Ilchi Lee’s New Direction
Ilchi Lee recently announced that he’s steering his life in a slightly different direction. In a statement on his website, www.ilchi.com, Ilchi Lee responds to recent media coverage about himself and Dahn Yoga, and shares his next steps. I’ve included the part of the statement about what he will do next below for your easy information.
“As of March 24th, I intend to resign from my position as CEO of BR Consulting, turning over the business to my students without any attachment, and step away completely from all involvement in business management affairs. Now, the work of actualizing our Hong Ik [for the benefit of all humanity and the earth] dream through corporate management is the in the hands of my students, and I trust that they will handle that responsibility well.
I will now begin my second life. First, I intend to help young people grow into Hong Ik leaders, encouraging them to hold onto their dreams despite difficult circumstances. I will make donations for scholarships and activities benefitting underprivileged youth, including youth support groups and educational institutions. I want to help youth who are lost and wandering to return to their families and schools, and I want to help our young people keep faith in and respect for themselves, under any circumstances. I hope to help these young people mature into Hong Ik Ingan [a person who lives for the benefit of humanity] who love their neighbors and the earth.
Furthermore, I will also focus my attention on Jangsaeng rejuvenation and longevity research for those of us who are aging, and I will contribute to the creation a new Jangsaeng culture of rejuvenation. It is my hope to investigate how to live a healthy and creative life at an older age and to study and share this information with others. This is something that I believe I can do well that will also be beneficial to the world.
As the president of a university, I will continue to develop international Brain Education leaders who have the Hong Ik philosophy and I will help to create a future where my home country receives acknowledgement and respect as a leading nation in education and the birthplace of a movement for the development of a humanitarian consciousness. Finally, as someone who loves the Hong Ik culture deeply and has endeavored to share it globally, I will devote myself further to my own personal spiritual practice.
I look back on the past 30 years that I have spent as a pioneer, full of passion and willpower, after encountering the ancient Hong Ik philosophy at 30 years of age. In keeping with a founder’s destiny, I had to address countless problems without a mentor, without anyone to whom I could turn for counsel. I had to consult my own brain, again and again, to find the answer; those times flash before me. Yet, I will not cling to the achievements I have made thus far; I will let history be the judge of their merit or lack thereof, and I will continue to move forward and follow my dreams and create a new tomorrow.
For the past 30 years, I have received generous love and respect from many people, and I have also been the object of much misunderstanding and false accusation. What enabled me to continue on this path no matter what adversity I encountered was that many people sent their love and respect and became pillars for me; solid supporters who helped me withstand challenging times. I would like to express my gratitude to those people once again. I hope that my fellow citizens, will keep an eye on me all the way to the end to see that I keep the promise of Hong Ik that I made. Thank you with all of my heart.”
