Ilchi Lee Day, Dahn Yoga Essentials

We have more than 80 facial muscles all told.
But what happens if these muscles are stiffened into negative patterns like depression, boredom, and frustration?
We feel tired immediately.
The body thus rules the emotions.

Merely laughing out loud, “Ha, ha, ha,” instantly lets us feel joyful and refreshed.
Ultimately, by changing the energy of the body, we can change all of our emotions.

“Action rules emotion.”

Hope never leaves those living with a heart always full of devotion.
But those who have lost devotion live in constant gloom.
When devotion has gone, we become indolent and are caught up in complaining and dissatisfaction.

Devotion is not learned, nor is it a form of knowledge.
A deep-seated habit of practicing devotion is all that matters.

If you smile brightly or jump up and down,
energy stagnating in your body is released,
and even the energy field around you will change,
becoming full of vigor and life.

The empty Void, whence we’ve come and whither we shall return.
Centering the mind there is a truly worthy revolution, a great self innovation.

This is not going to a place of nothingness.
It is completely empty, yet not a dead emptiness.
It is a truly living emptiness, touched by the energy of Heaven.

The one who fails to live in the present,
Is a memory of the past or a figment of the future.
Living as if dead.

Touching their noses while washing their faces;
Finding themselves is that easy for those who have devotion.
Those who find themselves are alive.
When we have devotion, we can be awake and the present is visible.
Devotion is the proof we are alive now.
This is because devotion can be shown only in the present.

Devotion is determination forever unchanging once made.
Devotion is not shown yesterday, but not today.
Devotion is habit, a very good habit among habits.
When devotion permeates the body and always remains in the heart,
Happiness and blessings follow.

Those who practice unhappiness instead of devotion,
Are in the habit of complaining, making excuses, and feeling hurt.
Characteristic of peaceful, happy people is devotion.
Those who view the world with the habit and mind of devotion,
Finding in everything a mirror reflecting the true self,
Come to be grateful for everything, to deem everything precious.

Heaven without the Tao is not the true Heaven;
Earth without virtue is not the true Earth;
And those without courtesy are not true Humans.

The Tao of Heaven cycles honestly through spring, summer, fall, and winter.
The Earth gives of its bounteous virtue to even the lowest of sowers according to seed they’ve sown.
Having learned the Tao from Heaven and virtue from the Earth, humans live with courtesy.

On losing Heaven and Earth, humans lose the Tao and virtue,
And become irrational, making the world a vicious, perilous place.

When the Tao is in Heaven, when the Earth overflows with virtue,
And when people are filled with courtesy, the world is harmonious.

The Tao comes out of honesty; virtue, out of great love;
And courtesy, out of humility.

Those who know the great Tao, virtue, and courtesy,
Neither fear nor tremble before the world.
O man, become an Earth Human embracing Heaven and Earth in your heart!

We must find True Life within ourselves,
and keep going until we see its light.
One by one, we must tear down the walls blocking our growth.
We must not be ensnared by Emotion.
We’ll keep going forward until we encounter True Life.

Continuing onward and upward,
we can meet the True Divinity waiting for us,
the Truth we genuinely seek.

At the heart of enlightenment is knowing there is nothing to know.
The mind seeking to awaken has no substance.
True Mind is already enlightenment itself.

Enlightenment is a new beginning in this journey, not its end.
If we have awakened to the purpose of our journey,
we must set our course aright and head toward our destination.
This is why we need enlightenment.

In the relationships we encounter in society,
we sometimes experience the pain of conflict and broken hopes.
But by purifying our habits and memories through such experiences,
we create a harmonious character, entangled and hindered by nothing.

When we practice enlightenment,
our spirits are completed through the trust in ourselves,
through the joy and peace that appear within.

The joys of the spirit need no recognition.
The peace of mind and delight that come from the heart grow greater the less they are known.

The joys of the emotions disappear on comparison with others.
The joys of the spirit are eternal joys of the heart never to be compared.
We can be genuinely happy when we live in the joys of the spirit.

If you want to change who you are,
practice enlightenment in your life.