Consider the following question for a moment. Does life begin by breathing in or out? We cannot really remember this ourselves, but witnessing childbirth allows us to confirm that life begins with exhalation. We let out a great cry when we are born, “Waaa!” Ilchi Lee said this is the beginning of an exhalation. By emptying its lungs of the small breath it holds, the baby leaves room for air to enter, becoming connected with nature’s great current of life. In the Korean language, the word, Ho-heup (which means respiration or breathing) has both physiological and philosophical significance. Ho means breathing out, and Heup means breathing in. We need to pay attention to the fact that this compound word is Ho-heup, not Heup-ho. This signifies that breathing out comes first, not breathing in.
Life begins by emptying oneself. The rhythm of life starts when we have emptied ourselves and then allow that empty place to be filled. When I let go of something small (the small breath I hold on to), I gain something great (the atmosphere of nature). This understanding, also applied to our “small thinking,” can lead to enlightenment.