16. WORDS CONCERNING THE EPITAPH

In order to engraft now, gold plate has to be used for the connection. But are yours copper plates, brass plates, or silver plates? What is your plate? You yourselves know that well. What kind of plates? A plate with patches or a single-colored plate of pure gold? (The color of pure gold.) Who answered that? As I stare at you, I know you had much concern for your family. Well? Even though you had much concern for your mother and father, was it for tribal restoration? Don't you ask your mother and father? I am telling you to restore your tribe now, but didn't I tell you to do that before? In my eyes, there are many things that bother me.

Although I buried in through Seung Hwa ceremonies in Paju those 36-Couple Blessed members who passed away, some people brought tombstones and erected them without approval. I gave a strict order, "Don't create an epitaph for Heung Jin." Someone inquired, so I explained. I visited my hometown and could not erect an epitaph for my parents. Which is correct? Are my words correct, or not? We have to first solve the resentment of ancestors, and then you have the responsibility to make sons and daughters live.

Is there an epitaph for Heung Jin at his won jon, or not? (No) There is a responsibility to find the nation and, with the title of loyal vassal centered on the nation, to liberate ancestors from resentment toward their parents. It is principled to erase all bad epitaphs and in the same way as the declaration of victorious heaven's eternal blessing to leave the epitaph, "Our parents are ancestors of goodness," and then to take care of sons and daughters.

I go and look at the tombstones. I did not teach to do that. These people erect tombstones for deceased wives with an epitaph praising, "She went out witnessing here and there..." How much is that going to be a cross once they go to the spirit world? People will point fingers at them and say, "This fellow did this without fulfilling his responsibility!" (220:149)