SUJI ENNEAGRAM

The fabled Jirisan (or Jiri Mountain) felt warm and mysterious. I have driven past Jirisan multiple times, but this was my first time being enveloped in the amiable embrace of Jirisan. After bidding farewell to Michael and Gloria, we were promptly on our way to Jirisan, south of the peninsula. After having planned our participation in Suji Enneagram instructors’ training months ago, we had to switch our mental gears quickly to adjust to what was ahead of us for the next three full days. Suji Enneagram adheres to the same Enneagram tradition globally but the founder, Suji, developed a new way, a Korean adaptation, to approach Enneagram after studying for years. She was desperate to help sexually trafficked teenage girls discover their God-given identities amid indescribable wounds, pain, and suffering. The world stamped and discarded them as if they were not part of the same dignified human family. A sadder part of the story was that they did not fight back.

Suji believed that Enneagram would ultimately reset and restore the girls’ God-given identities. Her intuition was right. Decades later, some of the girls rose from the ashes and now are part of the solution to the same persistent problem in Korean society. Suji Enneagram is unique in that the “education” is highly interactive and believes in a self-discovery mode of learning (for they had to because of involving teenagers) whereas many Enneagram outfits mainly are content to download information. Furthermore, Suji Enneagram focuses on discovery and subsequent transformation based on how God has shaped us from the beginning as opposed to merely passing out information. The message of “calling from Heaven” is repeated to discover and live from the calling from above as well as to let go of false images or ego-saving ways of functioning in the world.

The venue was magical, two simple buildings standing on the ridge of Jiri Mountain, overlooking the magnificent contours of the valley. Though fall foliage has not kicked in due to unseasonably warm weather right through our visit, my eyes feasted watching the valley changing from day to day in fog, rain, and clear-crisp sun-lit days. The food was locally grown and harvested, thus wholesome and healthy. After two weeks of food extravagance with my children, my stomach thanked me for plain simple meals, not to mention the uber-clean air we breathed.

Predictably, we went from 8 am till 10 pm every day, packed with all the participants going deeper into the discovery of how God made us. Since we were all essentially working through our charts to listen to who we were, I felt the time blew by. We were trained to “read” others’ “charts” based on what they observed in themselves. I was amazed at how the trainers were able to read charts of the participants while providing deft insight and turning them into an unshakable calling from “Heaven.” More than anything, I appreciated their profound respect and dignity of all humanity, and how they approached the training showed their commitment to honor. Suji and the leaders were not into building their own “kingdom,” but they held their mission with humility and conviction.

Our original plan was to hike small portions of the Jirisan Dulle-Gil (an extensive peripheral trail, close to 300 km, that hugs around the entire Jirisan ranges). The entire trail is divided into 22 courses, with each course lasting for one half-day tracking. We were only looking to do 3 or so courses but after looking at the rainy forecast, we decided to call it off. Plus, as we were not as prepared, even if we had done the hiking, it would have been challenging with no equipment, proper shoes, and even backpacks. Instead, we asked for one extra night’s stay at the Suji Enneagram facility. The founder graciously offered us a small but comfy room, overlooking the picturesque valley.

The next day, Suji invited us for a simple breakfast. The conversations flowed (flew might be a better description) and we clicked as both of us are ENTP in MBTI. She invited me to help with English enneagram education being done in other parts of Asia, the Americas, etc. In fact, when she handed me the certificate the night before, she charged me to take Suji Enneagram all over the world, specifically mentioning Latin America and Africa. The comment did not go unnoticed. During breakfast, I asked whether she was aware of what she was saying. She said she did, but it was not something she was prepared to say. She added by saying that the USA and Asia were already part of my vision fold, and she wanted to encourage me to “take on the world.” We heartily laughed about the exchange, but it remained with me.

While enjoying breakfast Suji had prepared, I added that the origin story of how Suji Enneagram was birthed sounded like the “Gospel” and how Jesus would have approached the girls. I told her the birth story gives me trust, confidence, and necessary empowerment. Suji is barely five feet, wiry, and speaks the Gyeong Sang Province dialect that is known for its punchiness and brevity. Even though she talks a hundred miles an hour, every word she uses is intentional and packed with meaning and hope. Her aura is unmistakably imposing but she is wise and humble enough to use her influence and authority to continue to drive Suji Enneagram even in her 70s. She did say she saw herself retiring in two years. In the end, she knows herself well. She knows that God has given her the power to protect and provide safety for the underprivileged, the rejected, and the discarded. Meeting Suji inspired me and seared my heart with hope for Korea and the world.