Chapter Four : The Way of Humanity 2

The Founding Master continued,
“‘virtue [of the Way]’ (tŏk) is, to put it simply, just a name for the manifestation of grace in whatever place or matter. When heaven follows the Way, then heaven’s grace will be made manifest; when the earth follows the Way, then the earth’s grace will be made manifest; and when human beings follow the Way, then the grace of human beings will be made manifest. According to the thousands of Ways, thousands of virtues will materialize. Therefore, among these various types of virtues, if we explain initially only humanity’s virtue, its aspects also will be infinite. If one follows the Way between parents and children, the virtue between parents and children is made manifest; if one follows the Way between superior and inferior, the virtue between superior and inferior is made manifest; if one follows the Way between husband and wife, the virtue between husband and wife is made manifest; if one follows the Way between friends, the virtue between friends is made manifest; and if one follows the Way between fellow countrymen, the virtue between fellow countrymen is made manifest. Thus, when the virtue of the Way is encountered in an individual, a true individual materializes; when encountered in a family, a true family materializes; when encountered in a society, a society will be in harmony; when encountered in a nation, a nation will be in harmony; when encountered in the world, the world will be in harmony. If we were to speak of the greatest virtue of them all, it is to be a person who, having awakened to the great Way, readily transcends being and nonbeing, liberates oneself from birth and death, masters cause and effect, and guides all sentient beings who are wandering lost inside the ‘burning house of the triple world’ to abide together in the paradise of Ultimate Bliss. Such a person can be said to have achieved the great virtue of the Way.”

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