In ancient China, there were five virtuous kings, who made wise laws and ruled the people with compassion and justice. Thereafter sages were born and they determined the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, and they made a calendar and a book of astronomy. Then, they determined the unchanging nature of the Heavenly Way.⁴ They taught that the mind and actions of humankind as well as all the changes of the universe depended on the Will of Heaven.⁵ The sages had reverence for the Will of Heaven and followed the Principle of Heaven.⁶

This passage is excerpted from the English edition of Donggyeong Daejeon, translated by Professors Suk San Yoon and Yong Kim.

The verse is from On Propagating Truth, Number Three, in Donggyeong Daejeon.