while preparing for events as usual, I had a backache. My doctor recommended me to swim or do Yoga to relieve the pain. Fortunately, there was a yoga center near the office, and I visited there. However, what made me surprised was the fact that the instructors were Buddhist monks. It was a sort of mission as well as a yoga center. Those monks taught people how to meditate and Buddhist lessons. I spent whole two years steeping myself in meditation and Buddha’s teaching. My master gave me a Buddhist name, 智龍, Ji-Ryong, which means the wise dragon in English. When I was lost in meditation, distracting thought went away, and I was able to purify my mind.

It was not easy to be in a complete state of serene mind while I sat with my legs crossed. As I closed my eyes, all kinds of thoughts came across my mind. The more I tried to get the thoughts out of my mind, the more agitated I became. According to the instruction of my master, I just left the matters as they were, and they just faded away little by little.

I found the ultimate peace from the meditation, and it was a condition of my mind brought about by a serenity of my soul. Then, I realized that happiness does not come from possessing materials, but it does from being free from unnecessary things in my life.