On the last day of the fourth month of the second year of Ch’ien-yu (949) ,[102] Great King Taesŏng’s queen Taemŏk[103] developed an abscess in her vagina. Unable to show it to a doctor, she summoned Ŭisun, the Master’s teacher, and asked him to cure her by means of the healing power of the Dharma.
As Ŭisun had the power to take her sufferings on himself,[104] he restored the Queen to health, but in the process he became afflicted in her stead. For seven days this abscess made him dangerously ill, and he was unable to free himself of it. Thereupon the Master offered incense and chanted vows on his behalf, and the abscess removed to the western branch of a locust tree. The tree, which stood in a corner at the eastern end of the Master’s quarters, withered as a result. Its stump was still there during the Ch’ing-ning period (1055-66).[105]
In the third year of Kuang-shun (953),[106] an embassy arrived from the Sung court[107] to grant titles to Great King Taesŏng, and so the king ordered each of his officials to see to his duty. Preparations went on for three months, but when the time for the investiture ceremony came, heavy rain set in and fell without ceasing. Ritual decreed that the ceremony be cancelled, but the Western[108] envoy said: “There must be holy men here in this Eastern country, why not get one to pray for fine weather? If the weather does clear up, I should take this as proof of the holy man’s virtue.”
When King Kwangjong[109] heard this, he sat despondently, unable to sleep. Then a voice from the sky called out: “Great King, do not be anxious or distressed, for tomorrow you will surely hear Sāgaradhvaja[110] preach the Dharma!” The king got up and went straight out into the courtyard, where he peered up into the drizzling sky, but there was no trace (of the speaker).
The next morning, the king sought to find a holy and virtuous monk, in order to invite him to preach, but the talented and learned among the clergy all declined his invitation. The State Preceptors[111] then respectfully memorialized the Throne recommending the Master. The Master was still young at this time, but he acceded to the State’s request. With calm and dignified steps[112] he ascended the lion-throne,[113] and once the sublime tones of his voice[114] began to resound, the thunder and lightning subsided, and in an instant the clouds rolled back, the wind grew still, the sky brightened and the sun came out.
Thereupon His Majesty did him great reverence and bowed nine times before him. When he asked the Master about his birthplace, the Master replied: “The village of Tundaeyŏp in the northern part of Hwangju is this bhiksu’s humble birthplace.” His Majesty remarked that although dragons and serpents were born from large marshes,[115] this loyal subject had instead come from a village where there were less than ten houses. The king subsequently bestowed the title of Great Worthy[116] on the Master, also including ten of his lay relatives in the royal bestowal, granting twenty-five ch'ing[117] of fields, with five enslaved prisoners of war as servants, to each of them. He also prevailed on them to move to the city of Hwangju.
In the fifth year of Hsien-te (958),[118] a thunderbolt struck inside the precincts of Puril Monastery.[119] To avert the omened calamity, recourse was duly had to the Great Dharma, and the Master was asked to lecture. Day and night for about twenty-one days,[120] he engaged in debate, maintaining an attitude of polite firmness.[121]
Present in the assembly was a Monastic Superintendent[122] named Ohyŏn, to whom the following thought occurred: “Although the lecturer is clever, still he was born after me; and although I am not talented myself, still, as his senior, should I not be accorded the courtesy of respectful language during the question sessions?” Thus he became resentful and was about to spread slander (against Kyunyŏ) when a lay follower moved to forestall this, saying: “You should not be so jealous and malicious. The lecturer today is the seventh incarnation of your first patriarch Ŭisang. He has come again to the world simply in order to spread the Great (Hwaŏm) Teachings.” When Ohyŏn heard this, he was astonished, and sent word to the Assembly, repenting and saying: “I acknowledge that I have done wrong.”
Once the Master went to the palace chapel, and in the middle of the night, a brilliant light like an unfading rainbow streamed out from inside (the building). His Majesty saw this light and ordered his attendants to go and investigate. They went, and reported back, saying that it was light from the Master’s eyes. His Majesty proceeded to where the Master was, and asked him what method of spiritual training he practised to obtain results such as this. The Master replied: “This monk’s practice is nothing special.” Thereupon a string of rosary beads on the low sūtra-table rose spontaneously into the air and circled the Master three times, before coming to rest once more.
After this, His Majesty respected the Master greatly, and showed him unprecedented favour.