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By Cho Jae-hyon
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| Saju Myngli |
Some believe we have no choice but to follow the course of our destiny, while others say there is no such thing as fate and we are entirely responsible for our lives.
Regardless of whoever is right, we sometimes falter in the face of adversity and come to wonder: "Why me? What have I done wrong?"
Are we humans weak creatures doomed by destiny? Can we change our destiny with our will and effort?
Only if there are ways we can prevent misfortunes or ready ourselves to mitigate the impact, it would be worth a try.
Fortunetellers say we will be able to know what's reserved for us, if we study saju _ the four pillars of destiny as derived from birth. Saju comprises eight letters composed of birth year, month, day and hour.
Janet Shin, a professor of the Oriental Science Department at Wonkwang Digital University, recently published "Saju Myngli," an introductory book for those who want to learn how to read saju.
In the book containing illustrations and tables, she narrates why people living in the 21st century need to study saju more than ever before.
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| Janet Shin |
"This means we can tell in which environment we are standing and then we can figure out which environment is good or bad for us," she says.
People sometimes come up with critical plans but find themselves clueless about when and how to put them into practice. At that critical juncture, saju reading could provide a guideline, she says.
"Saju reading will allow us to know better as to whether we should execute our plan immediately or at a later time, or even shelve it."
Shin said studying saju also grants us the capability to read people to know whether they will be on good terms with us or if they are someone from whom we should keep distance.
"At the same time, we can figure out which colors or which materials are good for us. Based on that, we can reconstruct our surroundings wisely."
Shin says saju goes beyond shamanism.
"It's statistics and data accumulated over thousands of years. Ancient people observed nature and tried to interpret what's happening to them before deciding what to do."
Before delving into saju, Shin worked at a multinational company for about two decades and visited a number of developing countries. There she observed diverse people living in diverse environments ― some suffering from extreme civil wars and others still leading old lifestyles in harmony with nature.
Shin said she experienced some serious changes in her life, and began to take the weight of destiny seriously, reaching a point where she started studying saju and Chinese philosophy.
Unlike other fortunetellers, she has approached saju reading academically as a scholar.
Especially, she has made a rare, daring effort to explain and interpret saju in English. Shin published "Life's Secrets," a saju textbook, in the United Kingdom in 2012 and has contributed columns and articles to The Korea Times for about 10 years.
"I initially thought an attempt to explain saju in English is an effective way to acquire saju theories more reasonably and have it understood more easily," Shin said. "It was a far, far more difficult task than I thought it would be."
She said the work in English has proven to be a worthwhile and priceless challenge she does not regret, though it was such a tough task she wouldn't dare try again.
"Those who want to make their lives harmonious with their destinies need to study saju," Shin said.
