■ Human Technology and Self-Reliance—by Ilchi Lee

When we are sensitive and responsive to the signs and rhythms of our body, we are more deeply connected to the rich, wonderful texture of all life experience. Signals from the body ― a butterfly in the stomach, a tingling in the toes, or even pains or discomforts ― can take on meanings related to creative urges or spiritual growth. These sensations may even alert us to the state of our relationship with the earth itself. This kind of meaningfulness of our body sensations is difficult or impossible, if our sensory abilities have been dulled by apathy or medication dependence. The burden of Human Technology is to stir you from apathy, and to give you some starter tool for your journey of authentic experience. Nowadays many of us rely on institutions to help us deal with life's most basic issues. In some ways, we have traded our internal sense of judgment for systematized knowledge. Is this a good bargain? We should ask ourselves these questions in the spirit of willingness to change. We are each, as individuals, uniquely responsible for the lives we live. There is no one else who should take responsibility for our choices. We may not be able to create or control all of the events that impact our lives but we can create and control our responses to everything that we experience.
The key to improving the quality of our lives is not found by making more convenient and perfect systems. By reaching into our HT toolkit, we will find skills which bring us back to our rightful place of mastery over technology and our lives at large. Systems can return to serving humanity, instead of reigning over us.

■ Human Technology and Health—supported by Dahn Yoga Members

Health management based on Human Technology is about learning simple, natural self-care methods to prevent and treat common illnesses, thereby managing most daily health concerns. Our breathing, our body itself, and the life-energy which flows through us, become tools we can use once we understand the principles by which they work, and the basic skills for applying those principles.
Su-seung-hwa-gang (Water Up, Fire Down) is the core principle for human health. When the human body is in balance, the cool water energy travels upward toward the head along the back side of the body, while the hot fire energy flows down the front side of the body to the lower abdomen. This constitutes a complete cycle of energy circulation. By repeating this circulation, life maintains its balance and continuity. Perhaps you have heard the expressions, “I have a fire my belly,” or “keep a cool head.”
I believe that a habit of good breathing can prevent much unhappiness. So, if you become emotionally upset, do not try to analyze your situation by thinking. Instead, focus on your breathing. This is much easier and more effective. Stop thinking for a moment and concentrate on your breathing. Deep breathing will quiet your emotions and enable you to better assess your circumstances.
HT meditation focuses on being here now. It means being fully present in this moment. It means being aware of everything that is or is not going on in this moment. The present is not tomorrow nor is it yesterday. There is nothing present except exactly what is occurring right now. After attaining awareness of this moment, meditation further entails separating ourselves from that. It constitutes observing yourself and looking at the moment you are living and saying, “This is not me. This is mine. I created this, but I am not this. I am the creator of it and the watcher of it, but I am not that which is being watched.”
Most of us have a hammer, nails, and other tools for making basic repairs in our homes, as well as the ability to use them. If we make small repairs as they occur, our house remains well maintained and will last a long time. However, if we leave them unfixed, ultimately, the damage to the structure becomes so overwhelming that big renovations are necessary. The same principle applies to the human body.
Self-health care skills including acupressure and moxibustion are like the hammer and nails we use to repair and maintain our houses. Anyone who has the ability to use a hammer and nails can practice acupressure and moxibustion. You do not need the skills of an architect or builder to use a nail and hammer in the maintenance of your house. In much the same way, you do not need to know about all the structures and functions of the human body to use acupuncture, acupressure, and moxibustion. Moreover, we possess an amazing functional control panel called the brain. If we take the simplest measures to activate its functions, the brain will automatically take care of the rest.     

 

■ Human Technology and Sexuality

Most people think they have a mature perspective and comfortable relationship with sex. The reality is different. I have found that too many people have twisted or dual perspectives on sex. This reality often prevents people from leading more fulfilling and authentic lives.
Sexuality is one of the most powerful energies we will ever experience. Sex can be described as passionate and animalistic, or as majestic, exalted, and sacred. For some, these perspectives may be “bookends” for the range of possible interpretations of sexuality. Yet even these views are too limited. Human Technology embraces sexuality as central to life, and intends to expand our experience, understanding, and application of this magnificent energy. As we relate more to sex as an experience of our spirit and not just of the senses, our expression of sexual energy in our lives can shift dramatically.
Allow me to make a different point as well, about the meaning of “responsibility.” Often, when people hear this word, they think about their worst deed or the biggest mistake they have ever made. “Being responsible” means guilty acceptance of the consequences or punishment. This meaning of responsibility is often not helpful and may be harmful.
The true meaning of responsibility lies in accepting that you are the creator. It means understanding and accepting that you create your circumstances and your experience: “This is my life and I created this.” Responsibility does not mean passive acceptance or resignation, but dignity and authority.
In a way appropriate to the child’s comprehension level, parents should talk early and frequently, before puberty, about the power of sexual energy. Talk to them about how it is possible to unexpectedly encounter sexual feelings for different people and how this ebb and flow is natural to the rhythm of life. We have a reservoir of life experience from which to draw, and we can talk about the many faces of sexual energy.
Through these discussions, we will be able to develop a basis of trust with our children, leading to better communication. When we can speak about sex with our children, we will find that it frees our ability to talk about other topics. These conversations will assure our children that they are being respected, which will lead them to develop self-worth, responsibility, and maturity. Through these sincere, honest discussions, you may even change your own preconceptions.     

 

■ Human Technology and Life Purpose

We try to supply meaning by asserting that our lives are about our families, our loved ones, our jobs or our religion. But at the deepest place of our being, as important as these things certainly are, we sense that there must be something more. There must be some reason for it all, some purpose behind it all. There has to be something more than just day-to-day survival.
We often compare life to a journey, but more often than not, it is closer to a wandering. This is because for many, the destination is not clear. A wanderer does not know where to go, while a person on a journey has a specific destination in mind. When we have a clear idea of who we are and why we live, our lives become a journey. A story is created about our lives. And when the end comes, even if the story adds up to only one line, the story reaches a settled conclusion.
Transience is the most general phenomenon of the cosmos. Change is the only changeless reality. Seasons, livelihoods, personal relationships?all of these will change. Our experiences in life are transient and relative. Only death is certain, completing the cycle of life that begins with birth. By meditating upon this truth, we recognize that we, too, are manifestations of transience. When we understand this teaching deeply, we become humble and sincere. We treasure each moment and endeavor to do our best. We feel less stress and become more accepting of the diverse phenomena of life. If something “good” happens we can feel the joy and be thankful. But we know that the conditions for the situation will not last forever, and we do not become attached to the feeling. We will simply consider every moment and every experience as a blessing.
When you are trapped inside the “I” that you know, the “I” that you have experienced, you cannot use your true creativity. Knowledge and experience are not who you are. They are simply the “I” that you know and experience. Someone who will only take the road that they see an end to, a road that has already been tested, is not a creative person. A great soul creates a road if one cannot be seen. True creation is only possible when you step outside all your previous experiences, when you step outside the “I” that you have experienced. When you are trapped inside the “I” that you have experienced, you ceaselessly doubt your ability to create.

     

■ Human Technology and the Brain

We vastly underestimate the power of our brains. Health, feeling and experience, physical movement, motivation and purpose―all of these are based on brain activity. The HT toolkit is designed to help you realize the power of your brain. HT stimulates your physical body; opens your energy meridians; helps you release needless preconceptions or emotional memories; and awakens you to the challenges of your life purpose. In particular, Brain Respiration is designed to help improve communication and functional integration of all your brain structures.
All life can be improved by better use of our brains. Take the best possible care of your brain. Learn whatever you can about its operation and how to keep it healthy. Learn the major acupressure points in the head and stimulate them frequently. Through better understanding and care of our brain, we gain greater confidence and capacity for mastering all our life skills.
Because I knew that enlightenment lay in the brain, I made the brain the new focus of all my strategies and plans. I wanted to share what I understood about enlightenment. My plan was, first, to make people familiar and comfortable with their own brains and, second, to encourage them to begin living their lives as if they were already enlightened. This is the Big Secret of Enlightenment. When you live your everyday life as if you are already enlightened, you can raise yourself to a very high level of awareness.
The more I consider the brain, the more excited I become. In particular, I am more than ever interested in the brain for its potential for peace. I have no doubt that when we create harmony with each other, when we help one another, our brains produce hormones of health and good feeling. Although negative habits and memories may block this function, the potential remains. We can recover that state of peace.

■ Human Technology and Family

If we do not start with a firm footing in the family, then the information we receive from schools or specialists will ring hollow. Strong, loving family bonds nurtured from an early age create a basic sense of security, confidence, and trust in the world. Without these, the world seems frightful or dangerous, and our ability to function in society is correspondingly compromised.
What if each of us became healers for other family members? Could adding such an extraordinary dimension improve those relationships? Love and trust are solidified and expressed in the process of caring for one another. Healing is the deepest expression of our devotion. Words pale when compared to the communication that can arise through the power of healing. So HT can help us improve not only the health of our family members, but also the harmony in our family relationships.
The most precious gift we can give our children is to let questions of the purpose of their existence grow naturally in them, and respond to their questions with the wisdom we have gained from our life experiences. Of course, our answer doesn’t automatically become theirs. They will each find their own path in life. It may be vastly different from ours, or it could be one that is an extension of our experience. In either case, having a sincere exchange about our passion and life purpose gives our children confidence. Their trust and respect for us will grow.

■ 12 HT Maxims for Authentic Living

There is no expert for human experience.
Each of us is the specialist of our lives.
Human Technology is about living a life of creation.

1. Return to your breath and body as tools for your health.
2. Breathe slowly, deeply and lightly, especially when you are upset.
3. Keep a fire in the belly and a cool head.
4. Celebrate your sexuality with purpose and responsibility.
5. Listen for the voice of your soul until you find your passionate life purpose.
6. Embrace suffering and emptiness as the foundation of enlightenment.
7. Live as your soul directs with honesty, integrity, and diligence.
8. Train your body so that change feels better than habit.
9. Smile and be at peace for no reason.
10. Recognize that you are what you choose and what you act.
11. When you need an answer, ask your brain.
12. Remember to exhale at the moment of death.