The Joy of Finding Awards and Friends in Indonesia

Last week I traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the award ceremony of the International Film Festival for Spirituality, Religion, and Visionary 2013. The film I produced, CHANGE: The LifeParticle Effect, was scheduled to win 12 awards, but the film’s directors, EJ Lim and Edwin Kim, and I were surprised to also receive an award for Best Short Documentary and a Gold Award for Filmmaker of Spirituality 2013 and Best Story & Concept.

I only needed to go up to the stage five times, but here is the complete list of awards from the event:

• • Best Short Documentary
• • Gold Award: Filmmaker of Spirituality 2013 (Ilchi Lee)
• • Gold Award: Best Story/Concept (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Medal of Inspiration (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Medal of Peace (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Filmmaker of Visionary 2013 (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Filmmaker of Inspiration 2013 (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Filmmaker of the Year 2013 (Ilchi Lee)
• • Award of Excellence: Director of the Year, 2013 (EJ Lim, Edwin Kim)
• • Award of Excellence: Best Producer (EJ Lim)
• • Award of Excellence: Best Original Score (Chris Yanson)
• • Award of Excellence: Best Animation (Q.B. White)
• • Award of Excellence: Best Director (EJ Lim, Edwin Kim)
• • Award of Excellence (Category Short Documentary)

When I was asked how I felt about winning these awards, I said I could sum it up in three characters: A-ri-rang. “Ah” means the true self. “Ri” means enlightenment. Arirang means the joy of finding my true self. When we are enlightened to our true self, we can create for real.

Everybody has this Ah, this me. It’s the really true you inside. You can’t learn it; it’s not information. It’s something you have to become aware of or enlightened to. But now is the time to be enlightened.

Through the film CHANGE and the other work I do, I would like to share with everyone the joy of awakening to their true self and aid them in that awakening. From my experience, I know that when people awaken to their true self, they naturally want to help others and the earth. I think this sentiment is illustrated in the trophies that were awarded at the film festival, which portrayed an angel holding the earth.

While participating in this award ceremony gave me great joy, the people I met before the ceremony were a big highlight of my trip. As soon as I arrived in Jakarta, I met with Damien Dematra, the chairman of the film festival. He complimented the quality of CHANGE, and together we discussed our vision for the future.

The festival was held at Mercu Buana University, a renowned private institution. As president of the Global Cyber University, I had the opportunity to meet with officials there and was able to reach an agreement for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mercu Buana University and the Global Cyber University that would connect aspects such as the curricula and exchange student programs.

I was also honored by a chief of an Indonesian tribe who gave me a certificate that made me a part of his family. On this trip, I felt like I had been supported by these people since I began my work thirty years ago. I hope that through the new connections that resulted from my stay in Jakarta, Brain Education can help the Indonesian people in their passionate endeavors to improve their society.