- Enshrining Sahng-jeh-nim’s Portrait
- 1 At the end of the chee-sung on January 3, 1928, Tae-mo-nim fainted and regained consciousness three or four hours later. Without a word, She raised Her hand and pointed to Her face.
- 2 At first, Min-hwahn and Johng-oh did not understand what She wanted them to do, but suddenly something occurred to them and one of them asked,
- 3 “Do You want us to have a portrait of Sahng-jeh-nim made?” She nodded and gestured for them to hurry.
- 4 They commissioned Gim Ohk-hyun of Ga-jun Village to paint a portrait of Sahng-jeh-nim, but Ohk-hyun proved to be an unskilled artist and did not produce a good portrait.
- 5 Tae-mo-nim said, “Enshrine it for now. It should be redone in the future.”
- 6 In February of that year, Tae-mo-nim summoned the senior disciples. “Have another portrait of Sahng-jeh-nim made and enshrine it.”
- 7 After discussing it among themselves, they decided to commission the most renowned painter they could find.
- 8 Jo Dohng-hee was given the responsibility of finding an artist. He decided to seek out Chae Yohng-shin, who at the time was Korea’s most famous painter.
- 9 After some inquiry, he found out that the artist lived in Jahng-goon Village, Jung-eup County, and went to see him.
- 10 They discussed the matter of Sahng-jeh-nim’s portrait, and the artist consented to go with Dohng-hee to the center in Jo-johng Village.
- 11 There it was agreed that he would do it. But Yohng-shin had never seen Sahng-jeh-nim, and Tae-mo-nim rejected his first two attempts at painting Sahng-jeh-nim’s face.
- 12 With difficulty, on his third attempt, he managed to paint a face similar to Sahng-jeh-nim’s, but he had no idea how to depict His clothing.
- 13 When he asked what style of clothes he should paint, Tae-mo-nim replied, “Sahng-jeh-nim said to Me, ‘I am Ohk-hwahng Sahng-jeh.’ The clothing should be that of an emperor.”
- 14 Yohng-shin took great care in finishing the painting, and it was enshrined on March 26 during the chee-sung celebrating Tae-mo-nim’s birth.
- (JSD Dojeon 11,119)
