I hope that in the New Year, everyone can break free from ‘Gap-jil’ (abusive behavior based on power)

We witness countless instances of ‘Gap-jil‘ even in the workplace. Broadly, it can be categorized into external and internal ‘Gap-jil.’ External ‘Gap-jil‘ includes abuses of power toward customers and partner companies, while internal ‘Gap-jil‘ involves the mistreatment of subordinates and colleagues.
Not responding to legitimate customer demands or trying to gain unfair benefits through words and actions can be considered ‘Gap-jil.’ Similarly, using superior status to exploit partner companies for personal gain or shift difficult tasks onto them is also ‘Gap-jil.’
When a superior makes unreasonable demands, verbally abuses, or shifts responsibility onto subordinates, these are actions based on an abusive use of power, also referred to as ‘Gap-jil.’ Ignoring a colleague in need of help or treating them unkindly in difficult situations is another form of ‘Gap-jil.’

The reasons for engaging in ‘Gap-jil‘ are, first, the belief that it brings short-term benefits, second, the illusion that putting others down places oneself in a superior position, and third, selfishness in avoiding difficult tasks to make oneself more comfortable.
Having lived for many years, I have never seen anyone who engages in ‘Gap-jil‘ end up succeeding in the long run. In fact, I’ve seen many cases where those who engage in ‘Gap-jil‘ end up in more miserable situations, often in direct proportion to the extent of their abuse. I have often come to realize that to become a more valuable person, one must pursue the path of being ‘used more’ in life.

In Dr. Lee Joong-pyo’s book The Interdependent Nature Buddha Realized, it is said that the core of the Buddha’s teachings is the concept of interdependence. “While we live in the same world, the Buddha taught that beings do not live in the same world but in their own separate worlds, created by their own minds through interdependence.”

In the Samyukta Agama Sutra 445, one of the most authentic texts that encapsulate the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, it says, “Beings are always with and in harmony with the realm. When beings act with an unkind mind, they are with the unwholesome realm; when they act with a kind heart, they are with the wholesome realm.”

In the New Year, it would be wonderful if we all strive to create a world of goodness with kind hearts.

YB