애국자
[aegukja]
愛國者
Etymology
愛 (애) – love國 (국) – country
者 (자) – personality
Patriots are people who do not care about their interests and who sacrifice everything and give everything they have for their country, forgetting how much they have given.
Patriots do not remain indebted to their country, but allow the country to remain indebted to them.
True husbands and wives, true parents, true teachers, and true patriots do not begin by pushing those around them to sacrifice themselves for them. They begin by contributing fully for others.
Those who are devoted to their country create the conditions to leave behind a legacy, that is, to pass on their national ideals as a tradition for their descendants.
Those who serve their country in their lives by contributing and sacrificing again and again will be recognized as leaders of that country.
All the founders of the world’s religions taught that the path of the patriot begins with filial piety, then we must grow into a patriot of the nation, then we must love the world and become saints. These steps are links in the same chain. Our destiny is to become such people. Destiny is something that cannot be changed. For all people, it is the path that leads to total perfection.