This year will see a change in 58 heads of state. These will be the people who have the power to influence the direction of their countries and thus drive the future of the world.

A significant characteristic that defines democracy requires that the leaders of a nation serve the people that comprise it. As members of humanity living in the current era, the citizens of the world’s countries should propose resolutions prior to the elections mandating that those who want to take positions as national leaders must first declare that they will take responsibility for effecting peace on earth and restoring the natural environment. They must give their word before all humankind that they will be held accountable for all of the decisions they make while they are in office and agree to the transparent documentation of all of their actions.

This declaration must also be made by all members of humankind. With a strong sense of ownership, each individual must choose to be responsible for peace on earth and universal well-being, as well as holding his or her national leaders accountable for the same.

I believe that this proposal is the way that the people of all nations can claim their human rights and realize their true value.

The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow on a global scale. Although various efforts have been made to solve this problem, it persists.

We cannot bridge this gap until each of us discovers the latent potential inherent within us. This potential comes from our brain. In fact, our brain’s latent potential and value are demonstrated to the fullest when we give our effort so that all people can be happy together. That’s because our brain instinctively wants health, happiness, and peace not only for ourselves, but also for everyone around us.

The best word to describe this inherent objective of our brain is “welfare.” Welfare involves each individual living a life of fairness, justice, and happiness. It does not only signify material happiness, but spiritual happiness as well.

The quality of each person’s life can be enhanced when we go beyond the values of our own lives to achieve true welfare in society for all people. That’s because every member of humankind breathes the same air, drinks the same water, and lives on the same planet. There isn’t any meaning in defense or competition, because we exist as a network of relationships, connected through interaction.

However, we are currently faced with social realities in which justice fights against justice, and religions that pursue the Truth are in conflict with each other. It grows increasingly difficult to differentiate between right and wrong or black and white.

Therefore, solving every problem has to start with compassion and the recovery of each individual’s human character and conscience. With this backbone of compassion and conscience, we must make an effort to integrate the diverse conflicting factors of society, such as between governments and individuals, for-profits and non-profits, and conservative and progressive.

In the 21st century, we are already witnessing a merging of cultures in which there is a synergistic interplay of personal and collective advantages as our brain evolves. I believe that the key word for the 21st century is “fusion.” Now is a time for us to utilize all the wisdom and knowledge that has been discovered for the goal of welfare; it’s a time that requires the fusion of diverse social perceptions.

When I refer to “fusion,” however, I mean fusion that takes place through individuals’ free will, not fusion imposed by a single, autocratic dictator. I’m describing a situation in which all members of humankind discover the value and latent potential in their brain and use it naturally to awaken themselves. We don’t need someone to tell us what to do or to explain the moral value of such obligations anymore.

Our brains have a natural desire for fusion—the integration and application of all information—as well as an instinctive tendency to pursue collective benefit through synergy. Through a five-stage process of awakening the brain with breathing and meditation, the Brain Education system I’ve developed helps people unlock their brain’s potential and restore the innate human quality that seeks synergy and the actualization of welfare for all humanity. It helps them understand all aspects of their brain; understanding one’s brain is, in essence, knowing oneself. In the process, Brain Education helps people bring out their creativity and discover their worth and the value of their brain, as well as that of others. It thus facilitates and encourages better communication and fusion throughout society. Each of us has the responsibility to develop the capabilities of our brain for the benefit of all humankind.

With the realization of our value and potential, the brain is ready to take action. So I propose that we go beyond Brain Education to brain utilization. We must ask ourselves: “How can we make the best use of our brains’ potential to solve global problems such as poverty? How can we motivate ourselves to continue developing our untapped power until it benefits all of humanity, and we solve the many problems that have been tormenting us?”

For this purpose, science will have an important role. It will be necessary to demonstrate the effect of brain utilization on creating true welfare throughout the world. We absolutely need this evidence, not simply as a statistical or scientific exercise, but for us to develop greater confidence, and in doing so, motivate ourselves to develop our brain continuously. Therefore, I urge neuroscientists, scholars, and social scientists to demonstrate the link between brain utilization and true welfare for all humanity.

Yesterday I attended a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City hosted by the International Brain Education Association (IBREA). The focus of the meeting was Brain Education for poverty and welfare. The recent work of IBREA with schoolchildren in El Salvador has demonstrated the Brain Education principle that if your brain is healthy, all areas of your life improve. If many people have healthy brains, we can improve our society and the conditions on earth.

South-South News reported on the event on their website. This news outlet “is an initiative launched in February 2010 … to advance the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the sharing of best practices in … Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. South-South News is a digital media platform for the countries of the South that is facilitating, connecting, and publishing news on various efforts in sustainable economic and social development to audiences and multiple constituencies not only in the South but also around the world.”

I offer a toast to you for the new year. A new future is approaching us now. The ideal time for the completion of the soul began with the start of 2012. The era of material civilization has passed and an era of spiritual civilization of 1000 years, a golden millennium, is upon us. It’s a new era, a new time, and a new space. It’s an era of LifeParticles.

LifeParticles are changing and therefore the earth is changing. You can feel the changes in your own body. Focus on your body and you will understand the truth of this time for yourself.

A new future and new civilization, despite the shift occurring, will not happen magically. It will be the result of each person’s choices. The reality we face right now was created by each of us as an individual, not by someone else. That’s the most important enlightenment. No matter how difficult the present environment may be, we can choose hope and blossom the flower of happiness we desire. However, if we blame someone else or harbor resentment for something, we give away our power. Tell yourself, “All of the responsibility of my future lies with me. Instead of begging for happiness or borrowing it from others, I create my happiness.”
Let’s make a future that gives joy and happiness to all people.

Because religion, education, economics, and politics have lost their purity, they do not help humanity create a peaceful existence. Even though we award a Nobel Peace prize every year, the world still isn’t peaceful. Even if economics advances, it’s not the cure for human peace. The gap between the rich and the poor is increasing. Until now many people thought that religious, economic, and political systems could solve humanity’s problems. However, you can see from all of the protests taking place around the world that people in general don’t have hope in them anymore. But at the moment they also don’t have a solution.

We can find the solution together by practicing breathing and meditation and executing the messages we receive in meditation. With open hearts and minds we can communicate with each other. Communication and interaction is how you generate great power.

We have prepared for this new era with everything we have done until now. With breathing, meditation, and awakened living, we can be the hope and leaders of a spiritual culture.

I hope that even if you live for just one day that it’s the happiest day. Happiness is not something someone gives you, but something you create for yourself. We have the power to create happiness. That’s because inside of your brain you have God—a divine aspect with limitless creative potential. To feel the divine and become one with it is a very natural thing. Because it’s so natural anyone can become enlightened.

Just as there are applications on an iPad, we have the app of enlightenment inside of us. To launch that app, to launch the divine, takes not even one minute. It’s just like pressing a button. However, many people aren’t even aware that this app exists and spend years not knowing to turn it on. A new awareness and understanding of the brain is the beginning of enlightenment.

The most important understanding you need for enlightenment is that divinity is natural to the human brain. It may not be something you can see or prove, but it makes a world of a difference. What do you think would happen if you thought, “We all have divinity in our brains?” Don’t you think that everything would seem different—better? With that one idea, everything changes. People would tend to have more respect and compassion for each other I think. When a person is respected they gain strength and creativity. People who don’t respect themselves are not able to focus on the present moment or concentrate on what they are doing. They cannot access all of their apps and information, and their brains cannot function optimally.

Then how can you respect yourself? What does it take? You have to practice breathing. When you breathe, set the intention of experiencing the divinity in your brain. The mental attitude you need to do that is generated when you focus on your body.

That’s what we need to create a spiritual culture. We need everyone to believe that there is a divine, creative aspect to each person’s brain, and to treat each other accordingly. Don’t you think it’s worth believing? What have we got to lose?