Do we truly think that we have lived for ourselves? Perhaps we have lived for money, love, fame, family and pride etc.? Therefore, we don’t seem to be satisfied even though we are full of those things. It is because that we don’t know ourselves. Eric Fromm talked about human nature as two modes of being: “To Have” and “To Be”. If we are “Having” the nature of possessions, we are not satisfied, and feel empty and futile. Then, how can we be “Being” the nature of our inner-selves? Sometimes, we happened to be aware of this “Being” nature and try to change ourselves, but fail. But, because of our daily routines, it’s easily forgotten. And more it is hard to escape from our unwanted minds controlling us. From now on, let us reflect on ourselves and look at our minds leading up to today! Don’t we achieve our goals after knowing ourselves? And let us find the “Being” nature of our original selves after escaping from the minds restraining and controlling us. In this lecture, the definition and principle of the mind are explained in simple and clear ways. You can make sure and practice the methodology of finding the true original mind of inner-self by escaping from the false mind of possession. Self-reflection is the first step to meditate. You can know yourselves most objectively through meditation and you will realize that all the thoughts and actions are due to your minds which are nonexistent and false. If you throw away the false mind, you will find the true mind. Meditation is now world-wide sensation. There are many research reports that show people can be leaders if you have a habit of self-reflection through meditation. Now meditation at school and the workplace are popular. Happiness is having no worries. You can really relax yourself if there is no bundle of thoughts and you can be successful when you know yourself truly. Worries come from the memorized thoughts of the false mind. Your inner potential of positive power are revealed, your peaceful and happiest mind will be in your mind, and you can live the life you wanted through meditation. This method of meditation is very practical and everybody can follow the methodology. As an engineer, I will guide you step by step to practice this meditation. I am sure that this lecture becomes a turning point in your life.
5-3. Case study on overcoming the self
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From the course by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Meditation: A way to achieve your goals in your life
30 ratings
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
30 ratings
From the lesson
5 Self-reflection and the mind cleansing in ordinary life.
Learn and practice the methodology of self-reflection and the mind cleansing in everyday life: (1)Stress is the impetus for growth, (2) Case study on overcoming the self, (3) Health-mind relationship and brain wave changes, and (4) Meaning of self-reflection and the mind cleansing in life.
Meet the Instructors
Duck-Joo LeeProfessor
Aerospace Engineering
[MUSIC]
Hello, this is Duck-Joo Lee.
During the last class we discussed about stress.
The responses were absolutely enthusiastic.
There, also, was a lot of attention paid to me personally.
Many people were concerned about my claustrophobia too, thank you.
Fortunately, I am now able to fly in airplanes very well.
If anyone invited me, I could fly anywhere to lecture.
After seeing your responses I once again recognized
that we are all really living in stress.
Well let's hurry and do the self-reflections.
Close your eyes.
The time is passing.
Ten years have passed.
And now 20 years, 50 years, 100 years.
200 years have passed.
I died.
After death, I became a spirit, and
I left the Earth to go up to the universe.
Even after going to the universe, 100 years have now passed.
Far away the Earth looks like a tiny bean-sized dot.
Please remember, all of you live the life and
related memories on the Earth.
Especially those memories related to stress.
All these are stories from 100 years.
200 years ago which occurred on the far away bean-sized Earth.
Those of you who are able to
acknowledge it as well,
you can also consider it past 500
years or 1,000 years.
Keep your eyes closed and
concentrate to remember.
Try to remember your most current stressful times.
When are typical situations which cause you much stress?
Is it when you want to improve?
Try to remember the times when you wanted
to gain approval, and needed to be praised.
There may have been time when you were fearful or
afraid of people's eyes on you.
Think about the time when you were in the thick of competitions.
The situations where you were competing with peers for
grades and competing for job promotions at work.
The pressure to be a good child to your parents,
or be a good parent to your children.
The pleasure to be a role model in societal positions,
or be a good person, an excellent person.
Remember how hard it was because of the pressure.
When you were stressed, how was it?
Perhaps you just suppressed it,
screamed, or cried.
Did it make you feel better?
But if such situations were repeated,
you would still get stressed again similarly.
What is the reason for such a stress to keep happenings?
Reflect on the cause of all your stress.
Where would it have started?
We will do up to this point.
Even though we reflected briefly we could see that we are constantly
exposed to stressful situations big and small.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if we said that our lives since birth were stress itself.
These memories were causes of stress More we have such as stress,
we are unable to focus and always anxious.
For example, if an athlete filled with regrets about the past defeats and
was afraid of the same things occurring,
he wouldn't be able to concentrate on the present event.
Truly, athletes would be in a great pressure.
Since they must always compete in the midst
of victory and defeat and are evaluated by many
observing them during athletic events or games.
So they strive to build a strong mental capacity.
Archery in Korea is world famous sport,
It had been known that they can control their minds very well
Hyun-Seuk Jang, the director of a Korean National Team.
As well as on Archery Team of a Hyundai
still and Chun Byung-Kwan.
Gold medal lifter, 1992 at Barcelona Olympics.
The director of an archery team of Hyundai Department Store
as well as a training athlete Psychology Professor of the team and
the physical therapy team all experienced
the self-meditation.
After the meditation, they said I felt that
I started to come out into the true world little by little, from the picture world.
I was imprisoning myself in a frame of mind and
condition which said, I must do this.
I have learned the method to enjoy my life through breaking the frame
of mind using self-reflection.
Ultimately, I found that all problems
get bigger in my own imagination to encroach on me and
that my trauma from past childhood is still repressing me.
This became my opportunity to self-reflect and
solve my concerns and worries sufficiently.
After throwing away my pictures of mind, I was at ease.
And without my knowing, I started to think positively.
This meditation was my turning point of life.
Concentration is also important in golf.
Hee Yeon Jung, a world famous professional
golfer who won 2012 Korean KPGA championship
also said this after the meditation.
In the end, only the infinite wisdom of the universe and
happiness are the roots of power which move all things of the world.
But “I” tried to move things using my human mind, sight, and thinking.
The universe is one and all are the universe,
including myself and my environment.
The flowing and circulating mind is also one,
and whatever I considered mine is the universe itself and owned by others.
Why was I so attached to it?
After the meditation, I now wear a light smile instead of suffering.
If golf and archery are considered individual sports
requiring concentration, basketball is more
intense set even violent at times, requiring much teamwork.
Sung-jin Ha, who is a member of Korean National team and
the current professional basketball players of Jeonju KCC Egis
Team, also tells us he did the self-reflection,
meditation as a method to solve his stress.
Basketball is an intense sport.
It is also very delicate sport because it requires work of hands.
So the condition of players can impact on winning the game.
The most stressful (of the sport) relates to performance.
It is ironic, but even when the team’s performance is good,
if the individual player’s performance isn't,
it is easy to fall into a slump.
I also injured my body and the games I played weren’t good.
When my mentality sharply spiraled down,
I started the self-reflection meditation upon my coach's recommendation.
As I self-reflected, I repented on many things.
I saw how I approached others in a certain mindset.
It is as if I thought I was living in clear water, but when stirred up,
I felt all those submerged deep within were revealed.
As I self-reflected one-by-one and
took out those minds, my fundamental anxiety
disappeared and I was so much at ease.
These days I do the self-reflection meditation every day.
Previously, I used to hold on to losing games or
my slump for a long time, but as I started the meditation,
I was able to let go quickly and concentrate on my next game.
During the seasons, I typically couldn't sleep well due to
having too many thoughts (worries) related to pressures about the games.
But these days, I like that as I lay down to do the meditation,
I fall deep asleep before I know it.
Athletes grow up in midst of
competitions since childhood.
If they don't win others, they lose, so
subconsciously their stress is great.
When meditating, those stresses are emptied so
one can always return to a beginner's mind to start fresh.
I am grateful to this meditation
which is very important to sports players requiring concentration.
Now that I looked at it, the similarities
between the sports and examples used,
was that archery targets a small round area from far away.
The golf targets a small hole to put his ball and the basketball target.
A basket to ’goal-in’ a ball.
All these require a tremendous concentration.
These players all said that after throwing away
their accumulated minds through the self-reflection meditation,
their stress due to anxiety, regrets, and
fear about their games were gradually reduced,
and eased mind and concentration increased.
How about it?
To think it really helped these sports athletes,
wouldn't it be amazingly big help to ordinary people like us?
These athletes are continuing to do the self-reflection
meditation like their practice their sports.
I hope that this self-reflection also
becomes a natural daily activity to us as well.
Currently, I am talking about beneficial effects and
stories of people who became happy and
improved personally through the self-reflection meditation.
Why? This is so
that your motivation would be heightened.
Only then the ultimate goal of escaping the force
picture world which is the human mind and
living happily in the true world with the universe
mind can be achieved as we discussed in the first week.
Do you understand?
If there is anything you do not understand, or
have questions about, you can always ask.
For the next lecture, I would like to give you a simple homework.
It is something very easy you can do while walking around.
As you walk, please count each step.
There shouldn't be any thoughts while you are counting up to 100.
One, two, three, four.
If there are any thoughts at all,
go back to the beginning and count from one.
I will see you next lecture time, thank you.
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