Ilgiyae Ch.6-5

Virtuousness, Wisdom and Courage

This Ilgiyae cannot be obtained only from mere fast movements or getting skilled to motions in much training. If you want to get the constant Ilgiyae, so as to get TAEKWONDO, in many of the kaleidoscopic techniques you ought to possess three kinds of wise mind. They are virtuousness, wisdom and courage. Therefore, Confucius also said; “The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.”¹⁾

[Virtuousness] What is the virtuousness? As it has been said, “as a general rule, it is not virtuous though you might confer unless adequate to consideration,”²⁾ the virtuousness is to confer broad favor adequately to consideration. To confer adequately to consideration is to love people widely, knowing what you ought to do and what you ought not do. Because you love people widely you come to confer broad favor to benefit everyone widely[弘益人間](Ch. 17), and because you know what you ought to do and what you ought not do your behavior fall in adequacy to consideration. Therefore, to the question of what is the virtuousness Confucius answered it's “love for man,”³⁾ and about the way to love man he answered it is “not to do to others as you would not wish dome to yourself.”⁴⁾

On the other hand, Lao Tzu said: “Weapons are instruments of evil, not the instruments of a good ruler. When he uses them unavoidably, he regards calm restraint as the best principle. Even when he is victorious, he does not regard it as praiseworthy, for to praise victory is to delight in the slaughter of men. He who delights in the slaughter of men will not succeed in the empire,”⁵⁾ and this can be understood as an explanation about the virtuousness closer to Taekwondo.

It is possible to confer broad favor as you don't distinguish while it is possible to consider as you distinguish. Doing the both you go beyond the boundary of distinction and nondistinction. Thus you reach the total rightness. The rightness is what the way of Haneul means totally. Therefore the virtuousness is the character of following the way of Haneul.

[Wisdom] What is the wisdom? As it has been said, “it is not wise though you might cut out unless adequate to measure,”⁶⁾ the wisdom is to be able to distinguish each thing adequately to its appropriate use. To cut out is to discriminate, thus to distinguish, and as it is distinguished adequately to measure it is the acme of distinction. By the way it is what the way of Tang means totally to distinguish what is right and what is wrong. Therefore the wisdom is the character of following the way of Tang.

You can never get this wisdom unless you think. “Let a fool month after month eat his food with the tip of Kusa grass; nevertheless he is not worth the sixteenth part of those who have well understood the law.”⁷⁾ Therefore you ought to think over and over again in training. And then, you should be able to go beyond every kind of thought. No thinking of this kind no going beyond your thought. So while truth is simple you come to get it by way of difficult thinking. But “persons of dull capacity and small wisdom, who are attached to appearances, proud and overbearing, are incapable of believing in this Law.”⁸⁾

[Courage] What is the courage? As it has been said, “it is not courageous though you might act unless adequate to estimate,”⁹⁾ the wisdom is to distinguish what is right or wrong enforcing yourself to do what is right. Its another name is verily the bravery. The character to enforce yourself to right things is called uprightness. Therefore, emphasizing the importance of this courage Confucius said, "Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness, and yet live, his escape from death is the effect of mere good fortune."¹⁰⁾

It is what Taekwondo pursues innately to increase courage in training of Taekwondo, thus it is the inner figure of Taekwondo. This is immediately connected to what you intend to do, so you can get it only after your active enforcement. That is, it is what the way of Saram means totally. Therefore the courage is the character of following the way of Saram.

In this way you can possess the character of Taekwondo man in the oneness of vituousness, wisdom and courage. And only then you can get TAEKWONDO. Hence it was said; “the virtuous man is like the archer, the wise man the fisherman, and the courageous man the rider. The archer always cares his exactness, the fisherman his observation, and the rider his carefulness, so it is the utmost of his way to reach the ease through his own steady mastery.”¹¹⁾

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<footnotes>

1) Confucian Analects, LY0929 子曰, "知者不惑, 仁者不憂, 勇者不懼."
2) 「셋을 모은 글(會三經)」, 2: 夫施不適量, 非仁也.
3) Confucian Analects, LY1222 樊遲問仁. 子曰, "愛人."
4) Confucian Analects, LY1202 仲弓問仁. 子曰, "出門如見大賓, 使民如承大祭. 己所不欲, 勿施於人."5) Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 31장, 兵者, 不祥之器, 非君子之器, 不得已而用之, 恬淡爲上, 勝而不美, 而美之者, 是樂殺人, 夫樂殺人者, 則不可得志於天下矣,
6) 「셋을 모은 글(會三經)」, 2: 裁不中度非智.
7) 법구경, 70. 從月至於月 愚者用飮食 彼不信於佛 十六不獲一.
8) 『法華經』 구인사본 2편 Expedient Means 62, 鈍根小智人인 着相驕慢者는 不能信是法하나니. 영문판 p.44
9) 「셋을 모은 글(會三經)」, 2: 行不稱權, 非勇也.
10) Confucian Analects, LY0619 子曰, "人之生也直, 罔之生也幸而免."
11) 「셋을 모은 글(會三經)」, 2: 仁者, 如射, 智者, 如釣, 勇者, 如御. 善射者, 務抗正, 善釣者, 務恒審, 善御者, 務恒愼, 恒而至於不勉道之極也.