Ilchi Lee

Recently, when at the HSP Ranch in British Columbia, Canada, I guided a peace walk with a class of college-age "English as a Second Language" students from South Korea. Before starting off to explore the beautiful snow-covered ranch, we engaged in a conversation, in which I responded to their concerns and questions about life.

One of my most enjoyable activities is to walk in Nature's splendor, and talk to the people with me about what is inside them and around them and what will be emerging in the future. I had an occasion like this at the HSP Ranch, near St. George in British Columbia, Canada. This retreat center is an area blessed by nature and now snow covered.

Two years ago it became apparent to me that the common core of all the programs and projects that my colleagues and I have been creating is the human brain. The brain has a key role in determining the quality of our physical health, mental capacity, and spiritual harmony. Brain Education is about understanding the brain system, and utilizing more of its extraordinary potential. In our modern era, when we face tremendous risks to our environment and humanity, more of us need to access more of our infinite creativity to contribute to the enhancement of human life and this planet’s viability.

I am grateful to Dr. Warrington Parker and staff of the Korea Institute of Brain Science (KIBS) and International Brain Education Association (IBREA) for presenting “Brain Education for Human Rights and Dignity,” to the Educational Committee of the Conference of NGO’s in Consultative Status at the United Nations, New York, January 17, 2008.

Dr. Warrington Parker speaks passionately about Brain Education

The United Nations has enlarged its vision and activities beyond peace to include its causes – such as the economic, social, health, education and environment factors. Thus, it was reasonable for the UN to reach beyond the resources of its member governments and welcome NGO participation. The UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) recognizes certain NGOs that can bring expertise to the UN’s dialogues and projects. It was an honor, in July 2007, that ECOSOC approved KIBS (of which I am the president) as a NGO with consultative status.

I believe that the foundations of Brain Education are securely built on neuroscience and the behavior sciences, and its potential applications in diverse fields – such as health, education, business and peace – offer hope and help to the world.

Music is a universal language, with the power to heal mind, body and spirit. While we listen mainly with our ears, the auditory experience is happening throughout our body and especially in the brain. If you want to change, combine the right music, message and action, and the prospects of success soar.

Around two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to listen to the new music of Arang, one of my students. He selected 10 songs from among those that he composed during the past two years. I listened to them in a state of meditation and joy. It was a deeply renewing experience to take in wonderful music with all my being. And what also pleased me was knowing that one of my students, with whom I have been working for a long time, composed this body of music, with all his talent and soul.

Arang is a passionate and pioneering composer, pianist and drummer, in both the Western and Korean musical traditions. He benefits from living and working amid the exquisite beauty and incredible energy of the red-rock country of Sedona, AZ.

I use music a lot when I give lectures or conduct training programs, and his music is one of my favorites. I especially appreciate Arang's instrumental pieces with complex sounds, and his songs with deep meaning. His style of music and my messages on health, happiness and peace go well together, creating a resonating synergy in one's body, mind and even the spirit.

We have had fruitful collaborations in recent years. For example, one of Arang's 10 works was his music set to my poem "White Dragon." In particular, I was most moved by his extraordinary piece "Peace River." He said that he composed it thinking of his friends and colleagues who share the same vision path – namely, improving the health and well-being of humanity and the Earth. When I relaxed and listened to this piece music, my heart became warm and smiled inside of me, and I felt grateful to all those with whom I work and serve. This song inspired me to realize that I am living my life in a more beautiful way.

I want to share my sincere heart and encouragement to Arang, who is very busy in Los Angeles and Sedona, being absorbed in preparing for his new album, his fifth one.

With Arang's kind permission, I want to offer his song "Peace River" (below) for your listening delight. Just as I was touched by this music, I hope you too will enjoy it and sense its deep inspirational intent.

The snow covers the ground at the HSP Ranch in British Columbia, Canada, on a cold and sunny January day. Riding a horse from the HSP Ranch I recently had an opportunity to look over the beauty of the meadows, forests, river and hills of this training center, and envision the future potential of this pristine setting.

On the ride, I could see vividly and feel deeply the vision of an emerging Earth Village here where HSP (health, smile/happiness and peace) is the core culture within which the residents and visitors from different cultures and nations can live, work, learn and create a model harmony of humanity and the Earth. Today, there is a small group of trainers and staff living and working in a few rustic buildings. At present, the roster of training programs is modest.

But every great enterprise begins with a dream. Then there is a focus and energy given to the work that many can do together, to make the dream into a vision and then into a reality. The world today needs successful role models of how people of various cultures – who see themselves more as Earth Humans or global citizens, rather than as members of a narrower nationality, religion or creed – can work productively, creatively and peacefully to build a village in total harmony with themselves and Nature.

Waving to you in -22 F weather

The HSP Ranch is surrounded by an expansive and rich land, and the challenge of a Northern climate with its long winter. The core people and buildings are in place. The vision and strategy are taking shape. Soon, more and more visitors from all over the world will gather to learn, celebrate, meditate and heal – themselves and the Earth. There is and will always be plenty of room at the HSP Ranch for its horses to be ridden so that other people can frame their own loving and practical visions for humanity and the Earth.

On January 15, a very sunny day in Sedona Arizona, I talked with Dr. Jessie Jones, Kinesiology and Health Science specialist, and co-director of the Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Fullerton. I have shared Brain Education for 30 years to children, employees of companies and the elderly, in order to improve their health, creativity and well-being.

One of my main concerns has been how to improve the health of the elderly through Brain Education. Last year, Jessie and I agreed to co-author a book to improve the health and life of the elderly. The book’s title is In Full Bloom and it will be published in late February.

I feel very grateful and honored to write this book with Jessie. She is nationally and internationally known for her research, program design, and curriculum development in the field of exercise science and aging. Her work has been published in numerous professional journals and cited in more than 100 popular newspapers and magazines. I am very glad that she and I agreed on the concept that the brain is one of the key factors in successful aging.

Dr. Jessy Jones has a wonderful smile.

Aging is inevitable and all humans shall die eventually. However, there can be a huge difference as to how we deal with aging. Many people think and take it for granted that as they grow older their brain performance gets weaker and weaker because the number of brain cells decrease. However, I think it is very important to know how to operate and utilize the brain well. If we make good use of the brain, we can live more a beautiful and healthy old age. That’s why I wrote this book.

So, how can we utilize and operate our brains the best way possible? The answers cannot be simply and entirely derived from knowledge. My idea is instead to introduce a program, Brain Wave Vibration Training, for regular and active use by elderly people. With this new and unique training that I have recently designed, you can focus on the brain’s waves, do certain vibrational exercises, and thus maximize the innate natural healing power and potential. I think that old age life is very important to our lives.

If today we regard 60 years of age as a new beginning of our life, that kind of mindset will bring about a very meaningful change in the brain’s functioning to benefit our physical and mental capability and performance. And this in turn will upgrade the very quality of our lives and the value that we can share with the rest of our families, communities, societies and the world.

On December 24 last year I celebrated my birthday. Many people in several countries were kind in congratulating me. They were gracious to give me flowers, gifts, and a cake in Seoul, Korea. However among all the gifts, their sincere heart and love were the greatest gift to me.

This brithday gave me an opportunity to reflect on the first major event of my life–my birth. I was born December 23, 1950 (November 15 on the lunar calendar which is used in Korean reckoning).

Back then, the whole Korean peninsula was in a state of great turmoil with the tragic Korean War underway. All residents of Chun Ahn, a village in South Korea, were ordered to evacuate the village, as a serious invasion of that region was expected.

Most ran away seeking refuge, but there was one small house in which a woman was giving birth to her baby, with her mother-in-law's help. The older woman grabbed the young mother-to-be's hand as she gave birth to her son saying, "If you die, I will die too."

The women could hear fighter jets making a bombing raid far away. The young lady had a very difficult delivery. After hours of painful struggle, she could hold her son in her arms. Without her mother-in-law's help, the delivery might have gone much worse for mother and child.

The young mother is my mother and her mother-in-law is my grandmother. I guess the fact that I had such a beginning might have been the reason why the concepts of war, peace, life and death have remained vividly in my memory since my childhood.

New Yorkers greet New Year with the New Year's Eve dropping ball at Times Square. And people in Seoul, South Korea, greet the New Year by ringing the famous Bosingak Bell. This ancient bronze bell, housed in the Bosin Pavilion, is rung 33 times to mark the transition from the old to the new year.

Under the Joseon Dynasty, the bell was rung several times a day. In modern times, the bell is rung only at midnight to usher in New Year's Day.

Eleven people were invited to ring the bell at the traditional annual ceremony, which attracted more than 100,000 citizens. I received the honor of being selected one of the 11 citizens this year. Seoul stated that in selecting me it recognized that I created brain-oriented training and shared Korean culture with the world. I am really grateful for getting this type of feedback.

But this honor is not for me alone. In the 27 years of my career to share health, happiness and peace with the world through body-brain training and events, I have had the great fortune of working with thousands of men and women in the various organizations, programs and projects that have the same vision and values as I do. In a sense, they were all at my elbow helping me to ring the Bell.

Ringing the famous bell in South Korea on New Year's Eve

In ringing the Bell, I hoped that all people in the world will be healthy and happy in 2008. I imagine the normal brain waves which will bring us health and happiness are still vibrating the wave that this Bell created.

With all my heart, I hope that together we envision and actually create a peaceful future in which we all have health and happiness throughout 2008.

In December 2007, I went to Taean Peninsula, South Korea, to help clean up one of the world's worst oil spills. I could not experience the natural smell of the ocean because the oil’s odor was being carried by the wind.

Taean has been one of South Korea's most-famous resort beaches. But after this huge disaster, the oil lay on the beach four inches deep. The sad news is that the complete recovery of Taean’s beautiful and pristine ecology will take several decades.

On the rocks of the beach, many volunteers – citizen from all walks of life, military personnel, and Kook Hak Won (Traditional Korean Cultural Institute) members – all in white prevention dress, were very diligently cleaning the stones over and over again. I joined and cleaned with them, glad and grateful that I was there to help, with this gesture of the Earth’s healing.

Looking at the ocean and beach, many of us gave deep sighs. But soon these sighs changed to smiles in order for us to encourage each other. Based on the strong feelings that we experienced there and then, we all seemed to make a silent, collective promise to save and protect our Earth.

I believe this great tragedy of the oil spill eventually will be seen as a precious incident of awakening all of us to the principle that Heaven, Earth and Human are truly all one.

If all people can feel that they are indeed one, and if we can create the future that people and the Earth protect each other and coexist, then now is not a time of deep despair, but a time of genuine hope for us.

There is still a need for people to help with the cleaning on the Taean beaches. If you live in South Korea, I recommend that you make a visit to Taean, along with your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.

There lies a precious enlightenment.