Human
A summary of Ilchi Lee's philosophy on humans is the Declaration of Humanity created and ratified at the New Millennium World Peace Humanity Conference in June 2001 in Seoul, South Korea.
DECLARATION OF HUMANITY
- I declare that I am a Spiritual Being, an essential and eternal part of the Soul of Humanity, one and indivisible.
- I declare that I am a Human Being whose rights and security ultimately depend on assuring the human rights of all people of Earth.
- I declare that I am a Child of the Earth, with the will and awareness to work for goals that benefit the entire community of life on Earth.
- I declare that I am a Healer, with the power and purpose to heal the many forms of division and conflict that exist on Earth.
- I declare that I am a Protector, with the knowledge and responsibility to help the Earth recover her natural harmony and beauty.
Hong Ik: Benefit All People
Through his own independent discipline and study, Ilchi Lee realized the value of the Hong Ik philosophy. Hong Ik is the core philosophy of ancient Korea. It emphasizes the power and responsibility of humanity to create a better world for all. Literally meaning "wide benefit," Hong Ik refers to the ideal of looking beyond individual desires to the collective needs of all people.
Ilchi Lee also realized that this philosophy applies to all of humankind, regardless of nationality, race, or cultural background. Many cultures have similar ideas about the basic goodness of humanity. Mr. Lee believes that every human being has an innate desire to recognize and develop their compassionate and benevolent nature, as well as having the ability to exercise it. Development of this nature is the key to respectful and compassionate treatment of all living creatures, and to actualizing the true value of humanity. Awakening what is the equivalent of the Christ Consciousness in the West means awakening the best in the human spirit. It empowers individuals and humanity as a whole to live their highest ideals and grandest dreams. This intrinsic philosophy is the fundamental and foundational concept behind all of Ilchi Lee's educational endeavors.
Chun Hwa: Complete Your Journey to Oneness
Ilchi Lee believes that humans are both physical and spiritual in nature. So, it is very important to develop a balanced character, creating harmony between the physical and spiritual components of life.
His teachings on spirituality can be summarized by Chun Hwa, a Korean term for attaining (Hwa) a heavenly state (Chun)--or completion of one's soul. The idea of heaven in this context also translates into divinity, Source, God, or higher self. Mr. Lee believes that we all have a natural longing for becoming one with this source. This longing can invigorate the substance of our lives.
Completion means reaching a state of full awakening in which you feel and live in a continuous state of oneness. This means stepping beyond the ego of the small self to fulfill your mission of service to humanity.
The great insight of this ultimate philosophy is that from the standpoint of the soul, life is a continuous process of completion. As we progress on the soul's journey, we encounter the source of love and oneness that exists beyond our illusion of separation. We come to realize that this source exists inside all others as well, for their own discovery. Compassion for ourselves, for others, and for the earth all flow from such awareness. And healing begins.
100 Million Critical Mass: Individual and Collective Endeavors
Ilchi Lee is a strong advocate for self-mastery and the power of the individual. He believes every human being is created to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining, and is completely capable of self-realization. Outside resources cannot answer life's most important questions—only each of us can answer them for ourselves. Institutions and specialists should merely assist in an individual's self-education.
Mr. Lee is also a firm believer that the collective endeavors of empowered individuals can make a real difference in the world. All of humanity has a shared common spiritual heritage, which is only natural because we all came from one source. Only when enough people have this realization can we truly come together as a society, as a people, and as Earth Citizens.
When he describes the power of collective action, Ilchi Lee often talks about one hundred million. One hundred million people is just a little more than one percent of the total population of the earth, the tipping point or the threshold to a mass awareness of what it means to be fully human, and to recover our humanity.