- A Work of Renewal for Circulating the Water Qi
- 1 One day, Sahng-jeh-nim told the disciples, “In the future, the world’s water qi will run dry. I must circulate the water qi.”
- 2 Accompanied by Ahn Nae-sung and others, Sahng-jeh-nim went to Pee-nahn Village, located at the foot of a nearby mountain. There, they went to the house reserved for the Ahn family’s memorial rites.
- 3 At the well at the east side of the front yard, Sahng-jeh-nim stirred the water once with a bamboo stick and said, “Yin and yang are unbalanced here. There must be a reason. Go inside the house and find out why.”
- 4 When Nae-sung went inside to inquire, he found out that the caretaker had died three days earlier and the caretaker’s wife was there alone.
- 5 He returned and reported this to Sahng-jeh-nim, who then said, “This time, go over to the room beside the gate. A different energy is gathering there.”
- 6 Nae-sung went to the room and found a husband and wife who were traveling merchants.
- 7 He reported this to Sahng-jeh-nim, who then stepped up into the central room, which opened onto the yard, and told everyone to look west and call for the spirit Mahn Su.
- 8 He said, “Among you, there is one carrying a book of Chey Su-oon’s songs. Bring it to Me.”
- 9 Someone brought the book to Him. Sahng-jeh-nim opened it and read a passage:
- 10 The Book of Poetry says,
“In hewing wood to make an axe handle,
the model is not far away.”
- 11 When something is right in front of your eyes,
how can it be wrong?
All depends upon the person,
not upon the axe.
- 12 If you assume the task before you is easy
and act without thinking it through,
then find the result is not as you expect,
how could you not have grief?
- 13 After Sahng-jeh-nim had read the passage once in a quiet voice, thunder rumbled in the clear sky.
- 14 He read it again, this time in a loud voice, and thunder as loud as cannon fire made heaven and earth tremble. The smell of gun powder filled everyone’s nostrils.
- 15 The earth shook and many of the disciples fell unconscious on the floor. Sahng-jeh-nim told Nae-sung to give each of them some water. This revived them.
- (JSD Dojeon 5,209)
