Rendering Judgments Without Judging: On Healing Others and Self by Sarah Kim, Th.D.

Rendering Judgments Without Judging: On Healing Others and Self

Sarah Kim, Th.D.

In a nation built by immigrants such as America, more people live between cultures while everyone is exposed to ethnic diversity. Navigating through a culturally diverse society may be stimulating but also challenging, especially if one must serve as a cultural mediator. As I look back at my formative years, living between Eastern and Western cultures compelled me to pursue healing as a career.

Having the privilege of healing other people has been a way for me to continue healing and growing myself, which involves learning and testing different healing methods. For me, the methods come from two distinct disciplinary fields: religion and science. By comparison, religion was more accessible. Ubiquitous evangelists and proselytizers were an unavoidable group when I was young, naive, and inexperienced.

Faith-based spiritual guidance and pseudo-scientific healing approaches seemed helpful, though sometimes counterproductive when parishioners were unexpectedly hurt by them. These approaches were in fact designed to serve the institution and its doctrine and not necessarily the people who suffered; people were often judged for their suffering, and for their inability to heal. Judgements only increased their suffering.

When I had the opportunity to turn to science through higher education, I encountered a whole new world of healing methods. Psychoanalysis, among other therapeutic techniques, opened the door to understanding the human mind and human nature in more rational, systematic ways. Widely practiced and popular healing methods, however, had limitations. I wouldn’t go as far as to conclude, “Western therapy doesn’t work on Eastern minds,” as the main character from the Netflix series Beef resolvedly expressed. But I always suspected there was a method that would better suit me and my diverse clientele.

I first learned about the Four Pillars (aka saju) method when my husband—who was into studying Han characters at the time—casually picked up a book on the subject matter and shared it with me. That was over 18 years ago. As a fledgling saju interpreter back then, I continued to study the method and practiced it with some of my receptive clients. A person’s saju chart is like a DNA map, with characters encoded with narratives and possibilities pertaining to the individual’s life and destiny. I discovered that taking a few minutes to evaluate a client’s saju chart almost equaled several counseling sessions of getting to know the person’s historical background. I was intrigued by the method’s utility and attracted to its efficacy. And when my interpretation hit the mark, it was helpful and satisfying for both me and my clients. 

It didn’t take long for me to know that I had to make a choice. Saju evaluation and psychotherapy are two different methods and using them both in the same setting was not sustainable. Successful therapy depends on an extended working relationship between the healer and the client. Clients need to verbally express themselves to arrive at self-awareness which is the key to change and healing. This requires time; and time is money not everyone can afford. Saju evaluation, on the other hand, is a more straightforward process.

Clients bring their questions, and answers are rendered based on their saju composition and luck cycles. In this setting, the saju consultant generally has more to say than the client; and change and healing (if they take place at all) depend on the revelatory information rendered during evaluation. I eventually chose to practice “saju counseling” because it serves the purpose of helping people—without having them commit to a prolonged treatment plan. As such, saju counseling is not for everyone.

This is especially true for people who need therapy. It is a service offered to a niche market of people seeking insight into their tumultuous life and incomprehensible destiny. One must be mentally and intellectually equipped to benefit from this service and be able to process new information with a grain of salt.

 The Four Pillars method has its limitations just like any other method. Saju evaluation involves making judgments about people and their lives; any misjudgment or misinformation rendered and ingested can be unhelpful and even harmful. This is why I’m committed to teaching and writing about saju interpretation—so inquirers can learn to explain and predict their own life and destiny. So they can depend on themselves for the critical information needed to make their best decisions. Saju interpretation is an art form that requires knowledge, intuition, and a benevolent mindset capable of extending empathy, tolerance, and hope for others and self. Knowledge without benevolence can be abusive; benevolence without knowledge can be misleading.

Mastering this art form requires a synergetic balance between the mind and the spirit. Believers (e.g. Christians) often dismiss the Four Pillars method as superstition out of unfamiliarity or lack of information. This is ironic because the method describes nature mirroring human beings and human lives. Understanding nature as divine creation only places humans closer to the Creator; and the vicissitudes of human life seem to make sense under the notions of divine purpose and design. In my early years of research, I met many saju interpreters, but none who did not practice faith. Seeking and relying on the Divine can become an urgent need when we are in awe of nature’s forces impacting and shaping people’s lives. Inasmuch as a close encounter with nature can be a humbling experience, a mindful examination of one’s life can lead to a serendipitous encounter with epiphany and healing.

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Dr. Sarah Kim was born in Seoul, Korea and grew up in San Francisco. She holds a B.S. in Landscape Architecture, M.S. in International Affairs, a Master of Divinity degree and a Th.D. in Pastoral Counseling. She served in the UCC as an educator of progressive theology for over a decade. Her areas of expertise include interfaith dialogue, Eastern meditation practices, and individual and family counseling. She believes in the commonality among the Christian, Buddhist, and Catholic traditions in their practices of transcendence through prayer and meditation. Dr. Kim now writes full-time both in Korean and in English while continuing with her saju consulation practice. She resides in Duluth, GA, with her family and pets.

Find out more here https://www.sarahkim.us/

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Be Your Own Saju Master: Decode Your Saju Chart To Unearth Your Subconscious Where Your Future And Destiny Are On The Make 

‘Dr. Kim has written a masterpiece, where she holds the tension between scholarly integrity and readability for the novice.’ David D. Kim, author and founder/CEO of Research Institute for Counseling Education (RICE)

For many centuries in the East, the Four Pillars has been used as a method of divination to guide individuals with their relationships, wealth and, in general, fortune. But very little is known about the method as a theory. Saju master and author Sarah Kim offers an easy-to-follow instructional guide with the basic tenets that will enable you to read and interpret the Four Pillars (saju) charts. Decoding your saju chart is like diving into water to examine the bottom of the iceberg; you will gain knowledge about yourself through the unique perspective of natural anthropology as presented in this primer. Bring your questions about your life -– past, present, and future – and about your relationships with significant others to engage in this spiritual exercise. Your saju chart will be your personal oracle to provide the answers you need.

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Category: On Writing