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MAKING THE WAY GREAT

By
Yamin Cheng

It is we, says the teacher
Who make the Way great
Not the Way that makes us great

But how, asks a student
Do we make the Way great
When the Way is already great

Ke-wu 格物, liang-chih 良知, xiu-shen 修身, says the teacher
Practise them
And the Way will be great for us to pass through

Through ke-wu, our xin 心 or heart investigates all things
Through liang-chih, our xin illuminates our understanding
Through xiu-shen, our xin corrects the misdoings

In investigating, we know the principles and causes of things
In illuminating, we practise the unity of knowing and doing
In correcting, we seek the balance of meaning and living

The Way is already great, says the teacher
But how great it is
Is for us to find it
Not merely for us to define it