Chapter Twenty-Five

When Master Han Dae Park emerged from his Rectory apartment just after dawn, the dew was already gone in the warm June sunshine. He missed the morning fog of spring. The way it coolly clung in corners gave him tranquility, a reminder to slow down. Summer was surely coming. He looked out over the rooftops of suburban Seoul and up at the clear blue sky. He breathed deep, but smelled only dry. It was going to be a hot day.

As he walked across the temple courtyard to begin his morning chores in the sanctuary, he noticed the daffodils had died in the side yard garden. He would have to remember to pull the bulbs. In their place, the daisy bushes were in full bloom. Although they too were God’s creatures, he never liked the messy riot of little blossoms, or the bees the daisies drew.

He unlocked the side door and immediately noticed the incense. Of course, the hall always smelled of the daily burning of incense. This wasn’t a lingering odor, but the smell of actively burning embers. He hastened his step and swept his gaze around the spacious chamber to find the source. There in the center of the room, a man in white robes sat in lotus position on a grass mat, with an incense burner lit in front of him. The man did not move at Master Han’s approach. His eyes were closed and his back was straight, clearly in deep meditation. He thought he recognized the man. “May I help you? The temple is not open for another hour.”

Young Nae Yoon opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times, and smiled up at him. “Master Han. I was hoping you were still in charge here.”

“I thought you looked familiar. Were you a member in the past?”

Young Nae smiled patiently. “I am Young Nae Yoon.”

Master Han’s eyes went wide and he smiled in return. “Young Nae! Please forgive an old man his failing eyesight. I am as pleased to see you as I am surprised.” He thought to shake his hand, but then noticed Young Nae kept his hands resting in his lap. “Have you been sitting here long?”

“All night, actually. I have been taking in the joy of the old familiar surroundings.”

“Such devotion. You surprise me again.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you had assumed that I had abandoned the Heavenly Way. I have, in fact, remained devout.”

“I am glad to hear that. I hope the Way has kept you well. I recall you were quite troubled when you left us. I prayed for you to find peace.”

“Thank you. The Way has done me well. I have never doubted the presence of Haneulnim within me, or anyone else. I have attributed and dedicated all of my worldly accomplishments to the God who is within. He has given me great confidence to strive for greatness.”

“Have you made the world a more godly place?”

He paused before answering. “Well, I haven’t thought about it in those terms. I have employed a lot of people. I have helped people by putting a lot of good products on the market. Now I’m looking to get back to my spiritual self. I want to get more in touch with the spiritual God within me.”

“A commendable goal,” Master Han said with a small bow.

“So how do I continue on the Heavenly Way? What do I need to learn to commune with Haneulnim at a higher, deeper level?”

The priest was slightly taken aback. “I think you may be confused. Seeking to be like God is not the same kind of process as seeking Enlightenment. You don’t work your way up to a higher level of consciousness. Emulating God means working to include His principles in everything you do.”

“Then why do you teach that the Way leads upward and has no end? Why are the heroes of our faith held out as gaining greater understanding of the Universe after communing with God? I have spent my life mastering how the Universe works. Now I am ready to learn more.”

Master Han wasn’t sure what to make of this. How could a pupil of Cheondogyo have so completely missed the central tenet of godliness? “Dare I ask what forms of mastery you speak of?”

“I live in Malaysia, and I have accepted their native ways as a truth to embrace. I have used the confidence the God Within gives me to master Silat Seni Gayong, and achieved a oneness with the Universe I never thought was possible. At times, fate itself seems to bend to my advantage.”

The priest could barely contain his horror, and struggled to maintain a calm, constructive tone. “Silat is a form of mastery over men, and is a step in the wrong direction. Haneulinim lives within us so we may know Innaecheon, that God is the source of all dignity. Exercising mastery over men usurps their dignity. The Heavenly Way teaches us how to promote dignity in our fellow man. While the godliness in each of us is an incentive to strive for better, we must always respect the godliness in our fellow man. Remember the credo, ‘Every man is God, and must be treated accordingly.’ Do you not see that exerting your will over others is the opposite of the Way?”

Young Nae sat still and stared at him for a long moment. “I am not ignorant, or misguided. I know the truth of what you say. What you deny is the connection I have found between the God Within and the flow of fate, the Tao itself. If my path were evil and contrary to God’s will as you say, then why have I been so successful? I know you are going to label me arrogant for using this example, but Dangon found this connection, and used it to defeat the enemies of our faith. I came here to learn how to see the path of righteousness, and how to avoid the path of self-indulgence and evil.”

The priest was relieved to hear this. He had to make sure Young Nae understood. “It is not arrogant to want to follow in the footsteps of the hero of our people. Dangon faced the temptation of personal power and brought to us the lesson of respect. He made that journey so we don’t have to.”

“I am already on that journey. I can do things far more in tune with the Universe than my Silat master could teach me.”

Master Han put his hand up and implored, “I do not want to hear what you can do.”

Young Nae pressed anyway. “I can bend men’s will with my voice. I can even kill with touch.”

“Killing does not bring you closer to God.”

“I brought my lover back from the dead.”

The priest couldn’t control the shiver that ran up his spine. He forced his feet still when he felt himself start to take an involuntary step back. “I don’t know what you have become, but it is not closer to Haneulnim.”

Young Nae remained sitting impassively. That he did not react emotionally to Master Han’s insult unnerved the priest even more. “Are you telling me there is no higher communion? Is it just a myth? Or is it a closely guarded secret. Is there an initiation? Is it like the Jews keeping their Kabala hidden until a follower gets to age fifty? If the secret exists anywhere, it would be here.”

“If you want to follow one of our heroes, then follow Hwanin, who begged God for the chance to redeem himself and mankind after falling from grace, by becoming more pure, more virtuous, more in touch with nature. When our founder and Great Master Choe Jeu discovered that God is in everyone, he also saw that anyone can live divinely. ‘Sicheonju, I serve God within me.’ You get there by living purely.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you. I am totally in touch with nature. How else could I do these things?” Young Nae sighed and shook his head. “If you will not tell me what I need to know, then I will arrange to see the temple Mudang shaman.”

“Absolutely not. You will not sully the shaman’s presence with your quest for power. This mastery you are so proud of is from evil. You must see that first, and turn away from it. You say you want to commune with God. Then look to the God within you and see that your path is corrupt. Maybe you can do amazing things, and maybe this means you are destined for greatness.”

He brightened with a thought. “Maybe this has been a test. What if Haneulnim has brought you to this precipice so you can see what real purity looks like? You said you brought someone back from the dead. Maybe you are destined to be a great healer. You could fulfill one of our principal ministries of removing suffering from the world. You could even help lead mankind into the coming age of selfless godliness, the Hucheon Gaebyeok.”

A long silence hung in the air. Neither man breathed. The cavernous hall itself seemed to hold its breath.

Young Nae regarded him coolly. Such a transparent attempt to lead him by his ego was further proof the old priest was hiding something. “Plying me with promises of greatness will not dissuade me from getting an answer to my question. Do you know how I can refine this connection between my God Within and the Tao?” He took a breath, not through his lungs, but through his pores—a breath of the energy around him. Then he unleashed it at the priest. “Tell me!”

The force of his words wracked Master Han’s body and flung him back. Still, the old man did not cave as Young Nae had hoped. When he turned back, Young Nae saw a tear run down his cheek. It was a tear of pity.

Young Nae sprang to his feet. “How dare you pity me? This is your chance to guide me, to be part of what I will become.” He stepped up to the priest and loomed over him. “Yet the best you can do is feel sorry for me, because you think I have been seduced by evil?” He crowded him more, intimidating him. “This is your last chance.”

Master Han looked up at him and Young Nae was pleased to see he had put real fear in those eyes. Yet, the priest’s voice was still steady. “If you strike down a servant of God, God will abandon you once and for all.”

“God won’t abandon me. God is the one who showed me the Way.”

“Did you kill your Silat master as well?”

“No. He taught me all that he knew, and I thanked him, very generously. I am making you the same offer now.”

“I don’t know the power you seek. Your redemption lies in turning away from this evil that has taken hold of your soul. It was just this kind of selfishness that our Great Master Choe was trying to eradicate by founding this church.”

Young Nae laughed at him. “Do you think you can eradicate me?”

“I am still in touch with your family. I will do everything in my power to stop you.”

Young Nae reached down into the pit of his anger and frustration and found a place colder and darker than he had ever felt before. “Too bad.” He thrust his fist out across the priest’s neck and down past his chest. It was as if his hand knew where to go, seeking out the right path instinctively. He felt his hand take hold of something and rip it out of his body. He didn’t physically touch the man. The man fell limp, instantly dead.

Young Nae stopped and looked, and realized what he had done. Had he really needed to kill his old priest? Yes, Master Han was the old path that had to be severed to find the new. He looked at his hand and felt it warm up again. He was surprised, and smiled a bit nervously. He looked down at the priest’s body, lying sprawled where it had dropped. “It seems I don’t need your secrets after all.”