• Lessons of Gae-byuk from Chey’s Insight
  • One day, Sahng-jeh-nim said to the disciples,
  • “In Go-heung County, around the time of the Japanese invasion in 1592, there lived a man with the surname Chey who was the assistant of a school teacher named Yu.
  • Though Chey’s speech and manner were crude, when given a task, he would carry it out intelligently and decisively. Yu regarded him highly for this.
  • When they heard a rumor that the Japanese would invade the country, Yu asked Chey to protect him and his household from attack.
  • Chey declined several times, but eventually agreed and said, ‘Sell all your possessions and land, and leave the money with me.’
  • Yu consented and left his money in Chey’s care. Chey began drinking and reveling with the money, but Yu chose to overlook this.
  • “One day, Yu received a message that Chey had died. Shocked, Yu rushed to Chey’s house and found that he was, indeed, dead.
  • Yu asked Chey’s son, ‘Did he have any final words?’ The son answered, ‘My father said you and your family should dress in mourner’s clothes and follow his funeral procession to a valley in Jee-rae Mountain where the funeral will be held.’
  • Unchanged in his firm belief in Chey, Yu went home and discussed the matter with his family, but everyone except his youngest son refused to do it. Only the father and the son followed the funeral bier to the mountain.
  • 10 When they arrived in the valley, they heard a voice from above, ‘Leave the funeral bier and come with me.’ They looked up and saw Chey at the top of the valley.
  • 11 They left the bier and followed Chey to a house with an ample store of food.
  • 12 Some time later, when they climbed to the top of the mountain and looked down at where they used to live, they saw a great fire raging. When they asked what had happened, Chey answered, ‘The Japanese invaders are burning the entire village.’
  • 13 It was said that, when they met Chey in the valley, his face was a little different than before.”

  • (JSD Dojeon 7,64)




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