Introduction · 05

Chapter 1.
“The power to build oneself up (cultivation, 修養)”

01 “Life isn’t difficult from the beginning.
“It’s just because I don’t have a steady job.”
Will and Attitude · 16
02 “Everyone has a heart that feels pity for others.”
What You Need These Days · 20
03 “When Heaven is about to entrust a great task to someone, it will first afflict his heart.”
Signs of Great Fortune · 24
04 “You can’t draw squares and circles without discipline.”
A wavering heart · 29
05 “Serving one’s father is deeper than serving wine and meat.”
The Meaning of Filial Piety · 33
06 “If there is a hungry person in the same room as you and the person next to you who is full does not share his food, he is an inhumane person.”
The Aesthetics of Sharing · 37
07 “The reason I want to eat bulgogi is because I smelled bulgogi.”
Outside and Inside · 41
08 “Don’t just listen to what people say, go and see for yourself.”
Guide · 46
09 “If you can’t win even if you fight, you must either abandon the land and move, or be prepared to risk your life to protect it.”
Sure Choice · 50
10 “Whether something is accomplished or not, it is because Heaven prevents it.”
The Power of Waiting · 53
11 “Some use their minds, and some use their strength.”
The House of Life · 57
12 “A nation that its people follow with all their hearts has nothing to fear, no matter how powerful it may be.”
The Most Important Thing · 60
13 “When the sky turns the world upside down, it changes in an instant.
“No matter how wise or talented you are, if you don’t meet the right time, you won’t be able to achieve your goals.”
Ability and Destiny · 63
14 “If you straighten the water course and open a canal, the muddy water will become clear, snakes and dragons will be driven out, and people will be able to live there.”
The Meaning of Essence · 67
15 “It is not because of an invasion from outside that we perish, but because we destroy ourselves from within.”
The Importance of Standards · 70
16 “It is not good for people to speak without any basis.”
The Weight of a Horse · 74

Chapter 2: The Power of Living Together (Coexistence)

17 “When learning archery, you must first master the principles of archery before shooting an arrow.
“That is what proper archery is.”
Responsibility for Relationships · 80
18 “If even the beautiful Seo Si-do were to get covered in filth, people would just pass by with their noses covered.”
What's More Important Than Appearance · 84
19 “Do not try to force something, but act according to the natural order.”
Living as Me · 87
20 “It wasn’t until I was forty that my heart finally stopped wavering.”
Unmoved Mind · 91
21 “To rely on what is rooted within and not to be shaken by the mind is called steadfastness.”
Tree of the Heart · 95
22 “If you charm people with your virtue, they will follow you wholeheartedly.”
True Influence · 100
23 “You can avoid disasters sent down by heaven, but you cannot avoid disasters you create yourself.”
The Beginning of Misfortune · 103
24 “Don’t be jealous of others and follow them.”
The Art of Giving Up · 108
25 “The evil of man is that he likes to be the teacher of others.”
Human Nature · 112
26 “If you try to please everyone, you won’t be able to please everyone no matter how hard you try every day.”
The Impossible · 116
27 “If you harass someone who is leaving and pursue them to the end, you are making an enemy.”
Goodbye · 119
28 “A great man does not practice what seems to be courtesy but is not true courtesy, what seems to be righteousness but is not true righteousness.”
True Etiquette · 123
29 “A good person should raise a bad person well, and a talented person should raise a bad person well.”
Growing Together · 127
30 “A true gentleman is one who does not lose the pure heart of a child.”
Enjoying Life · 130
31 “If you want to know a person’s character, look at whose house they stay at.
“You can tell the character of a man from afar by the host he chooses.”
Where I Stay · 133
32 “To make friends is to make friends with virtue.”
The Standard of Friendship · 137
33 “If you want to get something, you must follow the proper etiquette and procedures.”
Time and Patience · 141
34 “The umbrella tree was originally beautiful, but it was cut down with an axe and can no longer be beautiful.”
Original Appearance · 145
35 “Those who chase swans while playing Go will ultimately achieve nothing.”
The Power of Immersion · 150

Chapter 3: “The Wisdom of Establishing the Right Attitude toward Life (Cheose, 處世)”

36 “If there is someone who can straighten my crooked fingers, I will run to any country, no matter how far away it may be.
But I don't know how to hate anything that is inferior to others."
Inner Problems · 156
37 “You know how to grow a tree, but you don’t know how to grow yourself.”
Taking Care of Me · 160
38 “If you follow the great, you will become great; if you follow the small, you will become small.”
The Difference Between Small Desires and a Life of Devotion · 163
39 "There should be only benevolence and righteousness between ruler and subject, father and son, and older brother and younger brother.
“There is no need to discuss profits.”
An Age Blinded by Profit · 167
40 “There is nothing that is not destiny.
“You just have to accept that fate and accept it justly.”
The Other Side of Fate · 172
41 “You cannot talk to someone who abuses himself, and you cannot work with someone who has abandoned himself.”
Self-abandonment · 175
42 “We live in worry and suffering, and we die in comfort.”
True Master · 178
43 “Wealth and honor cannot make one’s heart debauched, nor can poverty change one’s will.
“A great man is one who does not yield to power or force.”
Human Dignity · 182
44 “Looking up, I am not ashamed before heaven; looking down, I am not ashamed before people.”
Conscience and Dignity · 186
45 “A good person has no enemies in the world.”
The Art of Relationships · 189
46 “The most important thing is the will, and if the will is firm, the energy will follow the will.”
The Firmness of Meaning · 193
47 “If you ignore the law, the country will fall, and if you ignore benevolence and righteousness, you yourself will be in danger.”
Things You Must Never Lose · 196
48 “A gentleman deeply trusts and relies on people, but is not bound by them.”
Healthy Relationships · 200
49 “If nothing changes no matter what you do, you need to look at yourself.”
Correct answer to the question · 204
50 “Those who love others will always be loved by others, and those who respect others will always be respected by others.”
Love and Respect · 207