Chapter Thirteen: On the Order 37

The Founding Master admonished the ordinary ministers, “During this turbulent time, you must always give thanks with true sincerity for the great indebtedness to the Fourfold Grace and assist the lay adherents to gain a deeper understanding of this indebtedness, encouraging them always to be grateful and guiding their spirits in a sound and steady direction. Also, religious organizations in this nation have lately been collecting large amounts of assets from their members, prompting them to neglect their own households and exerting a bad influence on general society; and amidst much denunciation, there have even been cases where those religious groups could not continue. We, however, encourage our ordinary adherents to be diligent in their own professions, so that we edify and admonish everybody to have an even slightly better life than before as a result of our practice and never a worse one. It is also the case that, social conditions having gradually changed, it has been quite a while since the strict barrier between men and women has fallen and there is no point in us rebuilding it. However, by being prudent in your interactions, make sure that you don’t damage even slightly the reputation of our order. Since our rise and fall will be determined by how well we keep these three conditions, I hope you do not treat my words casually.”