To offer sincerity

In Korean tradition there is a word, 'jung-sung', which means to offer a sincere heart through making an extra effort in some action.

For example, traditionally, Koreans like to wake up early in the morning to climb a mountain as the sun is rising to offer their prayers to Heaven. Other examples are the painstaking efforts to hand-sew wedding dresses, the long and arduous process of making spicy cabbage, a staple Korean dish, and traveling miles to visit older relatives and ancestral grave sites to offer a bow of respect.

This sort of practice is very meaningful, because it allows us to purify our motivations towards any goals or purpose that we aspire for. By putting in our extra physical effort it creates an environment for our mind to focus and weed out impure elements that hinder us. This greatly advances our capacity in any endeavor.

But foremost this offering of our sincerity clarifies to ourselves what our motives are. If our motives are not on track, it gives us a chance to re-align them to a proper direction. This is why jung-sung is something that should not be done in public, but should be done privately in a place where you can examine yourself without any recognition.

Crossing Cle Elum River, WA - May 2013