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