지난 5월 31일 뉴욕 맨해튼에서 세계평화종교협회의 프랭크 박사와 한바다 선생님이 “명상적 삶이 세계평화에 미치는 영향” 이란 주제로 대담을 가졌습니다. 각 종단의 지도자들과 또 심리학자, 구도자 등이 참석한 가운데 진지하고 화기애애한 분위기 속에서 이루어진 만남이었습니다.

시작할 때, 우아하고 아름다운 동작으로 해피타오 요가를 리드하자 모든 참가자들이 따라 하였습니다. 참가자 중에는 처음으로 가슴의 존재를 느끼거나 가슴이 대양처럼 확장되었다는 분도 있었고, 이슬람 지도자들은 해피타오 요가가 마치 진지한 기도 같았다고 하면서 감탄하였습니다.

프랭크 박사가 부드러운 말로 질문을 하고, 한바다 선생님은 자연스러운 가운데서도 진지하게 대답하였습니다. 청중들은 가슴을 열고 진지하게 대담을 경청하였습니다. 몇 분이 질문을 하자 한바다 선생님이 명쾌하게 대답을 해주셨습니다.

다음은 IRFWP 홈페이지에 실린 내용입니다.

IRFWP Series on Religion and Peace and Interreligious Dialogue | June 01, 2006
Self Realization Lifestyles and World Peace

Frank Kaufmann
May 31, 2006

On May 30, 2006 the IRFWP continued its series to address the challenging issues of religion and peace in our time. The first of this series tackled issues surrounding the evacuation of the Jewish settlements from Gaza. The second was entitled “Arts in the Aftermath: The Role of Art and Artists in Creating a Culture of Peace in the Post 9/11 Era." This time we asked, “does the pursuit of self realization through meditative lifestyles lack sufficient engagement with pressing matters of war, hunger, and other social and political plagues of our time.”

Newsweek magazine in its “Beliefwatch” column this week wrote on LOHAS consumers, or “Lohasians.” LOHAS stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Newsweek put the number of Lohasians in America at 17%, LOHAS's own website http://www.lohas.com puts the number at 30% or 50 million people. They report that LOHAS consumers comprise a $228.9 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development, and sustainable living. Newsweek adds:

Lohasians shop just as widely for spiritual practices. From Buddhism: meditation and admiration of "nothingness." From Hinduism: yoga, gurus, color and chanting. From paganism: an emphasis on honoring nature. From Asian cultures: feng shui and acupuncture. Lohasians devour heaping doses of Western psychotherapy, plus the ideas of the recovery movement ("one day at a time"). They identify as "spiritual, not religious," and many believe in "synchronicity" or "meaningful coincidences" that might be guided by a spirit world. Does this sound like someone you know?

The question we asked this time is whether or not emphases on self improvement ironically distract practitioners from the selflessness needed to sacrifice ourselves for the plight of others. Does such a way of life ignore the flames of war and international dysfunction raging all around us?

To pursue this question we invited Master Khan Bada, a Korean spiritual master and prophet, and founder of the spiritual system Happy Tao for an interview.

In addition the interview Padmananda, a Happy Tao yoga instructor led guests through a brief yoga session of exercises and movements. This had the dual benefit of letting us see first hand the system founded by Master Khan, as well as helping us improve our focus, and calm so as to be more vital and receptive for the interview that followed.

The interview lasted approximately 45 minutes followed by ongoing questions from the floor as well.

Master Khan spoke clearly and uncompromisingly void of rhetorical “cleverness” or the typical “quick-mindedness” found in politically minded or public relations type speakers. The audience had a number of Western theistic believers and clergy, and while Master Khan made it clear that Happy Tao and other forms of mediation in no way conflict with obligations and commitments of mainstream believers, he did not on the other hand rely on facile platitudes.

When asked if his path interferes with Christian or Muslim beliefs he answered, “in the later stages of study, your dogma and doctrines will be challenged, but that which is true and essential from founders such as Jesus, or the Prophet (pbuh) will grow richer and clearer to you.”

When asked with a faint touch of affront from an Orthodox believer and scientist “what is all this talk about spirituality? Spirituality this spirituality that. What exactly do you mean when you use this term.” Master Khan calmly responded without a moment passing, “Spirituality is the path one requires to conform your mind to your heart. The mind has many aspects that lead it astray. It only functions reliably when conforming to the heart, but this takes effort.”

Many questions broached the key point of the night, namely the challenge if the self-absorption caricature (or reality?) of self-realization lifestyles is in fact true. We also asked such a way of life clashes with co-workers who do not take interest in such matters, and if this way of life contradicts the pace of modern life? Master Khan explained “A true path of life has many layers. We do not just meditate or obsess on our health.

“The only value these regimens have is when they manifest in service and effective world-transformation activity. These are the other dimensions of spiritual life.” Our full realization does in fact come from the way of selfless service, but we should not presume to strive in this way while never making any efforts at self discipline, and personal spiritual growth.”

Of course there will always be people who hold odd parts of their religion to excess, whether it's macrobiotic radish emulsion, or “Jesus.” There will always be the “ME” haunting us whether it be the greedy materialist, or the one who's just a little too gladdened by his or her own “salvation.”
By the grace of God, we learned a couple of old lessons anew: 1. How easily we see past the plank in our own eye, and 2. How the end of all true spiritual life is the welfare of the other.

Posted by admin at June 1, 2006 12:15 PM