32. I Heal My Own Body ： Nurturing the Heart : Humanity, Righteousness, Propriety, and Wisdom

“I looked up to the sky and prayed that I would not have a single bit of shame. I was in pain even when the wind blew through the leaves,” is Korea poet Yun Dong-ju’s prologue.

“To look up at the sky with not a single shame, even in the wind brushing the leaves, I was troubled.”
This is the opening line from poet Yun Dong-ju’s “Prologue.”

The nature endowed to humans by Heaven is goodness. Yet, a person cannot become truly human based on nature alone. Therefore, Heaven bestows “Qi” (vital energy) to give form to this nature. Thus, only after receiving both innate nature and physical form from Heaven does one become a complete human being.

Ren (humaneness), Yi (righteousness), Li (propriety), and Zhi (wisdom) are the good virtues a person is born with.

Ren is expressed as a heart of compassion. It is the ability to feel empathy and pain when seeing others in distress. This virtue encompasses all the others—Yi, Li, and Zhi—and is the most fundamental.

Yi refers to the sense of shame and moral courage. It is the feeling of guilt when we’ve done something wrong, and also a strong sense of justice that tells us what is right.

Li is the willingness to yield and show courtesy. It means acting with humility and respect, giving way to others in both speech and behavior.

Zhi is the ability to discern right from wrong. It is the discerning mind that evaluates one’s thoughts and actions through the lens of one’s conscience—the foundation of Ren, Yi, and Li—and distinguishes them from desires such as greed, anger, and ignorance.

By having a body—that is, a physical form—humans are susceptible to greed (Tan), anger (Chen), and delusion (Chi). Tan includes instinctive cravings and attachment to what one likes. Chen is the anger or hatred toward what one dislikes. Chi is the loss of clarity and ability to judge right from wrong due to being blinded by Tan and Chen.

Modern materialistic society is structured in a way that constantly stimulates Tan, Chen, and Chi. Endless pursuit of desire, fierce competition, and the prioritization of material goods over human value make both body and mind vulnerable to disease.

When one becomes too attached to thoughts, emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure), and the five senses, they inevitably remain within the domain of Tan, Chen, and Chi. However, if we dwell in the realm of our true nature—Ren, Yi, Li, and Zhi—even once or thrice a day, taking deep, slow breaths and reflecting on our thoughts and conduct through the lens of conscience, then we may be free from shame as we look up at the sky. This grants us composure, dignity, purity, and compassion. In this, I believe, lies the path not only to relieving stress—the root of all disease—but also to elevating the soul to its highest state.

Dr. Jin-man Kim, director of Peace Oriental Clinic
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