I am Sim Young Hee from the Seomyeon Bodhi Meditation Center in Korea, and I want to share a story about my son. As a single mother, I struggle to devote all my time to my child despite my efforts to provide the best care for him. I always assumed that my son didn’t have the typical teenage rebellion phase until two weeks ago when he suddenly declared he didn’t want to go to school anymore. He said he has been dealing with depression for three years. He hadn’t told me because he didn’t want to worry me. His depression has recently worsened. He has a rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing at night.
I began volunteering at the Seomyeon Bodhi Meditation Center last year (2022). During the Health & Happiness Retreat, my primary role was to cook meals for everyone. It wasn’t until the fourth day of the course that I found time to practice meditation with everyone else.
That’s when something amazing happened! Previously, my son didn’t like being close to me, chatting with me, or even communicating. He ignored any messages I left for him. But, after practicing with everyone on the fourth day and coming home that night, I found my son leaning on me for support. Yesterday, for the first time in his life, he opened the door to greet me when I came home, saying, “Mom, you’re back.”
Additionally, due to his depression, my son had a poor appetite. It was painful to see him eating only a few bites. Surprisingly, when I came home these past few days, I found that he had finished all the food I cooked for him. Not only that, but his previously rigid and expressionless face became less stiff and much gentler. This brought me great comfort and joy.
I believe that volunteering at the meditation center and practicing meditation with other participants at the retreat has been an excellent opportunity to bring changes to my son. My son has promised me that he will attend the youth camp. I believe he can learn from Grandmaster JinBodhi at the youth camp and resolve all his worries.
Thank you, Grandmaster.
(Note: The effects associated with practicing Bodhi Meditation can vary from person to person.)