One of the major aspects of my time with Gum Gang was looking at the importance of prayer to his and his clients’ lifestyle. Even many different people followed different faiths, from Buddhism to ancestor worship to Christianity, everyone who visited Gum Gang’s home took the time to pray. During this time Gum Gang taught me the many values of prayer to how we think, how we interact with each other and how we choose what is important to us.
Below is another excerpt from the e-book I am currently working on, detailing Gum Gang’s methods and advice for prayer. Prayer is different for each person, but this can form a solid base for anyone who feels that, in the hustle and bustle of modern life, they may have forgotten how to pray.
Prayer
In the modern world, taking the time for prayer can often seem frivolous or unnecessary. To many the sentiment of helping oneself can only naturally seem better than asking an outside force to make magic happen. However, looking at different forms of prayer from around the world one can see other benefits to health, psychology and community with or without a belief in a God, a heaven or ephemeral being. Rather, I would encourage anyone to seek the simple benefits that can come from a little bit of time spent in prayer.
Prayer is a time to envision desires, loved ones, fears, dreams and anything else that affects the way we think but do not take the time to specifically discern. Prayer is a time to slow down and observe what we truly want and value. Moving from one place to another these days, we are often taken in by immediate wants or needs; the food we need to pick up for dinner, a piece of clothing in a store we pass by. Prayer is a specific time we can spend with ourselves or each other to clear the mind and remember what is important; taking care of the family, starting one’s own project, a long and healthy life among others.
In many ways prayer is similar to meditation, but for the sake of this log I will separate the words into two slightly different categories. We will call meditation the practice of clearing the mind, doing one’s best to remove all thought and be one with the surrounding space – in essence, a state of mental rest. Prayer on the other hand is focusing on a few single thoughts, discerning and understanding them alone or in a group. Both are beneficial to every day life, and both can be practiced in different capacities and short amounts of time. The following passages refer to specific methods of prayer I learned from Gum Gang, a shaman in South Korea.
Step 1: Light a stick of incense (or anything that gives off a relaxing scent if unavailable), wave the incense around the top of the head in a circle three times (as cleansing) and place it in a stand.
Step 2: Bow, once bending at the hip, then get down on the knees, place the forehead on the floor and have the hands face palm up on the floor next to the head. Slowly rise back to standing position. Repeat three times.
(A video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e1MyFdYhRk)
Step 3: Sit comfortably on the floor.
Step 4: Form the hands into a triangle shape, pushing the thumbs and forefingers together with a light force, also pushing the hands into the stomach.
Step 5: Relax the body, and put all focus towards the forehead, eventually moving thoughts towards the subject of the prayer.
Note: If the hands feel tired or the first position feels uncomfortable, one can hold one hand above the other, palms facing each other. Korean tradition dictates that if one identifies as male the left hand should be on top, and female the right hand on top, although this is based on what gender a person feels is correct for them and not biological factors. This is based off of the concept that there must be balance between Earth and Sky, one cannot exist without the other, which links to ancient gender roles in Korea. While in some ways this brings up issues with gender roles, it also highlights the idea that energy and blood flow through us in a certain direction; a large part of our identity is finding that direction.
Note: There are several other hand positions that can be used while sitting and praying. These pictures depict several other options, all of which can be cycled through until one finds the most comfortable arrangement for them.
Gum Gang would often speak of these prayers centering on the central torso and the forehead – places where stress usually builds. By using prayer we can confront and distill these desires, simultaneously reflecting on who we are and dissipating this stress. It is only natural for us to hope for and want things, but prayer helps us put into perspective what is truly important, in turn reducing stress and helping us move confidently through life. In turn, I would recommend a short time for prayer (even only 10 minutes every few days) for anyone whether religious, atheist or agnostic. Focusing on and understanding ourselves is always time well spent, and one of the best ways to accomplish this is through prayer.
Wireless Peninsula 