생생주역,영문. 주역 상편.1.重乾天(중건천)-10(2)

[홍승주]

 1. Hexagram Qian /  Double Heaven(중건천). ䷀ ......10.

       ▣ "As heaven′s Movement is ever vigorous,

              so must the noble oerson tirelessly strive for self-improvement."

       [Explanation]

           Heaven′s movement is robust and active, never pausing even for a moment.

           Following this example, the noble person should continuously strive and exert effort

           without taking a single moment of rest.

        [Commentary]

           The term Great lmage(大象,대상) here refers to one of the Ten Wings(十翼,십익),

            a text written by Confucius that has no relation to King Wen or the Duke of Zhou.

            Ji-uk viewed all 64 hexagrams in the Great lmage Commentary(大象傳,대상전)

            through the lens of mind contemplation(觀心法,관심법), believing that every single

            affair(一事,일사) and single object(一物,일물) ultimmately returns to its inherent nature(自性,자성).

            Therefore, a noble person′s unceasing self-strenghtening(自彊不息,자강불식) means preserving

             their heaven-sent nature(天賦之性,천부지성) without damage,

             remaining within the realm of abiding in the highest goodness(止於至善,지어지선),

             and continuously striving without rest to mmanifest their bright virtue(明明德,명명덕).

             Here, '疆(Gang)' originally signifies inherent, innate strenght,

             whereas '疆(Gang)' implies being currently weak but becoming strong through effort.

             Why would heaven be sound and robust merely because it is strong?

             Is it not fobust because  it never rests?

             As the proverbs say, "Running water does not rot"(流水不腐,유수불부),

             and "A door hinge is not eaten by worms"(戶樞不蠹호추불두).

             Thus, it a noble person lives a dignified and respectful life, they will grow stronger every day.

              If they act recklessly, will they not grow wretched day by day?

              As one grows stronger, their Tao(Way) flourishes daily; as one becomes wretched,

              their Tao vanishes day by day.

              Therefore, a noble person(Junzi) must emulate movement of the heavens that continually

               generates life, carrying an unceasing energy of life, 

               thus emphasizing 'unceasing self-improvement(自彊不息,자강불식).'

               To nurture and healthily care for one′s family, who are the true essence of love,

                it teaches that one must not only maintain a strong physical and spiritual well-being

                but also constantly seek relentless effort.

                One must continuously find every possible way(百方,백방) to live together with neighbors

                without harming others or incurring debts, establishing this principle without rest 

                and passing it on to descendants and the people.

                Has the movement of the heavens ever come to a halt?

                Even the  plantain tree in the front yard tirelessly pushess up new leaves in a state

                of unceasing self-improvement; how then could a wise king lack industrious

                   self-improvement?

                 Hence, a noble person cannot stop their virtuous action(行健,행건) to emulate

                 the heavenly virtye(天德,천덕) of the strong and vibrant Yang(the Yanf-nine).

                 Learning and public service are no different.

                 One must embody the unceasing nature(不息,불식) of the Qian Trigram(乾卦,건괘)

                 when approaching all matters.

                 The following depicts a scene where King Seojo visits Seonggyungwan and receives

                 instruction on the 'Way of the Monarch' through 'unceasing self-improvement.'

                 The King commanded the lectures on the Hetu(河圖, 하도 - Yellow River Map)

                  and Luoshu(洛書,낙서 - Luo River Map).

                  Kim Gu explained the principle of how the numbers and lorge(理數,이수) 

                  of Yin and Yang generate, combine, and merge(生成合變,생성합변),

                  as well as the principle  of coming, going, bending, and extending(往來屈伸,왕래굴신).

                  As Kim Ye-mong repeatedly analyzed and clatified the difficult concepts...

                  The King said,

                "The discussion and lecture are sufficient now, so each of you take a cup of wine."

                   Kim Gu offered a cup to the King and served wine(行酒,행주) to attending ministers,

                   then said:

                  "Fu Xi modeled after the Hetu(河圖,하도- Yellow River Map) to draw

                    the Eight Trigrams(八卦,팔괘), and King Wen and the Duke of Zhou created

                    the Hexagram Statements(卦辭,괘사) and Line Statements(爻辭,효사), 

                    which were originally methods for divinally methods for divination.

                    however, Confucius used the 'Ten Wings(十翼,십익)' entirely in terms

                    of moral philosophy and principle(義理,의리).

                    This was intended to allow each person to embody and apply the principles

                     of the I Ching(易理,역리).

                     Its beginning, the Qian Trigram(乾卦,건괘) , represents the 'Way of the Minarch,'

                     which corresponds directly to Your Majesty.

                     If one wishes to emulate the Qian Trigram, one must embody the Way of Heaven(天道,천도).

                     In the Great Symbolism(大象,대상), it says : 'As the movement of the heavens is ceaseless,

                     the noble person thereby strives relentlessly without rest.'

                     Striving relentlessly without rest means that there is no complacency."

                     Kin Gu possessed deep(精深,정심) and broad(該博,해박) scholarship.

                     He was particularly versed in the I Ching(易經,역경) and mastered everything

                     from astronomy and geography to divination and mathematics.

                     In teaching others, he did not initiate explanations unless asked.

                     When asked a question, he would widely quote various academic theories first,

                     discern the points of agreement and difference(同異點,동이점),

                     and use the insights gained as reference to help the listener underaatand easily.

                     Furthemore, if someone attacked those who agreed or disagreed with tjeir own views,

                     he did not claim that only his own opinion was correct, saying,

                    "Moral pprinciples and truthe(義理,의리) are boundless;

                      what is the point of being stubborn?"

                     When the King was residing in his private residence(潛邸,잠저) before ascending

                     the throne, he attended classes at Jonghak(宗學, 종학 - the royal academy).

                     Because Kim Gu was serving as a professor(Baksa) at the time,

                     the King treated him with utmost respect and courtesy(禮待,예대).      

                     As a historical precedent, Sima Qian′s Records of the Grand Historian :

                     basic Annals(史記本紀,사기본기) records that King Wen′s father, Jili(季歷,계력),

                     governed benevolently as a feudal lord if the Shang Dynasty,

                     causing people from all directions to flock to him.

                     Feeling theratened by this, Emperor Wen Ding(文丁,문정) of the Shang Dynasty

                     ended up assassinating him.

                     Subsequently, when his youngest son, King wen, ascended to power,

                     he took his father′s death as a lesson and warning,

                     maintaining an extremely humble and meticulous attitude throughout his 50-year reign.

                     Even so, he was imprisined in Yuli(羑里,유리) by the tyrant King Zhou(紂,주).

                     While confined in prison, he studied the Book og Changes(易,역 - I Ching),

                     composed the Hexagram Statements(卦辭,괘사),

                     and contemplated his Heavenly Mandate(天命,천명).

                     After obtainong thr Qian Trigram(乾卦,건괘), King Wen realized that all affairs

                     in the world have their proper order and timing, just like 'Yuan, heng, Li, Zhen'

                     (元亨利貞,원형이정 - the four fundamebtal virtues of the Qian Trigram:

                       origination, prosperity, harmony, and steadgastness).