(6). The Law of Relationships at Different Ages - 5). 50's and Beyond
When you reach the age of fifty in Korea, it is called “Ji-Cheon-Myeong”, meaning "to understand the will of heaven." This signifies an age when one gains a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and the principles of heaven, allowing for a clearer direction in life. It marks the point at which your true life begins. In essence, everything prior to fifty is considered a period of study and preparation.
Regardless of how well or poorly you studied up until the age of fifty, after going through the tests of your forties, you will begin to receive the rewards from heaven based on your test results. If the results show that you have a great public vision and unwavering principles, from the age of fifty onward, heaven will grant you great power and significant resources. This signifies that it’s time for you to live your true life according to the ideals you’ve upheld. Having studied and treated your connections properly, you will have many relationships that will support you, enabling you to undertake great endeavors. If your vision is truly noble, you may even leave your name in history.
However, on the other hand, if the results of your tests in your forties reveal that you have lived only for personal pursuits, then by the age of fifty, there will be few meaningful connections left around you. Heaven will only give you the strength to barely survive.
No matter the outcome of your 40s, your true life begins at the age of 50. Life starts at 50. It's as if the first half of the game has ended, and the second half is about to begin. This isn’t just a lighthearted joke, but a genuine perspective based on the laws of nature. The time when you can truly live your life to the fullest, using your abilities to their utmost, starts at 50. The first half of life is about personal growth, but the rules change in the second half. In the second half, life becomes a game centered on how much you can benefit others. How you live from age 50 onwards will directly reflect your achievements.
In our 40s, when we pass significant tests in life, and in our 50s, when we receive substantial economic strength and influence, society often labels us as "successful person". However, success can never be the ultimate goal of life; it is merely a process. From this point onward, the journey of one’s true life begins with the power one has gained. If that power is used to benefit others, this individual will live a life that earns the respect of many.
When we look at wealthy individuals, no matter how much money and power they have, it may bring them popularity, but people do not generate sincere respect them from the heart. People may feel a desire to become like them, but that feeling is envy, not respect. True respect emerges only when a person has had a profound impact on one’s life with help, leaving one feeling eternally grateful no matter how much one expresses it. Even if someone achieves great success and gains popularity, if they have not made efforts to benefit others, they will not earn genuine respect from a single person.
However, if one uses their power solely for personal gain, they may initially enjoy success and popularity. Yet, having abandoned their initial public convictions for personal desires, they eventually lose their strength as nature takes it away. These are the people who rise to great success only to fall again. In the second half of life, one must play by the rules of the second half. If one continues to focus solely on self-interest as they did in the first half, they will fail. The rules of the second half are about how much one can benefit others, society, the nation, and humanity with the power they have.
From this perspective, the true goal of life is not "success". Success is merely a process towards Completion. True happiness energy emerges when we genuinely benefit many others and they express their respect and gratefulness to you. Does having a lot of money make one happy? Does buying a house bring happiness? These are not true happiness but rather moments of extreme pleasure. Pleasure comes from acquiring material things, so they come and go. For example, it's not accurate to say, "I'm happy because I got a diamond." Since that feeling fades over time, it’s not true happiness. Instead, the correct expression would be, "I feel so much pleasure because I got a diamond." However, the happiness energy that naturally flows from receiving genuine respect and gratitude from others is on a different demension level energy. Unlike fleeting good feelings(pleasure), happiness energy continuously always ascends, allowing one to become happier and happier, not comes and goes. It is a higher dimension form of energy that cannot be felt through result of selfish desires. When we feel true this happiness through respects from others by beneficial them first, we live a life of true purpose. And this is the essence of living life correctly from nature's perspective. This is the purpose of life. After the age of 50, when one uses their abilities to truly benefit society and others, such a person will shine. This person is known as a "Hongik Ingan" (a person who benefits others).
Summary
The age of fifty, known as "Ji-Cheon-Myeong," marks the beginning of truly understanding heaven’s will and living a meaningful life. Those who, by their forties, have demonstrated a commitment to public ideals receive significant strength and resources from heaven to undertake great endeavors. Conversely, those who have pursued only selfish desires will be given only minimal resources to sustain themselves. From fifty onward, your life becomes a testament to your capabilities, and the more you live to benefit society, the more your life will shine, earning you the title of "Hongik Ingan."