01. The grace of heaven and earth.
If one wishes to know how much one is favored by Heaven and Earth, then one has only to reflect on whether one can have one's being without Heaven and Earth. However stupid and slow-witted one may be, one soon realizes that life without Heaven and Earth is an impossibility. Therefore, if that is so, what greater Grace can one know than that of Heaven and Earth?
It is a general truth that there are ways and virtues in Heaven and Earth; that the automatic motion of the great organs of the universe, is the way of Heaven and Earth; that the results from the operations of their ways are virtues of Heaven and Earth. The ways of Heaven and Earth are extremely bright, sincere, righteous, proper and natural, vast and immeasurable and eternal, containing neither good luck nor bad, and no pride abides in their offering of benefits. All things retain their lives and their shapes owing to the great virtue that results from their operations of the great ways.
02. The grace of the parents.
If one wants to know easily how much one is indebted to the Grace of Parents, one should try to imagine whether birth is possible without parents, and whether one could manage one's own helpless infancy; one will recognize that one cannot. If one cannot be born or develop without parents, what Grace could be greater?
One might say that human birth and death are the principle of nature, and the infinite capacity of Heaven and Earth; however, it is by indebtedness to the Grace of Parents that helpless life is nurtured and learns the way to live.
03. The grace of brethren.
If one wants to know easily how one is indebted to the Grace of Brethren, one should consider whether it is possible to live at a place where there are no human beings, no birds and beasts, no trees or grass; then one will realize that life without them is impossible. If one cannot live without the help of these brethren, without relying upon them and without their supplies, what Grace could be greater?
Generally, there are in the world four categories of occupations among the living, i.e., scholars and officials, farmers, artisans and merchants. These people are helped by, or are indebted to one another by the principle of mutual interest when they exchange all of their goods and skills, while remaining in their respective categories.
04. The grace of the law.
If one tries to know easily how much one is indebted to the law, one must think whether it is possible to live in peace and order without the law of moral training for the individual, the law of household affairs, the law with which to govern a society or a nation and international law with which to govern the world. One will recognize without fail that no one can live without these laws. If one cannot live without them, what Grace could be greater than these laws? Generally, the law means equitable rule for human justice by which individuals, families, societies, nations and the world, will be helped if this equitable rule for human justice is applied to them.