• Gohng-shin’s Earnest Entreaty to Be a Disciple
  • Sahng-jeh-nim sat on one side of the room with His disciples beside Him, and they all drank rice wine. Gohng-shin listened as they spoke.
  • He noticed that all the older men used expressions of reverence before this young man in His thirties who, in turn, spoke to them as if they were younger than He.
  • Gohng-shin thought, “He must be the Teacher. The older men speak to Him with reverence while He speaks to them informally.”
  • Gohng-shin went before Sahng-jeh-nim and, without giving any reason, said, “I earnestly wish to become Your disciple.” And he bowed to Sahng-jeh-nim.
  • Instead of welcoming him, Sahng-jeh-nim yelled, “You fool! What an insolent fool you are! You must have been a follower of Eastern Learning!”
  • Prostrating himself, Gohng-shin repeatedly begged to be a disciple. Sahng-jeh-nim remained silent for some time.
  • At last, Sahng-jeh-nim had another table brought out, drank a bowl of rice wine, and then had the hostess fill the bowl for Gohng-shin.
  • Gohng-shin protested. “My goodness, how can I accept this when I should treat You?”
  • “Well, fool, drink it and then you can offer Me two bowls of rice wine,” replied Sahng-jeh-nim.
  • 10 Gohng-shin thought this was reasonable and drank it. From then on, Gohng-shin, who was twenty-nine years old, was allowed to follow Sahng-jeh-nim.
  • Hosting a Work of Renewal
  • 11 Several days later, after supper, Sahng-jeh-nim began a work of renewal concerning the True Master via the Five Immortals Playing Ba-dook Program. Some twenty disciples were in the room, one of whom was Gohng-shin.
  • 12 Sahng-jeh-nim asked, “This work requires one thousand nyahng. Who will provide the money?”
  • 13 Afraid someone else would volunteer first, Gohng-shin promptly answered, “I will.”
  • 14 He went straight home and sold the rice crops he had harvested and all his ramie cloth, raising the one thousand nyahng. Ten men carried the money to Nohng-ba-ooh Village.
  • 15 After receiving the money, Sahng-jeh-nim spent the next ten days conducting the work of renewal.
  • 16 When finished, He asked, “Who should be the host of this work of renewal?”
  • 17 Unanimously, the disciples agreed, “It should be assigned to the one who offered the money.”
  • 18 “Yes, you are right.”

  • (JSD Dojeon 3,139)




    No Records.