¹Near the end of July, Cha Gyeong-seok, Gim Gyeong-hak, Gim Gwang-chan, and Bak Gong-u visited Gim Hyeong-ryeol to discuss the future.²Gyeong-seok said, “Our Teacher revealed to us that He was Maitreya Buddha, and He announced not long before His ascension that He would ‘enter Geumsansa Temple.’³If we prostrate ourselves at the Maitreya Shrine as though before our Teacher while earnestly contemplating the path ahead of us, we will surely be inspired by Him and receive a revelation.” With this, Gyeong-seok urged that a chiseong be offered at the Maitreya Shrine,⁴and the other disciples believed Gyeong-seok’s remarks to be sound and hence agreed to offer a chiseong at the shrine.

⁵After Gyeong-hak had a cow readied as an offering and the other disciples prepared other offerings for the chiseong, they all traveled to Geumsansa Temple with these ritual offerings.⁶At that time, an elderly Buddhist nun awaiting them outside the Stone Rainbow Gate greeted them, and she revealed, “Last night in my dreams, the buddhas enshrined at Geumsansa Temple, the five hundred arhats, and escorting commander spirits all gathered outside the Stone Rainbow Gate to welcome a glorious procession,⁷and you marched at the end of that procession. That dream inspired me to wait here—how amazing to now receive your visit!”⁸Pointing at Gyeong-hak, the nun added, “Walking at the front of your procession was a dao seeker with a full beard—and he was this very man.”

⁹The disciples entered the Maitreya Shrine and prostrated themselves before the Maitreya statue. They then wrote, “Okhwang-Sangje, Grace This Place with Your Holy Presence (玉皇上帝之位)” on a sheet of paper, affixed it to the torso of the statue, and offered a chiseong led by Gyeong-hak.

¹⁰After the chiseong, they removed the writing entreating Sangjenim’s presence and affixed it to the wall in their visiting quarters within the temple grounds. There, they each entered into a state of right mind, then prayed to Sangjenim with longing for Him in their hearts.

¹¹During this time, Hyeong-ryeol’s spiritual eye suddenly opened. He entered the Shakyamuni Buddha Shrine and asked Shakyamuni Buddha what the future held. ¹²When Shakyamuni picked up a book and opened his mouth to answer Hyeong-ryeol, Sangjenim entered the shrine in the image of Maitreya Buddha, wrested away the book, and covered Shakyamuni’s mouth.

¹³Hyeong-ryeol returned to his companions in disappointment and related to them what had occurred. After he ended his meditation and returned to his home, Hyeong-ryeol realized that the date was August 1, ¹⁴the very day that Sangjenim had revealed to be the day that He would return to His palace in heaven.