Tang Ch.4-8

Distinctness

Following the way of Tang is totally distinguishing what is right or wrong to follow the right while to abandon the wrong. So. 'distinctiness' is the summarized meaning of the way of Tang. The excellence we can get from daily cultivation is called "the virtue". The excellence cannot be better than the others as it is unless it depend on distinction, so we can capably say what you have to get in the way of Tang is the virtue(Deok).

You should distinguish things along the way of Tang. At the end of the distinction, however, you can get the transdistinctive Ilgiyae, i. e. TAEKWONDO. How can it be possible? Confucius said; “The <Do> may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the <Do>. On this account, the superior man does not wait till he sees things, to be cautious, nor till he hears things, to be apprehensive.”¹⁾ Like this, even in your distinction you cannot leave its undistinguishable root, so understanding this true figure in the distinguishing you can reduce vain knowledge by means of distinction. That is to say, “the pursuit of learning is to increase day after day. The pursuit of <Do> is to decrease day after day.”²⁾ Thus you come to reach the Ilgiyae ultimately. Hence it was said; “Only by perfect virtue can the perfect <Do>, in all its courses, be made a fact.”³⁾

And you should make it clear what is right and what is wrong. This is the mental attitude you as a Taekwondo man should get along the way of Tang. I mean, making it clear what is right and what is wrong you can know when to be obedient to the opponent and when to fight him with indignation increased. This way you can move the center of your mind and body and know what the right motion should be like. And as your motion depends on the right and wrong you can be helped by the world. Therefore you can be at ease though quick and fast. This is why “the superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.”⁴⁾ And it is not that the right or wrong follow what you want but that you just depend on the right or wrong. That is to say, you know you cannot have your own way of things, so you cannot be proud. Therefore, also “the superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.”⁵⁾

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<footnotes>

1) The Doctrine of the Mean, 01-02 道也者 不可須臾離也 可離 非道也 是故君子 戒愼乎其所不睹 恐懼乎其所不聞.
2) Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, 48. 爲學日益, 爲道日損.
3) The Doctrine of the Mean, 27-05 故曰 苟不至德 至道不凝焉.
4) Confucian Analects, LY0737 子曰, "君子坦蕩蕩, 小人長戚戚."
5) Confucian Analects, LY1326 子曰, "君子泰而不驕, 小人驕而不泰."