In Korean 국문 번역
https://m.cafe.daum.net/enlightenment-k/dcM5/360?svc=cafeapp
Title: Seeking the One True Principle
This morning, while watching the YouTube video Lost Time of XX, I took a moment to reflect on the journey of seeking human essence. In the video, a woman adopted from Korea to the U.S. in 1984, searches for her biological parents. Watching her relentless search stirred an intense feeling of empathy within me. In the end, however, she does not find her parents and learns to adapt, focusing on her own life.
This story is much like that of many adoptees, who also try to reach out and meet their birth parents but ultimately return to their own lives. In this story, I saw a metaphor for a practitioner’s path to enlightenment.
■ The Seeker’s Journey of Self-Discovery
An adopted child grows up nurtured by their adoptive parents, but at some point, he or she feels an innate desire to find their biological parents. This yearning is a natural part of being human—a drive to know who we truly are. Similarly, practitioners walk a path to find their true nature and understand the foundation of life.
Practice is this very journey; it is the continuity of life itself, and we are all practitioners in this way. Like looking at a red sunset and feeling something profound, people carry a natural impulse to understand life’s essence. This enlightenment is a deep insight into oneself and the world and serves as an essential guide for living rightly.
■ The Essence of a Practitioner’s Enlightenment
Practice is the journey to find one’s true self and understand the essence of the mind. Common notions like “wisdom that encompasses all of life” or “foresight into the future” are not the core of enlightenment—they are mere byproducts. At its heart, practice is about understanding where one comes from and grasping the essence of life. I often use nature as an analogy for this, as martial arts training is also a form of such practice.
In a previous piece I wrote, Can the Ultimate Level of Martial Arts Be Defined?, I mentioned that the ultimate level is to understand life’s fundamental principle. This core teaching is found within Buddhist philosophy as well, and it represents one of the highest values of human life. Only upon understanding this essence can we finally walk the right path for our own lives.
This enlightenment can not be explained with words or acquired through knowledge; it must be experienced. Without discovering this one principle, even the most learned philosophers and scientists will end their lives as though lost in a foggy maze.
■ The Path to Life’s Essence
All people inherently possess a longing to understand their origins. For most people, this sense of identity develops naturally within their families, so they do not question it. But at its core, humanity is driven to understand why we exist and uncover life’s foundation.
As one progresses on the path of practice, one finds methods and tools to grasp insights. This path, which unfolds through the continuity of life, leads each person to unique understanding. The path of practice is, ultimately, a path for right living, and it may be called “the path of enlightenment,” “the path of wisdom,” or “the middle way.”
Through Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu Haedong Kumdo, I teach the ways of discovering nature’s principles. The method is simple, but it’s a journey each individual must pursue on their own.
Every year, I conduct over ten seminars around the world, where I teach techniques, philosophy, and healing, grounded in the principles of nature. Through these teachings, I demonstrate various examples of the path to enlightenment, but this understanding is limited to one’s own level of study, and I, too, am simply one of many students in life.
I am simply doing my part by expressing what I know, driven by my own sense of purpose. Reaching that one principle takes time and the journey depends on each person’s mind.
Martial arts training seeks to combine both pen and sword, nurturing expansive thought and a tranquil heart. Through this training, we learn to face life’s difficulties and pain from a broader perspective. In Haedong Kumdo, sword techniques and sparring are only parts of the training; without greater understanding, martial arts training is only halfway complete. Indeed, knowing the one true principle can not be achieved through technique alone.
The more advanced a leader becomes, the more they should cultivate character and wisdom through endless study and practice. A true leader combines the pen and sword, allowing them to align with nature’s principles.
Of course, as human beings, no one can be perfect. However, we continually strive toward this goal, and in doing so, we grow and mature. This is a fundamental quality of humanity.
At the foundation of all practice lies the “flow of energy.” Recognizing this flow and guiding it correctly is the true path of martial arts.
This path was also the way of our ancestors. Through the study and practice of Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu Haedong Kumdo, I continue to share this wisdom, teaching my students worldwide through the explanations and expressions I’ve developed over my years of study in the 21st century.
■ In Conclusion
Practice is life’s continuity itself, and understanding life’s essence is its foundation. Through each person’s practice, we come to understand life more deeply, continuing on the journey to discover our true selves.
October 26, 2024, Saturday morning
Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu Haedong Kumdo
Jung Sung Kim