Ilchi Lee

One day when I was searching with my students I found a beautiful area on top of Okgye Waterfall in Yeongdong. The spot I chose was not easy to get to, because we had to climb over the waterfall on rocky terrain. But I knew it was the right place.

Raising money to purchase this site was not easy and took some time. I gave lectures all over the country and gave healings to many people. Some of the funds came from the profit of the Dahn centers, which I still managed at that time.

Before we could build on the land, we first had to clear many rocks out of the area and make an open space. I was grateful to have the help of many of my students, both Dahn Instructors and Dahn center members, from all around Korea. We would gather on the weekends and work hard during the day. In the evenings we would sit around a campfire and I would teach them. Once they had retired for the evening I would spend the night meditating in a small dugout area I found on Chunmo Mountain.

By 1986 we had finished the first structures at what I named Chunhwawon, or “a place where you become one with heaven”. There was one small brick building and a training tent.

Today there are more buildings and thousands of people have participated in educational training there. It is a living example of what a group of people working together towards their vision can accomplish.

Then one day, while wandering around town, I saw a huge trash heap under a bridge. Looking at the trash, it suddenly occurred to me that, “I am no better than that trash. So if I clean it, something might change inside of me.”

I had never done anything particularly impressive before. But this time I heard a voice from within telling me to clean up the trash. I also heard another voice inside that said, “What in the world does the trash have to do with me?” However, this voice felt discouraging and I had a desire and will to do something beneficial. I felt it would be very virtuous to clean up the trash so I decided to listen to the first voice. This trash had been accumulating since before I was born, so there was a lot of it and it smelled terribly. I wondered how I could clean it. The answer came to me right away.

Since the rubbish was over 100 years old, nothing could be better manure. So I decided to dig holes in a nearby hill to bury the trash and grow pumpkins with it. It made me feel really happy to think that I would eventually share pumpkins with my family, neighbors and domestic animals.

Within a few days of starting to bury the rubbish with a shovel, I had bruises and cuts in many places on my body. I also hurt myself from carrying the trash with a Korean carrying rack. My mother held me and cried when she saw them. She pleaded with me, “If you really want to clean this, I will hire laborers. Please don’t do this.”

When neighbors crossed the bridge and saw me cleaning the rubbish they felt sorry for me. “Tut, tut!” some of them clicked their tongues. After all, I had failed the college entrance exam for two years and was cleaning trash there without any plan for my future.

However, in spite of what my neighbors and mother thought, I cleaned and cleaned there. After a month or so, the rubbish heap was gone, completely cleaned.

Not long after sowing the pumpkins, the nearby hill was filled with fresh green pumpkin runners, leaves and soon flowers. It was a magnificent sight. Pumpkins grew rapidly and very well in the 100-year-old manure. As autumn came, the hill turned into a huge farm of big delicious pumpkins.

Looking at the pumpkins, I felt my inner world mature and become purified. I felt a lamplight of hope turn on in my heart. The happiness of working and joy of creation awakened in my brain. When I shared the pumpkins, I found my self-value and felt the joy of contributing to others.

After that experience, I had the conviction, “Just do it and you will achieve it.” I had learned that the principle of creation was very simple—just take action according to one’s inner voices in order to grow.

People really seem to understand how Brain Education can transform the nature of education. As I watch their faces light up, I feel hope that Brain Education will soon become integrated into the education system here. Through Brain Education, education will no longer involve just the acquisition of knowledge. Students will learn what they need to be happy, hopeful, and successful in their lives on every level. I am confident that Brain Education is the key for a happy and peaceful society. Brain Wave Vibration and Brain Education will help people become masters of their brain and masters of their life.

This affirmation of my dreams slowly coming to fruition gives me fuel to keep up my extremely busy schedule. I know that the time is right for as many people as possible to hear about Brain Education. Educators around the world are searching for solutions to the problems in education. In many countries students are not learning as effectively as they could. Many children slip through the cracks in the system and do not receive the education they need. Neither the schools nor their parents are providing children with much beyond academic achievement, especially the personal skills of self-management and development of their whole character — what they really need to be truly successful in their lives.

Brain Education empowers individuals and deepens their awareness of their bodies, their thoughts, and their emotions. It also increases their empathy with other people and with the earth. It stresses what each individual can do and how to make conscious choices. Through Brain Education, individuals can realize their power and potential, providing them with happiness and hope.

I feel that this tour is very important because it offers a big opportunity for people to be inspired by Brain Education and to adopt it. This is my dream.

In some ways the two places are poetic contrasts of each other: Sedona is distinguished by its majestic red rocks, and Jeju is made up volcanic rock. Sedona is surrounded by high desert, while Jeju is an island in the South Sea. Sedona exudes the spirit of America’s “Wild West”, and Jeju abounds with traditional Korean culture.

Yet what they share is more significant than their differences: Both places attract millions of visitors a year. Both offer bountiful beauty and ample energy that can relax and heal the body, soothe and delight the mind, and nurture and inspire the soul — peace is the common denominator. As you live in or visit these two nature-blessed settings, you can feel that peace is possible. For those of us who long for peace, and work for peace in our hearts, our relationships, and our world, these two places give us genuine hope.

The government of the Republic of Korea designated Jeju state as a World Peace Island three years ago. There is a movement emerging in Sedona to make it a City of Peace. It helps to describe the quality of peace in these unique places, to communicate it to the world, and to welcome people who come searching for peace within and in the world yet to come. We must envision and feel the power and potential of realizing peace in our lifetimes.

I was honored in March 2008 when Jeju Island Governor Tae Hwan Kim appointed me a Goodwill Ambassador of his state and asked me to promote the World Peace Island’s worldwide reputation. And in Sedona, where I have lived for 15 years, I want to do my part to advocate for it becoming an official beacon of peace. Join me in feeling and sharing the peace of these two places, and the hope for peace that they convey to the entire world.

Because I have also studied the brain constantly, through my own experience and through reading about the research and experiences of others, I have come to realize that achieving your goals depends on how well you manage your brain.

Managing your brain successfully begins with knowing where you are now. What is your current state? Are you positive and focused? Are you distracted? Do you have hope?

Then you need to know where you want to go. What is your goal? The best goals are those that inspire your heart. They motivate you to do whatever it takes to make them happen. They inspire dedication and loyalty to your vision.

Loyalty and a desire to be successful — these stimulate your brain. When you feel this way about something your brain wakes up and pays attention. When you pay attention and focus you can see the situation more clearly and in more detail. You can notice opportunities that arise, and see ways to create opportunities when you face obstacles.

But to keep going you need hope, the hope of succeeding. Often when you don’t have hope and you face an obstacle, you can get caught up in your own thoughts. Then you get a sense of victimization. Falling prey to these thoughts and feelings is not managing your brain well. You always have a choice in how you face a situation. You can blame others or your environment for your circumstances, or you can move forward and take action for what you really want.

To create the hope and initiative you need, endlessly give yourself positive messages, especially messages of hope and success. Understand your intrinsic value and the value of your goal. Know it is the most important thing in the world, no matter what others may think.

Then keeping checking where you are as you move toward your goal. Are you making progress? What has worked well for you? What has not? Do you need to change something about your plan based on your past experience?

Most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy yourself. I find happiness in everything I do, and I learn a lot along the way. Through happiness you can create the life and the world you want.

We can focus on hope and stay active during the entire year, whatever the season, and wherever we are in the world. We have the capacity to make the choice every day to feel hope and achieve success.

But when spring bursts forth with its sunny warmth and palette of pastel colors, there is no denying that it is easier to feel hope, and all the positive energy and actions that flow from hope.

Feeling hope from inside is our capability, almost an obligation for those of us with compelling visions of the future. But the spring season nourishes us with the outside vibrations of hope, reflecting to us an essential joy in life. Our senses are flooded by nature’s character and blessings, and happier feelings quicken our steps toward action.

Let the season weave its spell on you as it has on me. Feel the warmer sunlight soothe your skin, relax your muscles, and warm your bones. Let the sights and smells from the profusion of new flowers and tree buds activate and engage your visual and olfactory senses. Listen to the music of the birds that have returned and now announce their presence with joyful songs.

In this glorious season of spring, I wish you all the new and precious feelings of hope, for your dreams and for a better world.

“Do you do a checkup for hepatitis?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” I replied.

“Good. Then would you come to my school please? The principal would like to meet with you.”

I was puzzled, but made an appointment and went to see the principal. After a short greeting, he said, “My school nurse told me about you. I was very impressed by your benevolence.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He told me the story of what had happened. The woman’s children attended this school. The school nurse had convinced the mother to bring her children to the hospital. After the children had recovered from their symptoms with the medicine the pharmacist had given them, the mother told the story to the school nurse, and the nurse reported this to the principal.

Then the principal said, “I got an order to have all students checked for hepatitis. I invited you here to ask you if you will do the checkups.” Normally I would have to apply for a job like this, but the principal was soliciting me.

“I appreciate this opportunity,” I replied.

“I will take that as a yes. Please consult with the school nurse for further details.”

After I came back to my laboratory, I had to hire a nurse. For the first time since I had opened my laboratory, I had decent business. The students numbered about a thousand and I was paid a decent amount of money. I was excited and amazed to earn so much money from one incident. I was in awe that money could be earned like this.

But that was only the beginning. Right after that school’s checkup, other elementary schools asked for them. I heard later that the principal had shared my story at a principals’ meeting. Hearing the story, most of the principals wanted me to do the hepatitis checkups for their schools as well.

I could barely handle all of the orders; I became very busy. For the first time I felt I could be really rich. To meet this increasing demand, I thought I would have to hire a few more nurses and buy another car.

Then one day I heard a voice in my ears. No one was speaking around me. It said, “You are going the wrong way. You’re just following your selfish desire.” It was a very soft voice but it shook my consciousness like thunder. After that I stopped taking any more orders from other schools.

When I recall that time now, it feels like a dream. What if I hadn’t stopped taking orders? Would I have been a successful pathologist? If I had been so busy making money for my family all the time, would I have been able to go to the local park later to teach my principles and exercises to people every morning? I think the woman and her two sons were three angels that helped steer me in the path of my true inner desires.

One ordinary afternoon, while sitting in the laboratory, someone peeked in through the open door. It was a woman with eyes that were squinted congenitally. She looked very nervous.

“How can I help you?” I asked softly, trying to make her feel comfortable. “Please come in.” She came in very carefully, followed by her two sons. They were in rags and looked very poor. The children’s faces were very yellow and pale. They were quite thin with big bellies. I got a strong feeling that they had something very wrong with their liver.

“What made you come here?” I asked.

“My children are sick,” she replied.

“If they’re sick, you have to go to a doctor.”

She explained to me that they had already seen a doctor and were told they needed laboratory tests. But the fee was about $40, which she could not afford. She had asked desperately for a discount, but the hospital didn’t want to give it to her. She kept asking persistently, so a hospital employee recommended that she come see me.

I think the employee did that because I used to work for the hospital. While I worked there, I donated my blood three times in one night in the emergency room because they couldn’t find blood donators for emergency patients. Because of that night he or she might have thought I would help this woman.

I gave the children a checkup, even though it was already obvious to me that they were seriously jaundiced. The tests results confirmed my assessment that they had to be hospitalized immediately.

“How did you let this happen to your children?” I asked her. The woman explained their father had left them a long time ago, and she had had to raise the two children alone. She had no job and had to depend on irregular labor work. So the children had had to eat cheap instant noodles for more than six months.

When I told her that the children had to be hospitalized she said, “Oh my God, I absolutely can’t afford that!” I was very worried. I wanted to pay the hospital bill but I could not afford it at that time either. “I am sorry. I can only do a checkup, which is not medical cure. You should go to a hospital.” Murmuring, “I can’t afford to go to a hospital,” she stood up to leave with the children, which made me very concerned. On her way out she took a note from her coat, which looked like 5,000 won or 10,000 won (an equivalent of $5 or $10). I could not take her money at all. She kept insisting on paying the money while I tried to refuse it. I couldn’t just refuse to accept it so I came up with an idea.

“Okay, I will take the money. But wait a moment.”

I made a phone call to a close friend who was a pharmacist, who I knew was also a generous person. I asked him, “Hey, don’t you want to earn my money? I gave a checkup and earned some just now.”

“What happened?”

I briefly explained the situation and added, “A woman will come to you bringing two children, with my money. That’s my money so take it without questioning. Please prescribe 10 days worth of the medicine they need.” He said he would do it. (At that time in Korea, pharmacists could prescribe medicine by themselves.)

Ending the call, I turned back to the woman and said, “Fine, I will accept your money. But I will buy these children medicine with it. Please don’t say anything about how I choose to spend my money.” I handed the bill back to her and said, “Please go to the drug store with this. I am not 100% sure if their symptoms will improve only with medicine, but let’s try our best.”

After giving her directions to the drug store, I gave the children an energy massage with all of my love and sincerity. After that, I saw them to the entrance. I cannot remember how many times the woman turned back and bowed to me saying, “Thank you.” After they turned the corner, I came back to my desk and returned to my routine work, completely forgetting about the incident.

Read the rest of this story here.

The Secret was a popular book and DVD last year, and caused a stir when it was featured twice on the Oprah show. I have great respect for its simple yet powerful message: think and behave in ways that will activate the law of attraction. I urged people at many organizations to use this law to their advantage.

Therefore, I was delighted to get an email from David Markin, Dahn Yoga Centers, Colorado region. Here is how he created a successful month based on using The Secret to succeed and grow:

“I made a business goal for February – to distribute 5,000 brochures in my territory in one month. And I achieved it! I felt all the things you mentioned in your message: satisfied and creative, managing myself better each day. I practiced The Secret and visualized my goal already achieved, feeling it in my heart and body. I had such a strong drive to succeed that I didn't let anything stop me. I kept saying in my mind, ‘Achieving this is more important than my life itself.’ With such strong language, I overcame my fears of this goal. I realized that I needed to face my fear; just do it and the fear goes away. After that, I felt totally empowered and liberated! When I gave out the last brochure, I felt my true essence within, and a sense of my real power to achieve anything.”

This young man has truly awakened my brain. He has found out how to give 100% and shoulder more responsibility. I believe that he will continue to challenge his limits, and feel more and more fulfilled in his daily life.