Three Elements of the Self

In order to improve ourselves, we must understand what the ‘self’ consists of.  We are not just mere collection of muscle, skin and bones. That is only a small part of it.  We consist of essentially three elements, which comprise the whole being – mental, physical, and emotional. 

As shown in the diagram of an equilateral triangle, all three sides are equally dependent on each other to create a stable structure. When the sides are balanced, then the circle within the triangle is able to attain its true circular form. 

Everything in our lives is processed through these three aspects. Each one is equally important, and each one affects the other two.  For example, the process of eating lunch first starts with the physical craving of the body. Then the decision of what to eat often has emotional attachment, as the phrase “What do you feel like eating?” indicates. Finally, a consideration about whether we can afford our chosen dish or whether or not it is healthy becomes a mental process. 

By understanding and consciously being aware of these three elements, we can better control and further enhance our responses to the external forces placed against us and maximize our human potentials.  Ultimately, the goal of Hwa Rang Do® is exactly that: to maximize our human potential.

The goal of modern Hwa Rang Doists is to develop a clear, focused mind, a strong healthy body, and a stable, strong emotional center.  We believe that only then can one truly develop the fourth quintessential element of the ‘spirit’. 

Spheres of Knowledge

In Hwa Rang Do®, staying consistent with our theory of ?m-yang, we approach our worldview in a similar way.  We believe that if all things, ideas, energies, and people were a road, they would all converge at one point - the “point of indifference” where all things are equal and harmonious.  This is illustrated in the above diagram.

The labels on the three spheres can be replaced with anything (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are only used as an example). It is not limited to three spheres of knowledge. The number of spheres is infinite, as many spheres as there are worldviews.  A Hwarang, who is also a seeker of truth, must endeavor to study all forms of life’s teachings. After acquiring certain level of intellectual maturity and worldly experiences, one begins to see universal patterns, unifying all forms of knowledge and experience. With this as a foundation, one can start journeying towards truth. 

All knowledge is first acquired through academic means, having it taught by a teacher or circumstance, then filed within our minds for later examination and discovery. Then the next level is to philosophize by using logic to try to verify that knowledge that we have acquired. However, we come to realize that this critical examination is often finite and cannot validate the truth of such knowledge as an absolute, leaving many “exceptions to the rule”. We finally arrive after this epistemological journey, that the truth is intertwined with what is visible and invisible, finite and infinite, abstract and material, and that a quintessential element is what bridges these oppositions, contradictions together to form the truth – the spirit/soul.

This is why the Hwarang, in ancient times, were also known as the “Wandering Knights”, as they followed the example of Siddhartha Gautama and made pilgrimages all across Asia in search of truth and enlightenment.  It is this process of thought, discovery, investigation, and internalization that we utilize in order to better understand the world we live in and our place within it. Therefore, a modern Hwarang must not only seek an abundance of knowledge, but must also seek truth within that knowledge by applying the concept of the “Spheres of Knowledge.”