Saving Lives
1. When treating a patient, Sangje explained the details of the condition to the patient. He pointed at the patient´s meridians and organs, said their names, and showed which organ fell sick and how the yellowish substance stuck to it was phlegm, as if He was looking into the patient´s chest and stomach.
2. Sangje gave His first healing at Flower Pavilion (Hwa-jeong) Village, where Lee Gyeong-Oh was suffering from a serious illness. One day, Park Geum-Gok, the chief monk of Great Court Temple (Daewon-sa), whom Gyeong-Oh was acquainted with, asked Sangje to pay a visit to the patient. So Sangje went to examine Gyeong-Oh. The patient had numbness and pain in his left toe and his leg swelled like a pillar from afternoon till dawn. However, in the morning, the swelling began to go down and around midday, his leg had gone back to its previous size. During the three or four years that he suffered with this symptom, he could not even move so much as a few steps, and even at present he was unable to use the affected leg. After Sangje felt his pulse, He said, “This is indeed an odd illness. In all matters, a great thing is understood through a trifling thing. I will take this disease as a model for curing all the diseases of the world.” Sangje rubbed His hands all over Gyeong-Oh´s leg and said to him, “Collect the rainwater falling from the eaves and wash your leg with it.” When Gyeong-Oh did as he had been told, his leg soon recovered.
3. While Sangje stayed at Royal Gravesite (Neungso) Village in Jeonju (Perfected Territory) County, Hwang Eung-Jong came from the house of Sangje´s family to tell Him that His father had fallen ill. Sangje handed Eung-Jong some rice wine and ten nyang and said, “Go back immediately even though it is already dark. Do not feel displeased by this order. On your way back, stay overnight at Kim Song-Hwan´s house in Lucid Dao Court (Cheongdowon) Hamlet. Early tomorrow morning, go to Kim Gap-Chil in Copper Valley (Donggok) Village and take one of My ramie coats from there. Then, go to My father, dress him in it and serve him nutritious food with this money.” The sun had already set, but Eung-Jong could not dare to disobey Sangje´s order, so he started along the road. Within less than an hour, he found a road sign on the side of the road, which said that the place was Lucid Dao Court Hamlet. He was surprised that he had arrived there so soon although the town was 60 ri away from Royal Gravesite Village. Realizing that Sangje´s divine power must have enabled it, he was glad. He slept over Kim Song-Hwan´s house and stopped by Copper Valley Village to pick up Sangje´s coat the next morning. Then, he went over to Guest-awaiting (Gaekmang) Village and put the coat on Sangje´s father. His father soon regained consciousness, and his body also recovered after he ate the nutritious food.
4. In the Imihn Year (1902), while traveling back and forth between Jeonju (Perfected Territory) Government Capital and Summer-Cloud (Hawun) Hamlet, Sangje healed people suffering from diseases without using any medicine. Everybody marveled at His divine power.
5. Sangje visited Kim Hyeong-Ryeol´s house on the 13th day of the fourth month in the Imihn Year (1902). At the time, Hyeong-Ryeol´s wife was expected to give a birth to their youngest son. She had habitually suffered from abdominal pain for 49 days after each delivery. Hyeong-Ryeol was greatly worried about that. Then, Sangje said, “From this time forward, believe in Me and leave your worries behind.” Hyeong-Ryeol felt relieved as he was convinced that Sangje would provide divine favor. From that time on, his wife suffered no more afterpains and her asthma cleared.
6. While Sangje was staying in Jeonju (Perfected Territory) Government Capital, Jang Hyo-Sun came to Sangje to ask Him to cure his married daughter, who was dying due to a severe a stomachache caused by roundworms. Sangje visited her house and told the couple to stand back to back with a wall between them. Sangje transferred the wife´s disease to her husband, and He enabled the husband to recover his health by rubbing him on his stomach.
7. Kim Yun-Geun had been suffering from hemorrhoids for many years. In the third month of the Gyemyo Year (1903), his disease became so serious that he almost had to be confined to a bed. Taking pity on him, Sangje instructed him to recite the Incantation of Serving the Lord of Heaven (Sicheon-ju 侍天呪) seven times each morning. He did as he was told, and the disease went into remission. He recovered from his illness shortly thereafter.
8. Lee Do-Sam, who was living in Primordial Hill (Gobu) County, was afflicted with epilepsy. As he begged to be healed, Sangje said, “Just do as I say.” Then, He told him to lay himself down but not to fall asleep. After having a meal, the man felt a pain in his stomach and had pus in his stool, but within just 14 days, his epilepsy finally vanished.
9. While Sangje stayed at the Copper Valley (Donggok) Clinic, Kim Sa-Myeong, who was a tavern-keeper in Copper Valley Village, tried to revive his son, Seong-Ok, who had died suddenly, over half a day prior. However, there was no sign of the son coming back to life. Then, his wife went to visit the clinic, carrying their child on her back. Sangje, who already knew of her visit, said, “The good fortune of our clinic has been affected by a blockage. A dead one is being carried here on someone´s back.” Seong-Ok´s mother laid her dead child in front of Sangje and begged for his life, shedding tears. Sangje put the dead boy on His laps with a smile and, rubbing down his abdomen, He shouted toward the sky, “Have Misu bring Wuam.” He then dribbled His own saliva into the dead child´s mouth, and suddenly, some decomposed fluid gushed out of the boy´s anus and he began crying out as he awakened from death. After drinking the rice gruel he had been given, he went back home on foot.
10. Kim Chang-Yeo, who lived in Copper Valley (Donggok) Village, had suffered from indigestion for several years. One day, he came to beg Sangje to cure his disease. Sangje laid him on a low wooden bench, rubbed his stomach, and had Hyeong-Ryeol recite the following: Melodies come to the world and are revealed to be a song of eight characters. Tears flow into the human world and become the third month rains. The careful sincerity of a sunflower can mend a royal robe. Floating grass, ever rising, strikes a jade tassel pendant to make it cry out. The brightest moon rises in the autumn of the Imsul year. The clouds filling ten thousand ri surround Tae-eul Palace. The dance of dragons to the clear sound is the flutes of two vagabonds. The crows flying away in the tribulations of the past is the dust of three nations. 調來天下八字曲 淚流人間三月雨 葵花細忱能補袞 萍水浮踵頻泣玦 一年明月壬戌秋 萬里雲迷太乙宮 淸音鮫舞二客簫 往劫烏飛三國塵 After that, Chang-Yeo recovered from his indigestion.
11. There lived a crippled man named Kim in Dragon Head Hill-Path (Yongdu-chi), who could only move around via a sedan chair. One day, he paid a visit to beg Sangje to make him walk again. Sangje had the man sit in front of Him and ordered him to stand up as He moved His tobacco pipe. While Sangje lifted the pipe higher and higher for the man to try to rise from the ground, He had Hyeong-Ryeol recite: Ye-go-shin ye-paeng-shin seok-nan-shin dong-seo-nam-buk-jung-ang-shin-jang jo-hwa-jo-hwa un-oh-myeong-ryeong-hum [曳鼓神曳彭神石蘭神東西南北中央神將造化造化云吾命令吽 Drum-Carrying God, Drum-Playing God, Orchid-on-Rock God, and the Divine Generals of North, East, West, South and Center, through creation and transformation, perform my command. Hum]. Sangje told him to stand and walk out into the yard and had Gwang-Chan slap the man on the calves to make him walk faster. Finally, the crippled man walked back home, on his own, not needing the sedan chair. Afterward, he gave Sangje 30 nyang as a token of his gratitude. Sangje bought food and wine for passers-by with the money, while the man expressed his thanks to Sangje in front of the passers-by for having treated his legs.
12. Park Sun-Yeo was living with his mother in Copper Valley (Donggok) Village. His 60-year-old mother was so gravely ill that the family began preparing for her funeral. Hearing of this, Sangje went to his house and told Sun-Yeo to go to the market and pray with sincerity that the wine for the first stage of a funeral would not be used. After he headed out for the market, Sangje brewed a bowl of four-herb decoction and, at a spot 12 steps away from the outer yard outside the patient´s room, dug a hole in the ground in the shape of a burial pit. And then He poured the decoction into it and covered it with soil, saying, “As her disease is chronic, the medicine must be used in the ground.” Seeing Sun-Yeo coming back at that moment, Sangje said to him, “To whom did you utter your prayer?” Sun-Yeo answered, “I prayed to You, Master.” Sangje, with a smile, had him bring the wine which he had already made before and gave it out to everybody including the neighbors to drink. Not long after, the patient recovered her health.
13. Jeon Sun-Il, who was a tavern-keeper in Copper Valley (Donggok) Village, had suffered from an illness for a long time and finally begged Sangje for a cure. As it was hard for Sangje to reject his request, He went to the patient´s house with Han Gong-Suk to cure him of his illness. Sangje fed the patient a bowl of rice porridge, and then He had Gong-Suk put a gingko nut which had been in his pocket onto a piece of broken mirror in the room and keep it in a covert place. Sangje also requested the patient to bring Him a table with wine and some side dishes after his recovery period. About ten minutes later, Sangje said, “The doctor is leaving, so the patient should come outside the door to bid farewell.” Sun-Il then rose with great difficulty to see Him off. Before long, he regained his health completely. But after that, Sun-Il did not serve Sangje wine and its accompaniments. Because of this Sangje said, “The man shall lose his appetite and suffer hardships.” From then on, Sun-Il was afflicted with suffering, experiencing a loss of appetite for several months even though he had risen from his sick-bed.
14. Kim Gap-Jin of Copper Valley (Donggok) Village was a leper whose face had swollen and whose eyebrows had fallen out. One day, he came to Sangje to beg for treatment. Sangje had Gap-Jin stand toward the room from the outside of the door and told Hyeong-Ryeol and several others to recite the commentary preceding the first chapter in The Great Learning. Sangje sent Gap-Jin back after about ten minutes. After that, Gap-Jin felt refreshed and the swelling went down. His leprosy was completely cured.
15. Sangje, accompanied by Kim Gwang-Chan, had stayed for several days in Army Base (Gundun) Village, Bordering Embankment (Impi) County, where Kim Seong-Hwa was living. Sangje saved Seong-Hwa´s neighbor, whose life was in danger. Sangje met the patient and informed him that his illness would be hard to cure at this late stage. He told the patient to go to Sungrim-sa Temple in All Joy (Hamyeol) County the next day and pay a condolence visit to an old Buddhist monk there. When he visited the temple, he found the old monk had died. Returning after paying his respects one final time, the patient was able to escape death after paying a visit to the temple with his sick body. Seong-Hwa´s neighbor felt the power of Sangje´s words and was awestruck.
16. On the last day of the first month in the Eulsa Year (1905), Sangje went with Hyeong-Ryeol to stay for several days at Lee Hwan-Gu´s house, located at Root Formation (Seonggeun) Village of Aiding Comfort (Buan) County. As Hwan-Gu often recommended that Shin Won-Il, who lived in the same county, become a disciple, he was granted permission to visit Sangje. After Won-Il had an audience with Sangje, he offered to host and serve Sangje at his house. However, Won-Il´s father and younger brother did not want Sangje to stay long. Won-Il said to Sangje, “My father earns a living through fishing, but he suffered great loss due to the storm last year. If You eliminate wind-related disasters this year, it would be a great help to my father.” Sangje responded, “I will make his fishing business prosper by removing disasters. But if he profits greatly, your father will have to bring Me 1,000 nyang.” Won-Il and his father were satisfied and accepted His suggestion. Indeed, just as Sangje had said, not only were there no wind-related disasters that year but also the business of Won-Il´s father was the most prosperous in the sea around the Seven-Mountain (Chilsan) Islets.
17. Sangje sent someone to Won-Il´s father to receive the money, but the father broke his previous promise and did not send any money. Sangje said to Won-Il, “A deception against a great man has been committed. None of My works are done for private reasons and this includes even minute actions. From now on your family´s fishing business will fail completely.” That year not even a single fish was caught, and his father had to give up fishing.
18. A few days after the incident, when Sangje went to Won-Il´s house, He found Won-Il´s father was being pressed by a creditor, who had come from Seoul. Sangje took immediate compassion on him upon seeing this. On behalf of Won-Il´s father, He suggested to the creditor, “How about making a bet on today´s weather for the full sum of the debt?” and the man willingly complied with His proposal. Sangje explained, “If you say it will rain, I will say it will not. If you say it will not rain, I will say that it will. Now, you go ahead first.” The day was so clear without a cloud in the sky that the creditor said it would not rain. Sangje replied, “It will definitely rain.” After a short while, it began to rain. The man was obliged to write off the debt and went back. People believed that Sangje made that rain fall.
19. A man from Jeonju (Perfected Territory) Government Capital, named “Mun Tae-Yun,” had an audience with Sangje. When Sangje said, “Unpack the bundle that you have and show Me what is inside it,” the man was reluctant to do so. Sangje continued by saying, “Villagers do not let a suspicious man sleep around here due to a recent disturbance.” Only then did he untie his bundle which contained documents from a lawsuit related to property between himself and one of his nephews. Tae-Yun told Sangje that he came to ask for a solution regarding such shameful business. Sangje wrote something down on paper and gave the paper to him after sealing the envelope, telling him to burn it in front of his nephew´s gate. Tae-Yun did as he was told and afterward it was said that the conflict between himself and his nephew had settled down.
20. When Hyeong-Ryeol recited the names of the Sixty-Four Hexagrams in accordance with Sangje´s instruction, the chill and headache resulting from his leg pain disappeared immediately. Thinking it strange, Hyeong-Ryeol asked how it had been done and Sangje answered, “The Five Movements are hidden in the Eight Trigrams. As the energy of the Movements is activated, it turns into medicine.”
21. Kim Jun-Sang´s wife had been greatly suffering from a boil on the sole of her foot. Hearing of that, Sangje said, “As the acupoint known as ´Gushing Spring´ is infected, she can hardly live. The brothers, Jun-Sang and Gap-Chil, must stay all night, taking turns making sure that the patient does not fall asleep. I shall test who is stronger, the emissaries from Myeongbu (offices of the afterworld) or My emissaries.” While the two were carrying out His order, the patient could not sleep, went in and out of consciousness, and fell into critical condition for a while. But as the day broke, the patient gradually regained her senses. Finally, Sangje told the two disciples, Jun-Sang and Gap-Chil, not to worry about her anymore and asked Jun-Sang to pay 100 nyang after applying rice water to the affected area. Jun-Sang said in hesitation, “I am so poor that I will have to sell our house.” Sangje suggested that Jun-Sang sell his house to Him, and he agreed. Some time after Sangje received a contract for the sale of the house, He burned it. Sangje let Jun-Sang continue living in the house as usual and took only one of the rooms, which He remodeled into a clinic.
22. Sangje went to Kim Nak-Beom´s house accompanied by Deok-Chan. Sangje brought Nak-Beom´s son, Seok, on His back to the drawing room and laid the boy face down. Sangje stepped on his lower back and asked, “Where is the pain located?” Then, He helped him stand up and walk back inside. Sangje finally told Nak-Beom to feed his son a boiled chicken and its broth. Seok´s lung disease was cured shortly thereafter.
23. Around this time, there was growing sentiment of public insecurity because of a peculiar epidemic in Lucid Territory (Cheongju) County and Satin Territory (Naju) County. Sangje said, “The epidemic has emerged simultaneously in the South and North, so numerous lives shall be ruined.” He wrote a decree to the divine general of the peculiar epidemic: How could you destroy only the innocent households of the populace, leaving the families of the king, generals, and ministers alone? [胡不犯帝王將相之家 犯此無辜蒼生之家乎] Then Sangje said, “I will bear the disease.” Afterwards, He had Hyeong-Ryeol immediately bring five newly made outfits. After taking turns changing into the new clothes while having diarrhea, He said, “The weak shall all die.” The epidemic gradually weakened since then and ultimately disappeared entirely.
24. In the Jeongmi Year (1907), Jeong Tae-Mun was living in a water-mill house owned by Kim Sa-Yu of Dragon Rock (Yongam) Village. He was honored to stay in the same room with Sangje for several days. Tae-Mun, who was suffering from a parasitic infection caused by lung flukes asked Sangje to cure him of it. Sangje accepted his plea but did not treat the disease right away. One day Sangje said to Tae-Mun, “Do you really want to be cured?” To this, Tae-Mun answered that it was his great wish. Sangje said, “Since I will go to Wellspring-Town (Jeongeup) County in two days, I will treat your disease now.” Writing something down on paper and giving it to Tae-Mun, Sangje added, “Keep this writing behind the pillow in your bedroom while sleeping. Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, open the door of the room. And then a dog will cough up bloody phlegm, holding its two front paws together toward the door. That is, I transfer your disease to the dog.” Tae-Mun was really amazed that all turned out as Sangje had said it would. In recompense for it, he took Sangje to a tavern to serve Him a drink. When he was pouring wine for Him, Sangje said, “If you treat Me to a drink and delay the payment for it, it would be better not to drink it.” Tae-Mun answered, “Tomorrow I will definitely pay.” The cost of drinks was seven nyang. The next day, after Sangje left for Wellspring-Town (Jeongeup) County, Tae-Mun thought he would take his time paying off the bill. At that moment, his stomach started to ache suddenly. Only then did he change his mind and decide to pay for the drink as soon as he could. This change of heart brought immediate relief as his stomachache completely subsided. He followed through and paid off the bill.
25. Traveling around many places, Sangje just happened to be staying at the Copper Valley (Donggok) Clinic. There lived a woman from Pyeong-yang (Balanced Land) in the village, whose five-year-old son had suddenly become crippled. The woman came to Sangje to request treatment. Sangje instructed her, “Feed your child with beef and sesame oil and bring him in your arms tomorrow morning.” The mother was so poor that the child had been fed only with sesame oil. The next morning, she revisited Sangje with her son held in her arms. Sangje was reclining on floor without speaking. Becoming frustrated, she began to beat the child furiously, saying, “You would rather die!” The child was in so much pain that he stood up to make an escape from her. At that moment, the woman realized His intention. She was pleased and expressed her apology and gratitude to Sangje. Sangje did not say anything.
26. Park Sun-Yeo had swelling in his left leg, which had puffed up like a big pillar. As he could not walk even a single step, he asked Sangje to treat it. Sangje said to Ja-Hyeon, “Is it right to save Sun-Yeo´s life by curing his disease or to let him die by leaving it untreated? Your word shall be the final decision.” After hesitating a little, Ja-Hyeon answered, “It is right to spare his life.” Sangje said, “Park Sun-Yeo is an impolite man. Since he has been very rude to you, you shall go with Me to treat him.” Preceded by Ja-Hyeon, Sangje headed for Park Sun-Yeo´s house. Sangje massaged the swelling on his leg and had him drink a bowl of boiled water. Sun-Yeo´s rudeness to Ja-Hyeon was originally caused by his thought that he was older. Even though Ja-Hyeon never spoke out about Sun-Yeo´s attitude, he was inwardly displeased. This was why Sangje had asked Ja-Hyeon whether or not to treat Sun-Yeo. Before long, the swelling went down and Sun-Yeo was able to walk again.
27. Cha Gyeong-Seok´s concubine pricked her finger on a needle, which made her arm numb and eventually half of her body was paralyzed. Sangje wrote all the names of the components of the sexagenary cycle and instructed her to read the names pressing them hard, one by one, with her wounded finger. And she was told to stroll around, holding a wine glass. This caused her blood-energy to circulate, and she fully recovered soon after.
28. Kim Gyeong-Hak´s eight-year-old son had been sick in bed for many days. Sangje entered the patient´s room and said, “How dare you not get up? Get up now!” The boy overcame his disease right there on the spot.
29. Later, Kim Gyeong-Hak became ill too, which consequently made him fall into a critical condition. Sangje ordered Gyeong-Hak to boil up a four-herb decoction, dig a hole in the ground, pour it into the hole, cover it with soil, and then to look up at the moonlight. In half an hour, his illness was cured.
30. A young man, aged 18 or 19, was hit by a large rock while working in a mine. His leg was broken and a ligament torn, he could not stretch the leg or bend his body freely. The young man had heard that Sangje was staying in Jeonju (Perfected Territory) Government Capital and came to Him to beg for treatment. Sangje said, “If you make someone shed tears, tears of blood come from your eyes. Try to jump up.” He braced himself for the jump, which made his twisted legs straighten out. Sangje said that it had stimulated his blood vessels and bones to work properly.
31. Jang Seong-Won, who lived in Great Prosperity (Daeheung) Village, made a living by running a tavern. For several months, his baby was fine during the day but could not go to bed at night due to fever and coughing. Seong-Won, holding the baby, came to Sangje and begged Him for treatment. Feeling pity, Sangje examined the baby and said to Seong-Won, “There is something inside your baby, a bibyeol (飛鼈, a flying soft-shelled turtle), and it plays outside during the day and returns back to bed at night. There is no choice but to transfer it to another place. However, as both beasts and fish are also living things, it cannot be moved to either a mountain or an ocean. Thus, it has to be transferred through a wire. Get about two feet worth of wire and put it behind the baby´s head. Then, direct its discharge to the bottom of an electric pole.” When he did as he had been told, his baby started to sleep well at night. Not long after, the baby was relieved of his fever and cough.
32. One day, Sangje was on His way somewhere and entered a tavern with His disciples. Seeing the tavern-keeper, Sangje said to the disciples, “That man is severely suffering from abdominal dropsy. Take care of his illness.” And He had them read the following: “The way of great learning is to make bright virtue manifestly clear, to renew the people, and to rest in perfect goodness [大學之道在明明德 在新民在止於至善].” Some fluid poured out of the tavern-keeper´s anus and the swelling disappeared. Sangje said to the disciples with a smile, “Well, what wondrous talents you have,” and He continued on His way.
33. Kim Nak-Beom had been suffering from the blistering skin disease of pemphigus, but he painstakingly attended to Sangje, who was staying in Dragon Head Hill-Path (Yongdu-chi). One day, when He was with Kim Jun-Chan and Kim Deok-Chan, Sangje rebuked Nak-Beom, saying “How can you be so negligent?” Unable to figure out why Sangje had said this, Nak-Beom found himself speechless and tried to step back. “How dare you leave when an elder man is scolding you?” Sangje reprimanded him even more severely. As Nak-Beom was at a loss as to what to do, he crouched down and just sat while sweating heavily listening to Sangje scolding him. After quite a while, he was allowed to return home. He thought of what had caused him to be reprimanded, but he could not discover the reason why. He just spent days, feeling sorry. After that, his pemphigus improved more and more, and eventually, he was relieved of the disease. Only then did he realize that Sangje´s wrath and reproof had been a true medicine.
34. Once, Sangje found that Kim Nak-Beom´s son, Yeong-Jo, could not see anything due to bloodshot eyes. Sangje cured the boy´s eye disease by transferring it to His own eyes.
35. After saying the Lone Fisherman (dokjosa) Degree Number to Gong-Shin, Sangje went to Copper Valley (Donggok) Village. The wound that Gong-Shin had received at the prison in Primordial Hill (Gobu) County opened again, and this forced him to be confined to bedrest. He sent Eung-Jong to Copper Valley Village, where Sangje was staying, to ask for treatment, but he was told to wait a little while longer. Gong-Shin was so angry that he just lay in bed, forgoing treatment. His sickness worsened and made him lose the control of his own body. Observing his pathetic state, Eung-Jong went to Copper Valley to have an audience with Sangje. As Sangje asked him about Gong-Shin´s condition, he replied, “He is bedridden and unable to move.” Sangje said, “How could I let him die? Prepare nine doe worth of glutinous rice and feed it to him.” Eung-Jong returned and repeated exactly what he had been told. Believing in Sangje, Gong-Shin did what He had said. As a result, his sickness went into remission and he was finally able to rise from his sickbed.
36. One day, when Sangje stayed in Gong-Shin´s house, He heard that Gong-Shin´s mother was suffering from a backache. Sangje wrapped up about one nyang of Asian apricots with paper and hung it on the crossbeam. And He wrote something on another piece of paper and burned it. She recovered her health soon after.
37. Sangje gave the people with dysentery a medicine in which three don of quince was added to a four-herb decoction. The four-herb decoction was the main extract used for other symptoms as well.
38. When a man from Aiding Comfort (Buan) County brought some gamju (sweet rice drink) to Sangje, He said, “This is Gucheon ha-gamju (rice wine whereby the Ninth Heaven looks down). How could I knowingly receive stolen food?” As the disciples attending to Sangje asked the man for the reason, he answered that he had brought the sweet drink without informing his wife.
39. One summer day, when Sangje was staying in Stream-Plain (Cheonwon) Village, a man brought some Asian melons to Sangje. He left them untouched. Gong-Wu ate one of them as he pleased, and soon he had diarrhea, which was not easily treated. He had no choice but to tell Sangje what had transpired. Sangje said, “As the man brought melons that his wife had not wanted to give away, a malevolent aura was attached to them and it impacted you directly.” And He added, “Have chicken soup.” When Gong-Wu did as had been told, his diarrhea stopped immediately.
40. One day, when hearing that Hyeong-Ryeol´s daughter was ill, Sangje went outside the door, whistled three times, and called ´Man Su (萬修)´ three times. Suddenly, the clear sky started to cloud with spot-like substances until nothing could be seen. Sangje said, “These things make people so sick.” He then blew one breath into the air. At that moment, the spot-like substances were blown away by His breath and the blue sky could be seen again. After that, a strong wind arose, which completely dispersed the spot-like substances. The sky was soon completely clear again. Soon after, Hyeong-Ryeol´s daughter was healed of her sickness.
41. One day, when hearing that her mother was suffering from the rash like infection, red poison (dandok 丹毒, erysipelas), Madame Goh (Goh Pan-Rye) decided to visit her. Sangje told her to wait for a while and then come along with Him, and she was happy to do so. While she was waiting, her mother came into a detached room. Sangje said, “A green bamboo produces a green bamboo whereas a thick-stemmed bamboo produces a thick-stemmed bamboo. Please pray for your daughter´s well-being.” Shortly thereafter, she was cured of the skin disease.
42. One day, when Sangje was staying in Lee Jik-Bu´s house, he asked Him to tell what his father Chi-Ahn´s fortune that year would be. Sangje reluctantly wrote something down on paper and burned it. And He wrote something on another sheet of paper and sealed it in an envelope. Giving it to him, He said, “Open this envelope only in the case of an emergency.” Chi-Ahn kept it in a safe place. Before long, hearing that his daughter-in-law fell into critical condition while giving birth, he rushed to his son´s house with the envelope. She had already safely delivered a baby by the time he arrived, and he put the envelope back into safe-keeping. At the end of that year, Chi-Ahn became seriously ill and fell into a critical condition. His son Jik-Bu opened the envelope which contained the note inside. It said, “Two Doses of Minor Bupleurum Decoction.” Chi-Ahn immediately recovered his health by taking the medicine.
43. At Lee Chi-Ahn's house in Jeonju (Perfected Territory) County, Sangje composed a writing titled, 'High-seeing and Far-thinking Refer to Wisdom [高見遠慮曰智]': The wise have the energy of spring, summer, fall, and winter just as Heaven and Earth do, and they use it at their will. This is called wisdom and power [智者 與天地同 有春夏秋冬之氣 每事 任意用之 謂之智慧勇力]. Greater wisdom has the energy of spring, summer, fall and winter just as Heaven and Earth do [大智 與天地同 有春夏秋冬之氣]. And lesser wisdom has the lunar principle of new, half, full, and dark just as the sun and the moon do [其次 與日月同 有弦望晦朔之理]. The least wisdom has the Dao of propitiousness, ominousness, fortune, and misfortune just as spirits and gods do [又其次 與鬼神同 有吉凶禍福之道]. As every affair starts from yin and develops to yang, one should first observe the darkness of yin and then watch the light of yang. Therefore, it is important to consider the starting point in every affair [萬事起於陰 以布陽 先察陰晦 以觀陽明 每事先觀始發處]. When yin generates an affair and yang brightens it. When yang generates an affair and yin hides it. First of all, it is, thus, necessary to observe yin and yang. In fact, yin and yang are the same as water and fire [陰起事而陽明 陽起事而陰匿 要須先察陰陽 陰陽則水火而已]. The birth, living, movement, and stillness of all things lie in the clever principle of ear, eye, mouth, and nose. As ears correspond to Water and eyes correspond to Fire, one can understand every matter after having one's ears and eyes brightened [日用事物起居動靜 在於耳目口鼻聰明道理 耳屬水 目屬火 明白然後萬事可知]. Water is generated from Fire, Fire is generated from Water, Metal is generated from Wood, Wood is generated from Metal. After a man realizes the mechanism, he can be called a man of divine power [水生於火 火生於水 金生於木 木生於金 其用可知然後 方可謂神人也]. When yin vanishes, yang comes into being, When yang vanishes, yin comes into being. The Dao of birth and vanishing lies in yin and yang. Thus, after a man can use yin and yang, his life can be called authentic [陰殺陽生 陽殺陰生 生殺之道 在於陰陽 人可用陰陽然後 方可謂人生也]. Human beings are yang and divine beings are yin. After yin and yang combine, the Dao of change comes into existence [人爲陽 神爲陰 陰陽相合然後 有變化之道也]. All the immeasurable arts of change belong to divine beings. If one interacts with divine beings and performs every affair, it is called 'great benevolence and great righteousness' [不測變化之術 都在於神明 感通神明然後 事其事則謂之大仁大義也]. After a matter is determined, the Dao of change starts to work [事有決斷然後 有變化之道也]. Autumn amongst the four seasons is righteousness, and righteousness is determination [春夏秋冬秋爲義 義則決斷也]. There are six uses and three virtues. The three virtues are heavenly virtue, earthly virtue, and human virtue. When the virtues are combined into one, it is called great virtue [六用三德 三德則天德地德人德也 統合謂之大德也]. Righteousness of virtue has an authority over birth and killing. As birth and killing are yin and yang, only their polarities can be known [德義有生殺之權 生殺則陰陽 知此兩端而已]. The functions of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity harmonize the fundamental principle and control the sky and the earth. Thus, these are called the means of transformation [天用地用 人用之 調理綱紀 統制乾坤 此之謂造化手段也]. Although reason is dignifying, it is derived from the surface of the Great Ultimate (Taegeuk 太極) and the Limitless (Mugeuk 無極). Therefore, reason cannot be detached from any affair [理雖高 出於太極无極之表 不離乎日用事物之間]. Years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds transmigrate constantly, which refers to the Dao of Heaven and Earth in terms of origination, proliferation, accomplishment, and completion [年月日時分刻輪廻 皆是元亨利貞天地之道也]. The functions of Heaven and Earth just refer to a series of processes such as conceiving (po 胞), bearing (tae 胎), nurturing (yang 養), cultivating (saeng 生), bathing (yok 浴), dressing (dae 帶), maturing (gwan 冠), prospering (wang 旺), declining (soe 衰), sickening (byeong 病), dying (sa 死) and entombing (jang 葬) [天地之用 胞胎養生浴帶冠旺衰病死葬而已]. After all things are nurtured, they are harvested and stored. After all things are stored, they are withdrawn and used. By carefully examining things that are harvested, stored, withdrawn, and used, one comes forth into the world [養則收藏處 藏則出用處 觀其收藏出用之物 以致出也]. As a human being, how can you abandon this principle? [人而用之之道 捨此而何以也] Therefore, cultivate that which is internal when dealing with internal affairs, and shape that which is exterior when dealing with external affairs. If you, depending on the reason you already know, contemplate it further, your mind shall naturally open of its own accord [入而養中 出而形外 因其已知之理而益窮之 自然心自開也].
44. Noticing that Sangje would need new clothes, Kim Gwang-Chan had a set of clothes made in advance. When he brought it to Sangje, He praised the tailor´s dexterity in sewing. “The woman who made this outfit has good courtesy in addition to excellent sewing skills but it is a pity that she cannot walk,” Gwang-Chan told Sangje about her situation. Sangje took a pity on her and said, “Take Me to her.” Then He visited her a couple of times, preceded by Gwang-Chan. Even though He did not perform any definite cure, the woman regained energy by herself and gained freedom from her disability.
