Customer Reviews

Polishing the Diamond, Enlightening the Mind: Reflections of a Korean Buddhist Master

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At the start, I considered this book another Buddhist book written in English but as soon as I finished reading the section, "ABOUT THE MASTER'S TEACHING", I was hooked to the core of the instructions. The striking core to me was "whenever a thought or an emotion occurs in your mind, offer it up to Buddha with reverence." Offering up to Buddha is termed "surrendering." Then, what do we offer up? Our freewheeling thoughts, emotions, and hatreds which can be broadly termed "karmic hinderances." In all Buddhist books I have read so far, they say that when karmic hinderances arise, let them pass without clinging. But it has been very difficult in my practice to let them simply pass. The uniqueness of the instruction is "the offering up to Buddha with REVERENCE." The author suggests that the space emptied by offering will be filled up with wisdom, loving kindness, and positive views. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone who are interested in Buddhism.

In the life of every person, there comes a point when you realize that your mind is a battlefield. The "POLISHING THE DIAMOND, ENLIGHTENING THE MIND" guides you through this battlefield with the seatbelts on. It is a journey, not a destination. In the journey, I met Henry Ford who liked to GIVE. I met a Chinese Master who was born a water buffalo. And I met Master Baek who was born with the WISDOM OF THE AGES. I was in awe and wonder by permeating stories and METHODIC teachings, by SELF-ACTUALIZING powers of anyone's wishes, by the author's mission to find Buddha in all things with his SERVICE TO HUMANITY, by illuminating presence at work in the midst of human enterprise, and by what it is to be the HALLMARK of a good life. My spirits wanted to soar because in my own battlefield, I was able to find cracks that allow breakthroughs. The book does what it promises. It enlightens minds !! I saw the BIG PICTURE and it showed me the ROAD. Nothing is PRACTICAL than seeing a Big Picture, isn't it ? Diamond Master Jae-Woong Kim is an author whose publications I will certainly watch for.

This book is a must-read to those who have felt a deep moving in the heart after reading "Chicken Soup for the Soul" by Jack Canfield. Because this book enlightens us as to how to live with a flourish mind of peace. I learned through this book how to give something out for others as well as how to keep myself respectful of my husband, my children and neighbors incessantly.

I am a Catholic strongly dedicated to the study and practice of my faith. However, I do not believe in limiting my experience of spiritual truth only to Catholic dogma. Master Kim has much to tell the world, especially the American culture. Our culture places so much emphasis on the word I and the external and material aspects of our society that we have become blinded to the state of our own minds. American culture is in trouble and it needs to find the value of "cultivating the mind" instead of the bank book. I do not personally advocate Buddhism but there is much to be learned from this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has found the importance of his or her own spiritual health.

It was a LIGHT to me. In this book,I found the way to overcome everyday's sufferings and how to think about other people, how to train my mind, how to behave in everyday's life. Master Jae Woong Kim's teaching should be a shortcut methods to have PEACEFUL MIND.

I'm the reader of this book and I'm practicing. The technich of "surrendering" seems accessible practice to change negative mind into affirmative mind , limited mind into generous mind, dark mind into bright mind , cold mind into warm,comfortable and lenimate mind. Really, I feel that I get valuable treasure.

This book helped me a lot to overcome the hard time of life. I'm sure this book will lead to the road to find the truth.

I felt like I finally found the light in the dark night when I finished this book. I have been peaceful in my mind and I have had the strong feeling that I also could get the freedom in my life through practing 'SURRENDER WIHT REVERENCE ALL YOUR MIND TO BUDDHA'.

This book is something, whenever read it again it touches me on different area. Also this one describes the move of inner human instinct and mind very clearly and it is easy to understand for readers how the mind is behaving on various circumstances. Further more, it guides very simple technique to control yourself by surrendering THE MIND inside to Buddha on the spot.( It's like offering everything both good and bad to Buddha ) And it worked. Try it!

I love how the experiences of Master Kim are used to teach anyone who reads the book.