¹Bak Gong-u was once a leader of the Iljin Association. After becoming Sangjenim’s disciple, he one day secretly visited the association’s office on personal matters.

²Sangjenim knew of this and cautioned him, “Be very careful, for harboring a divided mind will split your body asunder just as surely as carrying two loads on a single shoulder will break your shoulder.”³Sangjenim’s words jarred Gong-u, and from that time forth, he did nothing in secret and completely severed ties with the Iljin Association.

⁴After he began following Sangjenim, Gong-u realized that the other disciples grew their hair long in accordance with custom, while he alone had short hair.⁵Feeling ill at ease about being distinct from the other disciples, Gong-u grew his hair for several months until it was long enough to tie in a small topknot so that he could wear a gat.

⁶As he passed through Geumgu County one day, Gong-u encountered over ten of his old comrades from the Iljin Association. They ridiculed Gong-u’s hair, seized him, and forcibly cut off his topknot.⁷Gong-u returned home and secluded himself in his house while his hair grew back.

After two months passed, Sangjenim unexpectedly arrived at Gong-u’s home to inquire why he had been absent for so long.⁸Gong-u told Sangjenim of the forced haircut, confessing, “Embarrassed to come before you with my cropped hair, I planned to visit only after it had grown long enough for me to once again wear a gat.”

⁹“I am concerned only with your mind,” Sangjenim replied. “Why would I concern myself with the length of your hair?” With this, he led Gong-u back to Guritgol Village.