• The Disappearing Rice Dough
  • Near the end of 1906, Hyung-yul’s next-door neighbor was pounding rice dough on a block with a large wooden mallet, when in the blink of an eye, the dough disappeared.
  • Mystified, the family wondered where it could have gone.
  • Sahng-jeh-nim soon arrived at the neighbor’s house, chewing on some rice dough. “I heard you pounding rice dough a few minutes ago. Can I have some?”
  • “Oh, somehow or other it disappeared,” replied the neighbor.
    “You foolish man, you were pounding the rice dough with a mallet just a few minutes ago, and now you say you have lost it. You’re not even a human; you are just a body without a spirit.
  • The dough stuck to your mallet and flew off over the wall as you swung back. Go and find it.” The neighbor went outside his yard, but found less than half the dough.
  • Sahng-jeh-nim said, “You are lucky to have recovered that much. Bring it back to your house.”
  • “What magic do You use to give us such trouble?” the neighbor complained.
  • “How could you have lost your dough while pounding it?” Sahng-jeh-nim replied. “Keep your mind on what you are doing.”

  • (JSD Dojeon 3,115)




    No Records.