UNJournal Lee Sung Jun |  If you don’t know, ask; the answer lies our in the field. The saying Gyeongdang Munno(耕當問奴) conveys the meaning that to do a task properly, one must perform it firsthand and ask someone who knows it well.

We often assume that those who are highly educated know everything. However, there is wisdom in the world that cannot be learned solely from books.

A farmer who has touched the soil his entire life knows the conditions of the fields well, and a fisherman who has spent many years at sea knows the changes.

Technical issues are understood by technicians in the field, and the weight of life is known by those who have walked that path themselves.

If knowing is knowledge, then knowing whom to ask is wisdom. A society that asks questions is stronger than a society that pretends to know. Today, we live in an era overflowing with information. Through the Internet and artificial intelligence, we can obtain countless pieces of information in an instant.

However, having a lot of information does not necessarily mean that one will make the right judgment.
If you speak like an expert after reading just a few lines of information, or attempt to make all decisions from a desk without knowing the reality on the ground, your judgments may drift far from reality.

Politics and administration must consult the people; businesses must listen to the voices from the field; and leaders must know how to listen to those who know the work better than they do. Holding a high position does not mean one knows everything. On the contrary, those entrusted with significant responsibilities must ask more questions and listen more deeply.

Asking questions is not a sign of shame, but of humility. People sometimes fear admitting they do not know. However, the moment you hide what you do not know, mistakes begin; the moment you admit what you do not know, learning begins.

The same applies to Buddhist practice. If you insist that only your own thoughts are correct, the door to your heart closes. New wisdom enters only when you listen to the experiences of others and acknowledge your own shortcomings. Just as water can be filled into an empty vessel, wisdom is contained within a humble heart.

The greatest message that *Gyeongdang Munno* conveys to modern society is precisely the call to respect the field. When formulating policies, one must examine the lives of the people, and when discussing

education, one must listen to the voices of teachers and students. For agriculture, one must ask farmers; for industry, one must ask field workers; and for culture and the arts, one must ask artists.

What is invisible in the conference room is visible in the field. A true leader is not someone who possesses all the answers, but someone who asks good questions, listens attentively to others, and knows how to gather that wisdom into a unified whole.

Ask three times and decide once. It is harder to listen than to speak, and harder to learn than to teach. Therefore, if you are facing an important task, you must ask first: “Is my thinking really correct?”

“What do people in the field think?” “What am I missing?” Asking one more time does not diminish your authority. On the contrary, it can prevent a wrong judgment. A wise person does not boast of their knowledge and does not hesitate to ask those who need it.

Words from Damhwa Chongsa:
“Asking about what you do not know is not shameful.
Pretending to know when you do not is something to be shameful of.
Ask a farmer about farming, ask someone who has walked the path, and ask someone who lives the life of the world about worldly affairs.
If you lower your ears, you will hear wisdom; if you lower your heart, you will see the sincerity of people.
Those who ask well learn well, and those who listen well eventually achieve great things.”