The famous Korean folk song, “Arirang,” is a living reminder to awaken the true self and to cross the “pass” of life toward spiritual actualization.
In Korea, there is a folk song known by nearly everyone: “Arirang.” It has been sung for centuries by ordinary people in moments of joy, sorrow, separation, and hope. Today, it is still heard across generations, even inspiring modern artists and reaching audiences around the world. Yet beyond its cultural history, “Arirang” carries a deeper message about the purpose of human life.
Though there are thought to be 3,600 variations of 60 different versions of the song, one common version goes:
Arirang, arirang, arariyo…
You are going over Arirang hill.
My love, if you abandon me
Your feet will be sore before you go ten ri.
In the way that I interpret this song, the sound “Ah” in “Arirang” points to the true self. “Ri” means enlightenment, and “Rang” means joy. So, “Arirang” represents the joy of awakening to the true self.
Human beings live between two identities. One is the false self, shaped by fear, desire, and social expectations. When we live only through this self, our consciousness becomes small. We feel separated from others and struggle endlessly to secure happiness.
The true self is different. When we awaken to it, we recognize that we are connected—to our families, to humanity, to the earth itself. The boundary between self and other begins to dissolve, and our consciousness expands. The joy expressed in “Arirang” is the joy of remembering this original nature.
The song’s refrain, “Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo,” is not merely a lyric. It is an emotional awakening that expresses the happiness of rediscovering who we truly are.
Crossing Arirang Pass
Many versions of the song speak about crossing the “Arirang pass.” Traditionally, this image represents moving through hardship toward hope. Spiritually, it symbolizes the ups and downs on the path to awakening, embodying the journey of human life itself.
The number ten represents spiritual completion, as well as wholeness and perfection. To cross the pass, then, means to move beyond the false self and awaken to spiritual completion. The lyric that says, “You abandoned me and will not go ten miles before your feet grow sore,” points to abandoning one’s true nature while chasing desires. If we abandon our true selves, we will fail to complete our journey back to our original nature. Without awakening to the true self, life never reaches completion.
Human beings have come to this world to cross this pass—to grow their consciousness and mature their souls. This process is called Chunhwa, the completion and flowering of the soul.
Nothing material can be taken with us after death. What remains is only the growth of consciousness we achieved while living. In this sense, life is a journey of awakening rather than accumulation.
“Arirang” as a Song of Rebirth
Throughout Korean history, “Arirang” has united people through suffering and hope. It was sung during times of hardship, resistance, and national division because it speaks to the inherent and universal, including the longing to return to one’s true nature.
When we sing “Arirang,” we express our own story. Each person can add their emotions, struggles, and awakenings to the song. That is why there are thousands of variations, and why the song has endured for hundreds of years.
With “Arirang,” singing becomes a practice of transformation. Through voice, breath, intention, and vibration, buried emotions rise to the surface and are purified. Tears may come, laughter may arise, and energy begins to flow again. In this way, singing becomes meditation.
This singing meditation helps awaken the soul, the true self, in the Fourth Chakra. It also opens the “Soul Gate” in the Fifth Chakra. With this gate open, the energy of our soul in the chest can pass into the head to meet the energy of divinity in our Sixth Chakra. That energy may then ascend out of the Seventh Chakra and merge with the energy of the cosmos in the process of Shinin Hapil. It’s a process of divine-human unity that is the spiritual completion longed for in “Arirang.”
Escaping the Matrix of Fear
Modern society often traps people in invisible systems—a matrix of social expectations, fear of security loss, and fear of death itself. Many live inside these structures without realizing it, believing them to be destiny.
Awakening to the true self dissolves these limitations. When we understand that the true self does not disappear with the body, fear loosens its hold. We realize who we really are and recognize our inherent value, and confidence naturally grows from that realization. This awakening is a kind of rebirth.
Escaping from the matrix means loving without discriminating. It’s about treating others as precious, without distinction of gender, age, or background.
“Arirang” is therefore a song of liberation and unity. Freedom begins when we recognize our true value and live with compassion beyond division.
Make Arirang Your Own Song
The message of “Arirang” is simple:
Find our voice.
Find ourselves.
Recognize our value.
Live from that awareness.
We do not need perfect technique or knowledge. Just as children learn naturally through encouragement rather than judgment, awakening begins when we express ourselves honestly.
Sing “Arirang” gently or loudly. Sing with joy or sorrow. Go at a comfortable pace, and enjoy the ride. As we become freer through our voice and ride the rhythm, it becomes more beautiful. As we do this, we can put our stories and emotions into it. Our voices carry different vibrations, and as we find the vibrations of joy and sadness, we’ll create songs of our own.
The joy of rebirth, the joy of enlightenment—that is “Arirang.” It is the joy of awakening to the self.
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