Yeongjae Meets Bandits永才遇賊
1No Sign of Fear before the Blade
永才遇賊釋永才性滑稽不累於物善郷歌.暮嵗将隐于南岳至大峴嶺,遇賊六十餘人.将加害才臨刄無懼色怡然當之.賊恠而問其名曰,永才.賊素聞其名,乃命□□□作歌.其辭曰.“自矣心米皃史毛逹只将來呑隐日,逺鳥逸□□過出知遣,今呑藪未去遣省如.但非乎隠焉破□主,次弗□史内於都還於尸朗也,此兵物叱沙過乎好尸曰沙也内乎呑尼,阿耶唯只伊吾音之叱恨隐㵛陵隐安攴尚宅都乎隐以多.”
Yeongjae meets bandits.
The monk Yeongjae (永才) was humorous by nature, unbound by things, and skilled in native songs.
In his old age he meant to hide on Namak, and when he reached Daehyeollyeong he met more than sixty bandits.
They were about to harm him, but Yeongjae faced the blade without a sign of fear and met them calmly.
The bandits thought this strange and asked his name, and he said Yeongjae.
The bandits had long heard his name, so they had him compose a song.
Its words are these:
⟪Hyangga⟫
自矣心米皃史毛逹只将來呑隐日 逺鳥逸□□過出知遣 今呑藪未去遣省如 但非乎隐焉破□主 次弗□史内於都還於尸朗也 此兵物叱沙過乎好尸曰沙也内乎呑尼 阿耶 唯只伊吾音之叱恨隐㵛陵隐 安攴尚宅都乎隐以多
2He Throws the Silk on the Ground
賊感其意贈之綾二端.才笑而前謝曰,“知財賄之爲地獄根夲,将避於窮山以餞一生,何敢受焉.”乃投之地.賊又感其言,皆釋釼投戈落髮爲徒,同隐智異不復蹈世.才年僅九十矣在元聖大王之世.讃曰.䇿杖歸山意轉深,綺紈珠玊豈治心.綠林君子休相贈.地獄無根只寸金.
The bandits were moved by his meaning and gave him two bolts of silk.
Yeongjae laughed, stepped forward, and declined.
"I know that wealth is the root of hell, and I am going to hide in the deep mountains to see out my life. How could I dare accept it?"
And he threw it on the ground.
The bandits were moved by his words too. They all put down their swords, threw away their spears, shaved their heads, and became his followers. Together they hid on Jirisan and never set foot in the world again.
Yeongjae was then barely ninety, and it was in the reign of Great King Wonseong.
In praise it is said:
Leaning on his staff he returns to the mountain, his purpose deeper still; how could silk and pearls and jade govern the heart? Gentlemen of the greenwood, do not offer gifts. Hell has no root but a single inch of gold.