¹When Sangjenim seated himself, the disciples seated themselves in customary places, while Nae-seong always sat in a corner.²Once, however, as Sangjenim and the disciples were enjoying a feast, he allowed Nae-seong to sit among them. Sangjenim commanded the disciples, “Sing a sijo in the order in which you are seated.”³He added, “You should know at least one sijo. If not, you may sing any other song.”

⁴Gim Hyeong-ryeol and Cha Gyeong-seok each sang a sijo in a plain rhythm and low tone, then came Ahn Nae-seong’s turn, and he sang the sijo:

⁵In a deep reach veiled by clouds, amidst ten thousand valleys
and one thousand peaks,

I tilled two small fields,
planting Samsin Mountain’s herbs of immortality
here and there.

Now I find outside my door,
a sublime immortal flying hither and yon upon a crane’s back.

⁶“Sing another sijo in the same vibrant rhythm you just used,” said Sangjenim. Nae-seong sang “Forest Fountain Song,” which he had heard at Chokseongnu Pavilion.⁷Upon hearing it, Sangjenim asked, “What took you to Chokseongnu Pavilion in Jinju?”

⁸Astounded by this, Nae-seong realized that Sangjenim was indeed the Heavenly Teacher—the Lord of Heaven—for whom he had been searching his entire life.