- A Forty-Nine-Day Work of Renewal
at the Seven Stars Shrine of Dae-wun Temple
- 1 In the spring of 1909, accompanied by Nae-sung, Hyung-yul, and a few other disciples, Sahng-jeh-nim went to Dae-wun Temple and performed a work of renewal in which He assigned tasks to the disciples present.
- 2 While staying at the temple, He said to Geum-gohk and the disciples, “I will now enter the Seven Stars Shrine. Seal the door with paper.
- 3 Do not come near the shrine until I call you.”
- 4 Sahng-jeh-nim entered the shrine, offered a bowl of fresh water in a southern direction, and then locked the door.
- 5 For weeks, Sahng-jeh-nim devoted Himself solely to meditation without eating anything or even taking a sip of water. Hearing nothing from inside the shrine other than a few coughs, Geum-gohk and the disciples grew concerned.
- 6 On the forty-ninth day, Sahng-jeh-nim came outside, stretched His arms, and said, “It is over. Let us go.” His face shone brightly.
- 7 Geum-gohk exclaimed, “He must be the Lord of Heaven. If He were human, how could He meditate for forty-nine days without so much as a sip of water?”
- 8 Sahng-jeh-nim gave Nae-sung His right sock, which Nae-sung discovered was full of phlegm.
- 9 Afterward, Geum-gohk valued the shrine room in which Sahng-jeh-nim had meditated as though it were gold. Geum-gohk said, “When Maitreya Buddha is here, what use is Shakyamuni Buddha?” For the rest of his life, Geum-gohk did not offer prayers to Shakyamuni Buddha.
- 10 Later, Moon-hwahn, Nae-sung’s eldest son, went inside the shrine and found that the place where Sahng-jeh-nim had sat was warm as if it had been heated.
- Sahng-jeh-nim the Maitreya
- 11 On another occasion, when Sahng-jeh-nim was with Geum-gohk, He loudly asked, “Whom do you have faith in?
- 12 Shakyamuni has a destiny of only three thousand years. Would you not prefer a destiny of fifty thousand years?
- 13 The future is the world of Maitreya Buddha. I am Maitreya. Do you not think we should meet again later?”
- 14 “I no longer have faith in Shakyamuni Buddha,” Geum-gohk answered. “I will have faith only in You, Gahng Jeung-san.”
Sahng-jeh-nim laughed loudly. “Try to have faith in Me.”
- 15 Sahng-jeh-nim often said to Geum-gohk, “Shakyamuni has a destiny of three thousand years. The three thousand years will soon end.” A $200, Missing Pig
- 16 One day, Shin Gyung-su came and reported that someone had stolen the pig he had been raising.
- 17 Sahng-jeh-nim said, “Do not look for the missing pig. In your previous life, you inflicted loss on the man who stole it. Since you have now been repaid for your misdeed, do not feel too sorry or resentful about your loss.”
- (JSD Dojeon 3,200)
