III. HAN..Brightness and Optimism

Brightness and optimism are major elements of the Han philosophy. In 2333 BC, Han Bae-Kum, the first King of Korea, established the Cho Sun tribal confederation. He proclaimed the capital of the new confederation to be A Sa Dal, which means the "brightly shinning and promising place." The people of Cho Sun believed that they lived in the birthplace of the sun. Living in this brightly shinning place, they believed that there could be a peaceful coexistence among the different tribes, that they could live in harmony with nature, and that there was an optimistic future. These beliefs of brightness, associated with peace, honesty, and optimism, have been carried out in the minds of Korean people for generation.
Master Won Hyo of the Silla Kingdom said that every man has an original mind, which is a purely good mind, He liked the original mind to the bright sunlight. The original mind is what causes people to help other people without thinking of being paid back or what is in it for them if they help someone. For example, if you were to see a baby about to fall into a pool of water, the original mind would cause you to run toward the baby and save him from falling. This act of saving the baby did not come from the promise of some type of reward. It is the action that emanated in the original mind.

Master Hyo expressed the feeling that people could live in peace and happiness as long as they acted according to the original mind. When the original mind is corrupted by actions of the false mind, actions such as prejudice, greed and selfishness, people act according to the false mind. Harmony in the mind is destroyed and peace and happiness are gone.

The relationship between the false mind and the original mind was compared by Master Hyo as bright sun versus clouds in the sky. On a cloudless day, the sun (original mind) is able to distribute light evenly over the ground (behavior originating from the original mind brings peace and happiness in the mind). When the sun is obscured by the clouds (false mind) in the sky, the light does not reach the ground (behavior of the false mind destroys harmony within the people and peace and happiness of the mind is in danger).

Master Hyo emphasized that maintaining the original mind at all times was the most important way to make good action. Regardless of the situation, actions originating from the original mind are considered to be good actions. However, actions originating from the false mind are considered to be bad actions. For example, when giving advice, if the motivation comes from the original mind, it is considered a good action. If the motivation for the advice is derived from the false mind, it is considered to be a bad action. The Master's lesson is that one should not only be concerned about action, but also understand the motivation behind the action.