15. Being Prepared for Danger in Times of Peace and Working Hard with the Intent to Becoming Strong

¹ In the book About the Relationship of the Hexagrams, students of Confucius, in their attempt to explain the Book of Changes, noted that Confucius once stressed that: “the one who wrote the Book of Changes must have had a strong sense of danger.” Because the Book of Changes was written during the era when King Wu attacked King Zhou, at the time people needed a boost to resist tyranny with kindness. The situation of today is very close to that era.

¹ 在《周易繫辭傳》中記載孔子曾說：「作易者，其有憂患乎？」《易經》產生在武王伐紂的時代，亟需人心振奮，以仁制暴。這跟今天我們所處的時代非常接近。

² Mencius once said: “Those who have a sense of danger tend to strive to survive; those who indulge themselves in ease and pleasures will face extinction.”

² 孟子曾說：「生於憂患，死於安樂。」

³ I have been telling all strivers of the Church over and over that: “next year will be that of a turning point. It will also be a year of arduous struggle for our strivers.” This is to wish that our strivers will be vigilant and be prepared for danger in times of peace, and that such a sense of urgency will serve to ignite their own driving force to exert themselves to improve.

³ 我所以一再告訴全體同奮：「明年是國家的轉機年，也是我們同奮的艱苦奮鬥年。」就是希望同奮提高居安思危的警惕心，然後才能開啟奮發自強的原動力。

⁴ Strivers should not let their spirits become disturbed by trials and tribulations. Challenging situations should only serve to strengthen their character and will to strive. Strivers of the Church must hold the mindset and be of character to “be the first to become concerned with the world’s troubles, and the last to enjoy its comforts.”

⁴ 要動心忍性，困知勉行地提升起奮鬥的精神。天帝教的同奮，必須抱持「先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂」的襟懷與志節。

⁵ By striving hard they can break through the predicament, open a new phase of living, fulfill their worldly obligations and unite with heavenly Dao.

⁵ 努力奮鬥，才能突破生存的困境，開創生存的機運，以盡人道而合天道。

The Third Anniversary of the Revival of the Lord of Universe Church Assembly, 30668

天帝教復興三週年大會－民國七十二年十二月十八日