If one wishes to know how much one
is favored by Heaven and Earth, then one has only to reflect on whether one
can have one's being without Heaven and Earth. However stupid and slow-witted
one may be, one soon realizes that life without Heaven and Earth is an impossibility.
Therefore, if that is so, what greater Grace can one know than that of Heaven
and Earth?
It is a general truth that there are ways and virtues in Heaven and Earth; that
the automatic motion of the great organs of the universe, is the way of Heaven
and Earth; that the results from the operations of their ways are virtues of
Heaven and Earth. The ways of Heaven and Earth are extremely bright, sincere,
righteous, proper and natural, vast and immeasurable and eternal, containing
neither good luck nor bad, and no pride abides in their offering of benefits.
All things retain their lives and their shapes owing to the great virtue that
results from their operations of the great ways.
(1)There is air in the heaven for
us to breathe so that we may live.
(2)There is soil on the earth for our bodies to settle down upon.
(3)There is sunlight and moonlight for us to be able to discriminate, so that
we may know all things.
(4)There is the grace of the winds and clouds, rain and dew for us to use, that
we may live on their products.
(5)There is No Birth and No Death of Heaven and Earth; and following this way
of No Birth and No Death, all creatures gain eternal life.
In order to requite the Grace of Heaven and Earth, one ought, first of all, to practice the ways of Heaven and Earth, following them as one's models.
(1)Following the very bright way
of Heaven and Earth, one should, by studying them, be well versed in all Facts
and Principles.
(2)Following the very sincere way of Heaven and Earth, one should fulfill the
purpose of all one's works consistently.
(3)Following the very righteous way of Heaven and Earth, one should keep to
the middle way without attachment to situations in which one feels close and
intimate, or remote and estranged, and without attachment to situations in which
one feels joy, anger, pleasure or sorrow.
(4)Following the proper and natural way of Heaven and Earth, one should examine
and take what is reasonable, abandoning what is unreasonable, in the management
of all things.
(5)Following the way of the vastness and limitlessness of Heaven and Earth,
one should abandon one's disposition of attachment.
(6)Following the way of the eternity of Heaven and Earth, one should emancipate
oneself from the transition of all things and from the birth, old age, illness
and death of human beings.
(7)Following the way in which Heaven and Earth have neither good nor bad luck,
one should not become attached to either good or bad luck, by trying to discover
where bad luck lies when confronted with good luck, or by trying to discover
where good luck lies when confronted with bad luck.
(8)Following the way of Heaven and Earth, wherein pride does not abide in the
offering of benefit, one should cultivate the way of non-abidingness in Motion
or in Quietness; one should abandon any idea or notion when offering benefit
to others, either spiritually, physically or materially. One should not hate
or become a foe even to those who are ungrateful for the benefits that one has
bestowed on them.
If one does not know of the indebtedness to, the requital of, and the ingratitude to the Grace of Heaven and Earth, or if one does not put the requital into practice even though one knows of these, then this is ingratitude to the Grace of Heaven and Earth.
If one practices every article of the requital of Grace from Heaven and Earth then one will become one and the same with Heaven and Earth; one will be Heaven and Earth, and vice versa; though the void of Heaven and the silence of Earth do not bestow any direct blessedness and happiness upon one, one will naturally attain the might and the longevity of Heaven and Earth and the brightness of the sun and the moon, for which both the heavenly people and worldly people will respect one as if one were Heaven and Earth.
If one is ungrateful to the Grace of Heaven and Earth, one will be punished by Heaven and Earth. This is illustrated as follows. If one does not follow the ways of Heaven, one will naturally be ignorant of Facts and Principles; one will not be sincere in all things; one will either be excessive or deficient in many things that one does; one will do many un reasonable things; one will be attached to many things one is concerned with; one will be ignorant of the transitions of all things, and ignorant of birth, old age, illness, and death, and of good or ill luck, and fortune or misfortune in life. Even if one bestows benefits on others, one will not be free from being conscious of one's good deeds and will be internally proud of oneself, externally boasting of it. How could such a person escape from harm and sin? Though you say that Heaven and Earth are void and silent, both the accidental sufferings and the sufferings resulting from one's own commitments are all results of ingratitude to the Grace of Heaven and Earth.
If one wants to know easily how
much one is indebted to the Grace of Parents, one should try to imagine whether
birth is possible without parents, and whether one could manage one's own helpless
infancy; one will recognize that one cannot. If one cannot be born or develop
without parents, what Grace could ever be greater?
One might say that human birth and death are the principle of nature, and the
infinite capacity of Heaven and Earth; it is by indebtedness to the Grace of
Parents that helpless life is nurtured and learns the way of life.
(1)It is owing to the existence
of parents that one gets one's own body, which is the foundation of all Facts
and all Principles.
(2)Parents rear and take care of one with great love, regardless of all troubles,
until one attains one's own self-ability.
(3)Parents educate one to know the duties and obligations of human beings so
that one can be a good member of society.
Realizing how one is indebted to the Grace of Parents when it is impossible to support oneself, one should protect and help, as far as possible, those who are unable to support themselves.
(1)One is to go through the Essential
Ways of Training: the Threefold Learnings, the Eight Articles, and the Essential
Ways of Human Life, namely, the Four Graces and the Four Essentials.
(2)When one's own parents are unable to support themselves, one is to take care
of them as far as possible so that they may retain the comforts of both mind
and body.
(3)When one's own parents are alive, or after they have passed away, one is,
as far as possible, to take care of the parents of others as if they were one's
own parents..
(4)After one's parents have passed away, one is to enshrine their picture and
the history of them and commemorate them for a long period of time.
If one does not know of the indebtedness to, the requital of, and the ingratitude to the Grace of Parents, or if one does not put the requital into practice even though one knows of them, then this is ingratitude to the Grace of Parents.
If one requites the Grace of Parents, one will earn the world's respect and favor even though one requites the Grace of one's own parents. One's own children, learning of this requital of the Grace of one's parents, will naturally discharge their own filial duties, since it is an inevitable principle that one's children are to learn either the good or the bad that one does. The result from one's taking care of helpless people will be to receive public help when one becomes unable to support oneself, even in other lives.
If one is ungrateful to one's parents, even though they are one's own parents, one will be hated and rejected by the public; it will be natural that one's own children will follow what one does and will bring calamities upon oneself. When one is unable to support oneself, one will be deserted by the public for the present and even in one's lives that follow.
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If one wants to know easily how
one is indebted to the Grace of Brethren, one should consider whether it is
possible to live at a place where there are no human beings, no birds and beasts,
no trees nor grass; then one will realize that life without them is impossible.
If one cannot live without the help of these brethren, without relying upon
them and without their supplies, what Grace could be greater?
Generally, there are in the world four categories of occupations among the living,
i.e., scholars and officials, farmers, artisans and merchants. These people
are helped by, or are indebted to one another by the principle of mutual interest
when they exchange all of their goods and skills, while remaining in their respective
categories.
(1)Scholars and officials, through
study and research, direct and educate the public with learning, public administration
and political affairs.
(2)Farmers sow and grow the agricultural products necessary to supply the public
with the materials for food and clothes.
(3)Artisans produce various goods with which to supply the public with shelter
and other utilities.
(4)Merchants exchange various goods to help the public live more conveniently.
(5)Even the birds and beasts, the trees and grass, are helpful to humanity
Now that one is indebted to brethren by way of mutual interests, one should follow and keep this way of mutual interest in order to requite the Grace of Brethren when one exchanges with others all knowledge and all materials.
(1)Scholars and officials are to
cultivate the people and manage fairly the affairs of the state in accordance
with the principle of mutual interest.
(2)Farmers are to supply the materials for clothes and food fairly, in accordance
with the principle of mutual interest.
(3)Artisans are to supply the public with shelter and facilities fairly, in
accordance with the principle of mutual interest.
(4)Merchants are to handle the trading of materials and goods fairly, in accordance
with the principle of mutual interest.
(5)Even the birds and the beasts, and the trees and grasses, are not to be destroyed
without sufficient reason.
if one does not know of the indebtedness to, and the requital of, and ingratitude to the Grace of Brethren, or if one does not put the requital into practice even though one knows of them, then this is ingratitude to the Grace of Brethren.
If one requites the Grace of Brethren,
all brethren influenced by way of mutual interests, will love one another and
will be pleased, and the one who requites the Grace will be protected and treated
courteously. There will be love among individuals, harmony among families, understanding
and communication among different societies, and peace among different nations,
so that there will be an unimaginably ideal world.
If the people of the whole world, however, do not requite the Grace of Brethren,
falling into the tormenting seas of life owing to the mischief of ingratitude,
the sages and saints with compassionate means will save the ungrateful beings
by means of morality, politics or force.
If one is ungrateful to brethren, all brethren will hate and abhor each other and become foes; there will be strife among individuals, breaches among different families, hostilities among societies and no peace among nations, so that the whole world will fall into warfare.
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If one tries to know easily how
much one is indebted to law, one must think whether it is possible to live in
peace and order without the law of moral training for the individual, the law
of household affairs, the law with which to govern a society or a nation and
international law with which to govern the world. One will recognize without
fail that no one can live without these laws. if one cannot live without them,
what Grace could be greater than these laws?
Generally, the law means equitable rule for human justice by which individuals,
families, societies, nations and the world, will be helped if this equitable
rule for human justice is applied to them.
(1)Sages come to the world at the
right times, and by means of religions and morality they teach human beings
to follow the right paths.
(2)The facilities of scholars and officials, farmers, artisans and merchants
are established with guidance and admonition; the security of the life of the
people is preserved and human knowledge is cultivated.
Law distinguishes Right from Wrong and Advantage from Disadvantage, reproving
injustice and keeping justice to maintain peace and order so that people may
live in peace.
If one is indebted to laws having a condition of prohibition, one should comply with the prohibition; if one is indebted to laws having a condition of recommendation one should also comply with the recommendation.
(1)Every individual is to learn
and practice law of self-discipline.
(2)In a family, one is to learn and practice the law that manages family affairs.
(3)In a society, one is to learn and practice the law that governs a society.
(4)In a nation, one is to learn and practice the law that governs a nation.
(5)In the world, one is to learn and practice the law that governs the world.
If one does not know of the indebtedness to the Law and the requital of, and the ingratitude to the Grace of Law, or if one does not put the requital into practice even though one knows of them, this is ingratitude to the Grace of Law.
If one requites the Grace of the Law, one will be protected by the law so that the restrictions will be diminished and one will have more freedom; individual personality will be elevated, and the world will be in perfect order. The scholars and officials, farmers, artisans, and merchants will improve more and more, so that there will be a matchlessly comfortable world; by this, even the Grace of legislation and administration will be requited.
If one does not requite the Grace of Law, the law will not forgive one, such that one will be placed under restriction, personal character will be degraded and the world, being in disorder, will turn into a shambles.
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