[Cheonji-Il-Bo Current View] 목불택조(木不擇鳥) It is not the tree that selects the bird, but in fact is the bird that chooses the bird to take its seat for rest.

Today’s condition of Korean politics can be described literally as ‘corruption’, and we all live in humiliation, frustration, anger, disappointment and even perhaps beyond the limitation of perseverance from the President Park’s saga. However on the flip side of the coin, this can be considered as a great opportunity to look back for self-reflection and to re-think of today’s reality and quality of ourselves in which we can all unite to build a new bright future by ending this corrupted condition – therefore a special thanks to President Park for this opportunity.

There is a clear reason for today’s horrible reality in politics since there such result simply can’t exist without a cause. One cannot hope to solve the problem without being aware of the issue itself from the first place. Therefore it is utmost important to find the appropriate solution to solve the problem in the most effective manner together.

The first thing to realize is both the symbiotic and parasitic relationship between politics and religion. To conclusion, both politics and religion have given up their genuine roles by helping each other for their own greedy interests for wealth and power that ended up in parasitic and symbiotic relationship. According to Article 20 Paragraph 2 of the Constitution states ‘Religion and Politics separates from one another’ – however ironically lawmakers and executors have been on the front to ignore those established laws where the innocent common people have been the witness for such cases. Corrupted religion needed the support of the political power to justify their untruthful ways and same goes with the politicians who needed more votes and naturally reached out to those corrupted religious leaders accordingly. Politics and Religion have been on the same boat and on the same direction ever since the old days traditionally – shrine worship during the Japanese Imperialism and many others in every periods of time are classical examples. 

The virtue of religion is to forbid both the power and wealth, and Jesus himself has started his public life by claiming to the world to be “modest and humble”. The Pharisees, who prided themselves to be models of religious belief, were not the ones selected by Jesus to be praised, but in fact it was the tax-farmer and the lower people who were ill and poor – it was with them that Jesus was together with, who has sacrificed his own life where salvation was promised to the humble ones. Paul the Apostle also stated that “For the love of money is a root of all evil” and Buddha himself has given up the glory to be a prince in India where he departed for hardship to find the Creator in order to seek for why human beings are born to be sick and to die ultimately, and even during the Chosun Dynasty a Confucian scholar Sago-Nam has taken a long road to find why this world has the rise and fall – these are the ways of religion. The thoughts of human being are controlled by spiritual thinking, and through this, all human beings have historically searched for religion – ultimately searched for the Creator. For that reason, human beings are the ‘supreme creature’ of all the creations in this universe. However the reality is that human greed has brought the corruption of religion which resulted in political downfall – this is a tragic reflection of today after these two have become mixed instead of being separate to pursue their genuine objectives.

The Soon-Sil Choi incident naturally reflects the religious disgrace that remains intact. It seems difficult for President Park to free herself from this man Tae-Min Park who has used her as an Avatar in the name of religion. This man, who hasn’t had a single pastoral experience, has paid a mere 100,000 Korean Won to receive official pastoral certificate from the Pastor Cho of Presbyterian Church of Korea. This fake pastoral certificate has become a ‘seed’ in establishing organizations ‘Service for Honoring Korea’ and ‘Volunteer for New Mind’, and ultimately directly let to involvement in nation’s decision makings, embezzlements, frauds, political corruptions – these were the start of the tragedy as many other reports back up as good evidences. 

Another reason would be the ignorance of the leaders, which brings up the thoughts that “President Park has not done any studying ever since her childhood” according to the Congressman Do-Eoun Chung’s interview in the press. Popularity leads to power is the wrong political culture that has led to political corruption today. There are plenty of quotes from the saints to keep in mind. The front-page of the famous Analects of Confucius is “學而時習之 不亦說乎, 有朋自遠方來 不亦樂乎, 人不知而不'C 不亦君子乎” – which means to enjoy learning where Confucius himself has always taught many of his disciples to be meaningful in this world, and pursued to seek for people with same good objectives in which he was satisfied in his life although it was not possible to reflect his thoughts more wider during his times. Clearly shows Confucius himself tried the best to become a noble man no matter what. Yulgok, in his book of Gyoukmong-Yokyoul, pointed out that  ‘those who do not read nor study will have their insights shut and thereby would not be able to become the right person – and whoever that hopes to become a noble man must pursue learning with all their hearts.” The learnings are compulsory to become a noble person, and that learning forms and ultimately controls one’s spirits.

If the teaching of the earth is that important, wouldn’t the learning of the heaven be more essential? Religious leaders must spend more time with many efforts to learn more about the religious teachings as there is a phrase ‘difference between heaven and earth’. As the Prophet Hosea states in the Bible “Destruction has overtaken my people because they have no knowledge” and Prophet Malachie also states “For it is right for the priest’s lips to keep knowledge, and for men to be waiting for the law from his mouth: for he is the servant sent from the Lord of armies… And so I have taken away your honor and made you low before all the people, even as you have not kept my ways, and have given no thought to me in using the law” – eventually the religious·political leaders have brought the end of an era because of their ignorance.

There is a Korean phrase ‘Mok-Bull-Taek-Jo’. It is not the tree that selects the bird, but the bird that chooses the tree to take its seat. Why wouldn’t the people or faith seekers pursue to find politics and religion should the politicians and religious leaders themselves fulfill their genuine ways? 

It is time to wake up from the darkness to welcome a bright new era by provision of nature. 

▶한국어버전: [천지일보 시론] 목불택조(木不擇鳥)
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