¹Reciting sutras inwardly and believing single-heartedly that he would surely find the Heavenly Teacher, Nae-seong wandered throughout Joseon.

²One day, Nae-seong arrived at Chokseongnu Pavilion in Jinju County, and he eventually fell into a light afternoon sleep.³Suddenly feeling a sense of rapture, he heard from heaven the voice of a sublime immortal,⁴“Nae-seon, I knew that you would be at this place. Receive this song.” The immortal then sang “Forest Fountain Song,” its melody so clear, bright, and elegant that such an exquisite sound had never before been heard.⁵When the song ended, the sublime immortal announced to Nae-seong, “Shakyamuni is the buddha of the past, so pray to him nevermore—seek instead the Heavenly Teacher and serve him.” After imparting these words, the immortal disappeared into high heaven.

⁶Nae-seong suddenly awoke and realized that he had been dreaming. Deeply encouraged, Nae-seong thought, “True devotion moves even heaven. I will surely find the Heavenly Teacher.” Nae-seong immediately resumed his journey in search of the Heavenly Teacher and in search of the father whom he cherished in his thoughts day and night.

⁷In the summer of 1907, Nae-seong arrived at the Maitreya Shrine of Geumsansa Temple, the fount of Maitreya faith, and resided at the shrine for several days.⁸There, he devotedly prayed to Maitreya Buddha that he would find both his father, whom he missed even in his dreams, and the Heavenly Teacher, who was the human incarnation of Maitreya Buddha.