We only have one life and it cannot be relived. We have one chance to make our lives the best they can be or accept mediocrity. No one can make us do what we do not want, but first we must know what we want. Our life is not our own. It belongs to humanity, the cosmos and to the Infinite. Whether one believes in a “God” or not, we all agree that we all live and we all die. The greatest gift of power that we have been given is our “freewill”, to choose our destiny and we have been endowed with consciousness, the intellect to use our capacity for rational thought to seek, think, reflect, and meditate in order to discover the Truth and do what is right. It is each individual’s choice to live meaningfully or to live subsequently; to live in harmony or to live in chaos; to live in freedom or to live in fear.
The choice may be apparent, but difficult to make. To live without regret and blame, to be accountable and righteous one must have enormous courage, strength, and hope. This is why weak individuals cannot be moral as it requires one to stand for what is right even when it is against the status quo, the majority, and under persecution. Only the strong, not only in body but in mind and spirit can be righteous. However, righteousness without humility is conceit and arrogance, filled with folly, foolishness, and self-centeredness. Strength, Righteousness, with Humility through wisdom is Meekness and that is and should be our ultimate aim.
Tae Soo Do®/Hwa Rang Do® is only as important and valuable as each individual makes it. To those who accept and commit themselves in the philosophy of harmony of mind, body, and spirit, the reward is great. To those who are bombarded with everyday trivial tasks that consume all of their life energy and time, they will miss the beauty of life. Thus, the first task at hand is to gain some sense of calmness by triumphing over your fears and doubts, which then you should begin to see reality unveiling before your eyes and with the renewed confidence and power you will transform yourself into a “Flowering Knight,” never retreating back into your shell for the delusions of comfort, but charge ahead with courage and hope to achieve true freedom by discovering the Truth, humbled by the reality that ultimately perfection cannot come from imperfection and something cannot come from nothing. Our life path as a Hwarang is our commitment to striving for perfection, knowing that it is unattainable and to create beauty and meaning from emptiness, although nothing is visible for we cultivate and forge our eternal human spirit.
These are essential questions you must ask before you decide to embark on this journey. Although you cannot know fully what Hwa Rang Do is truly about until you immerse yourself in it, these question have to remain in your forethought always as you travel in your journey of self-betterment and self-discovery. You must be able to say "YES" with conviction. *All questions are required