- The Theft of Sahng-jeh-nim’s Sacred Remains
- 1 Ever since 1919, Jo Chul-jeh―greedily desiring enlightenment―had wanted Tae-mo-nim, who had departed from Her First Household in Dae-heung Village, to move from Jo-johng Village to Tohng-sa Village, where She could live at the Ee family’s memorial rites house.
- 2 Once, when Tae-mo-nim visited that house, She humiliated him by acting and speaking in a bizarre manner. Fed up and fearful, he did not invite Her again.
- 3 Jo Chul-jeh was obsessed by a rumor that if one practiced meditation with Sahng-jeh-nim’s sacred remains nearby, great qi would be gained and thus enlightenment attained, and the person’s following would vastly increase. Finally, on March 3, 1921, he sent eight loyal servants to Sahng-jeh-nim’s grave on the mountain behind Gu-rit-gohl Village to dig up the sacred remains under the cover of night.
- 4 Meanwhile, Hyung-yul was in Seoul, and Ho-yun, who was by that time his wife, was resting at home in the guest quarters after having given birth to a daughter three days earlier. That night, there was a sudden downpour, and she was awakened by a bolt of lightning that shot into the room.
- 5 In a thunderous voice, Sahng-jeh-nim’s spirit said, “What are you doing just lying there when My body is being stolen!”
- 6 Frightened, she opened the door and called out to Hyung-yul’s son, Chahn-moon. She said to him, “A fire sword entered my room―there must be something wrong at Sahng-jeh-nim’s grave. Go there quickly to see what is happening.”
- 7 Chahn-moon found that the grave had been dug up. In the distance, he saw the torchlight of people running away. Feeling it was futile to run after them, he went back to the house.
- Jo Chul-jeh’s Doing
- 8 Hyung-yul returned home at daybreak, accompanied by Gim Duk-chahn and Suh Sahng-chul. He asked, “Did something happen last night?”
- 9 While he was in Seoul, Sahng-jeh-nim had thundered at him, “A thief has come to My grave! How can you be calm while My remains are being disturbed?”
- 10 Seeing the empty hole at the grave site, Hyung-yul said, “This must be Jo Chul-jeh’s doing.”
- A Den of Confusing Dharma
- 11 Jo Chul-jeh hid Sahng-jeh-nim’s sacred remains in the Ee family’s memorial rites house and had his own followers guard them.
- 12 He greedily wanted to be the only one to meditate for enlightenment, so he forcibly drove away everyone else who had been meditating there.
- 13 Finally, he took control of the house, and it soon became a den of confusing dharma.
- (JSD Dojeon 11,44)
