- The Authority to Stop the Sun and Moon
- 1 One day, in the medicine room in Gu-rit-gohl Village, a disciple said,
- 2 “It is said that during the building of the Great Wall, Shi Huangdi whipped the stones to drive them into place and hectored the moon to make it stay out so that a nighttime celebration could continue.
- 3 Were these stories not made up by later generations just to show that the emperor’s power was great?”
- 4 “Perhaps,” Sahng-jeh-nim answered, “but now the scale is so large and the work so complex that the state of things cannot be rectified without the power to stop the sun and moon.”
- 5 Just as He said this, the morning sun began to rise from behind Jeh-bee Mountain. With His hand, He gestured three times as if pushing down the sun and said, “Do not move.”
- 6 Then, He began smoking His pipe. Throughout the time it took Him to smoke three bowls, the sun remained at the top of the mountain.
- 7 As Sahng-jeh-nim was smoking the third bowl, a disciple said, “People in the village are saying that never before has the morning sun stopped rising. They are loudly arguing over whether it is a good or bad omen.”
- 8 Sahng-jeh-nim said, “I will not do this any longer because I am worried it will cause disruption among people.” He shook the ashes from His pipe and commanded, “Move!”
- 9 On His command, the sun jumped to its proper place. Everyone was surprised and thought it very strange.
- Sahng-jeh-nim Is Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon
- 10 A disciple asked, “The sun stopped and then moved again on Your command. How can that be?”
- 11 “The sun and moon are at My command. You have witnessed this; strengthen your faith.”
- 12 Another disciple asked, “Is it not nature’s principle for the sun to rise and set and the moon to wax and wane?”
- 13 “Principle is heaven, heaven is principle. I do nothing out of personal desire.
- 14 I am heaven, earth, sun, and moon.”
- (JSD Dojeon 4,60)
