In this last blog post I’m writing about the Chun Bu Kyung, l’d like to review the last month with five principles you can extract from this profound text:

1. The Principle of Creation and Evolution
The Chun Bu Kyung contains a single law of cosmic motion—the creation and evolution of everything in the universe physically, spiritually, and energetically. It says One (Il) Source of all life has always existed that has no beginning or end. It divided into three, Heaven, Earth, and Human, or the spiritual, material, and energetic. In each of these, the other two exist. For example, humans are made from Heaven and Earth. From these three countless forms were created as individual and unique expressions of the One. All of the creation appears as a result of chemical reactions occurring, atoms and molecules gathering and scattering. These things develop not as a result of continuing on forever, but of a turning, of going back.

That’s why human beings do not have improving health without limit, nor do they grow endlessly younger. The law governing all things is that, when we have come near the end of our development, we must think, “I’m done now.” The Chun Bu Kyung shows this progression in numbers. From six, then seven, eight, and nine appear and there comes a turning. Sooner or later, we all come to nine and return. Coming back to Un (circulating around), we are zeroed and we start again. Everyone and everything evolves and eventually disintegrates, returning to the One for the cycle to begin anew.

Not even the Earth can escape from the law of creation and destruction. Just as our bodies cannot be places of eternal refuge, the Earth cannot be a place of eternal refuge. Just as our bodies eventually enter a period of stability is called “death,” the Earth, too, is now seeking to enter a period of stability or hiatus. If you look at the Earth lately, you’ll see that the planet is worn out, that Heaven and Earth are sick, and that, sooner or later, the time will come when the planet will go into hibernation. It cannot be an eternal refuge.

2. The Principle of Energy Circulation: Water Up Fire Down
Water Up Fire Down is the healthy and harmonious energy circulation that takes place in our body. Water energy must travel up the energy channels along the spine, while fire energy must travel down the energy channels along the front center line of the body.The Chun Bu Kyung says, “Sam Sa Seong Hwan” or three and four make a circle. In this case, three means the three major internal energy centers of our body, which are known as dahnjons in Korean. We have a lower dahnjon in our lower abdomen, a middle dahnjon in our chest, and an upper dahnjon in our head. Then comes “Oh Chil Il,” or five, seven, one. Five is earth (土), seven is fire (火), and one is water (水). Five makes the heart and mind its center, and water comes and goes through it countless times, with great, marvelous mystery, turning and going back, changing again and again (Sahm Sa Song Hwan Oh Chil Il Myo Yeon Mahn Wang Mahn Rae, or Three and four make a circle, five and seven make one whole, countless comings and goings). When this process is stable, we have Water Up Fire Down. The life force within us flows freely, bringing infinite creativity and joy to the soul.

3. Principle of Illumination of True Self
“Bon Shim Bon Tae Yang Ang Myong” tells us to make our true self shine as brightly as the sun. Your true self is already like the sun. We just need to keep polishing the dirt that continually covers it so it can shine through. When we have Water Up Fire Down energy circulation, the flow keeps our true selves clear. It’s like the difference between a stagnant pool of water and a clear babbling brook.

4. Principle of Cosmic Unity
“In Jung Chun Ji Il” speaks of oneness with the cosmos. Everything in the universe is one part of one whole. We can experience this oneness inside us, because of the divine-human unity containing both Heaven and Earth. This experience is fully integrated in our being when our true selves in our heart, or fourth chakra, joins with the divinity in our brains, or sixth chakra, and then emerges through our seventh chakra in the top of our head to join with the energy of the universe. This process is called “Shin In Hap Il,” for those of you who have taken the Healing Chakras workshop.

You can see this principle in the everyday maintenance of our lives. The air of Heaven, or Heavenly energy, enters through the nose. The energy of the Earth enters through the mouth in our food. Life is maintained only if Heaven energy and Earth energy meet in our body. All people need air and food and water to live, regardless of their race or nationality.

5. Principle of Eternal Life
We are One, and the One has no beginning or end. It is an end without end. It lives forever.

The 81 characters of the Chun Bu Kyung, though they seem to be something else, mean that all is one. The One (一) is the beginning (始); the One is the end (終); and the One is nothingness (無). That One is the essence of the life we know. The One (一) speaks of Cosmic Energy (Chunjikiun). It speaks of the Source. The One (一) is the Source, and, although it is the beginning, it is has no beginning itself (無始). It is the Beginning without beginning. As for the One end (一終), the One may be the end of all things, but it is the End without end. It is the Alpha and the Omega. It is the world of absolute life transcending space and time, where it is impossible to make distinctions even in space-time. When I awaken to that world of life, I am life, self-existent and alone.

We’ve reached the last line of the Chun Bu Kyung, an ancient Asian text we’ve been extracting wisdom from this month (please see previous posts for the rest):

Il Jong Mu Jong Il

One is the end of all, and there is no ending to the One.

Jong (終) means that everything ends. Everything ends and returns to the One (Il). It’s fitting that the Chun Bu Kyung begins with Il and ends with Il in a full circle. This One that the line speaks of is that which exists before before it could even be named “one,” and it is without end. It’s the ultimate reality.

Human beings have a physical body that has a beginning and an end. But we also have soul that is timeless and limitless. What I call a soul is the part of us that will carry on after our body dies; it’s the energy that is the same as that which flows through everything. When we die, we return to the One.

Therefore, life is eternal. Though our emotions, thoughts, and knowledge constantly change, life itself is immutable, because it exists of itself, by itself, and in itself in the now. When you bring your awareness to that life inside you, you attain true peace. You can feel your own timelessness and limitlessness. You can feel your true roots or home, regardless of where you travel in the world. This awareness brings not freedom from hardship, but freedom from fear and worry, freedom of imagination, and infinite creativity. It tells us, “Don’t worry, just live your life, creating.”

We can only have this awareness in the present moment. Emptying your mind, allow the present moment to grow and grow inside you until it shines a bright light on the past and future and only the now remains. With the roots of your being in the One and a radiant vision in your heart, live your life boldly in the eternal Now.

In Joong Chun Ji Il

Human bears Heaven and Earth, and the three make One.

The preceding phrases of the Chun Bu Kyung described how the One, the Source, divides into many different forms. In Joong Chun Ji Il brings it back full circle; Heaven, Earth, and Human join together to form One again. This cycle repeats endlessly, and exists macrocosmically and microcosmically. It exists inside of us.

This unity and the mobility and consciousness we have, gives humans the power and responsibility to create our lives and the world we want to live in. It makes us the guardians of Heaven and Earth.

Therefore, human beings are the only hope. A more peaceful and harmonious world rests on our shoulders. It depends on choices put into action by those with the insight and bravery to look upon the world without selfishness.

To do that we need to stay centered with open hearts. Someone with a stable center doesn’t fear change or action. You can choose change without fear only when you are strongly centered in the dahnjon, or energy center, in your lower abdomen, and centered in your dream or purpose as well.

Bohn Shim Bohn Tae Yang Ang Myong

Divine mind is the eternal light, looking towards celestial light

The Chun Bu Kyung repeatedly speaks about the concept of divinity. You can call this omnipresent force, light or spirit or source or one or the origin of life. You can also call it chunjikiun and chunjimaeum in Korean. There is divinity in the universe, and there is divinity in our mind.

When the Source in your mind (eternal light) and the Source of the cosmos (celestial light) commune as one, a greater light is illuminated. It’s the natural tendency of divinity to seek this unity—the unity between ourselves and all life.

Your conscience comes from divinity. Your conscience knows everything and cannot be hidden or ignored for long. Beside letting you know when you have done wrong, your conscience can help you regain your center when you’ve lost your balance. It tells you when you’ve wandered away from your true nature, which is divine, and how to get back.

Divinity is also a great love—not a love from the heat of your emotions, but a love that sheds light on the divine all around you. When you look within and listen to the sound of your beating heart, and feel grateful to be alive, you can sense true love, your divinity. When you act with great love full of compassion for all things in Heaven and on Earth, small love gets out of the way on its own. Then you become someone you can admire because you are acting as an expression of the divine. Self love stems from divine love. When you express true unconditional love, you not only have the eternal light of divinity inside; it radiates from you to light up the world.

In what way have you shared divine love? Leave a comment here or on my Facebook page.

Yong Byeon Bu Dong Bon

Features are changing, and changeless is the maker

The essential truth of this line of the Chun Bu Kyung is that although the cosmic mind and energy that is the Source of life causes change, it itself does not change. Only the external and superficial changes while the essence remains the same.

Despite this truth, we are often resistant to change and hold onto people, places and things for security. But doing so limits our potential and prevents us from experiencing the essence behind these myriad things that are bound to change by their nature.

The energy of the Chun Bu Kyung—the shape of its characters and the sound vibrations when they are spoken—always communicates the essence, or the One (Il). By connecting to it, we can weaken our resistance to change and move from being tossed around by it to becoming an agent of change.

If you would like your choices and actions to come from your core, rather than your emotions and preconceptions, take some time to look inside yourself and see what you are holding onto. By holding onto anything, you are denying the truth of the oneness of the universe and of the divine nature inside of you and inside of everything. When you turn your back on it that way, you are disallowing its loving restorative and creative power to work for you and through you.

I think everything always comes back to the questions: “What is the purpose of my life? How do I want to live it?” Through the Chun Bu Kyung, you can embrace life, instead of strangling it with fear.