Chapter One : Prefatory 9 While the levee project was being carried out by the members of the unit, a wealthy man in a neighboring village, witnessing the project, created a dispute and submitted an application to the county authority for permission to reclaim the tideland himself, then frequently visited the county office, raising much concern among the members over the ownership of the land.
Seeing that the members of the unit resented the man deeply for causing so much worry, the Founding Master said to them,
“To have such a dispute while we are engaged in the project seems to be heaven’s Way of testing our sincerity; hence, we must not be distracted by the dispute nor harbor hatred or hold grudges against the man. ‘Right will prevail in the end’ is a valid principle, and even if the fruits of our exertion were to end up as that man’s possession, our conscience would be clear. Furthermore, our original intent was to help the greater public, and even if the project is not utilized as widely as we originally planned, still, he is part of that greater public. So, wouldn’t we still be benefiting the greater public in the process, since we would be opening up much new farmland for these poor residents along the shore? At a time like this, if you transcend the conception of self and others and diligently work toward the public well-being, this matter will naturally be resolved fairly. http://www.won.or.kr/
|