Cheon Seong Gyeong: Episode 178

Cheon Seong Gyeong Book 6: True Creation
Chapter 4: A Vision for Nature and the Ocean
Section 4: The Deep Meaning of Ocean Fishing, 05-16

(5)  I know exactly what temperature is right for fishing. I already know what species of fish are found at certain water temperatures. When you drop the fishing line a couple of times, the fish already nibble the bait. So if I reel the line in fast, the fish come up. When the line is reeled in slowly, the hook tends to sink down. While slowly reeling in the line, you should know how fast the water is flowing on the surface. By assessing the water temperature, I know at what depth the king salmon will swim. Usually salmon remain on the bottom because they find lots of food there. Crabs and other small sea creatures live on the seabed, so the salmon like to gather there.

(6)  I don t go out to the ocean only for the sake of fishing. The spirit of Alaska is the spirit of the salmon. Salmon come back to their birthplace to lay their eggs after swimming four to five thousand miles. For human beings the course of restoration is similar. We should know how to go home even though we are thousands of miles away. No fishing is more exciting than catching salmon. You can't imagine how strong they are! Usually for other fish, winding the reel a few times is enough, but for salmon, you must wind it many more times.

(7) I am quite good at fishing. I have fished day and night for forty days at a time.  The fish I try to catch are not the kinds that immediately rush to eat the bait. I am waiting for the big one even as I say, "Bite this! Gather here, little fish!" But I am waiting for the big fish to come, and I will catch that one. Likewise, when you witness to people it is the same. You go out to witness without knowing whether anyone is coming or not. However, the time will come to pull in the line. We need to wait. It doesn't matter how long; we need to be patient, with high expectations. Since we have this standard, we don't need to be impatient or in a hurry to witness to everyone at once.

(8)  Sitting in a boat with a fishing rod gives you a feeling of immense freedom, beyond description. Can you take a walk on a boat? You only have a small space in which to move about and cook your meals. Can you go to the theater or go out to meet your friends? You cannot even listen to music because you need to remain silent. For this reason, you must gaze at the ocean and talk with the sea and the heavens. It is the greatest feeling to be at sea alone in the very place where the ocean and heaven become one. Out there God is alone and I am alone, so we can get together and unite in heart. I might be the only one in history to go out fishing thinking these kinds of thoughts. Why do I continually go out to sea? There are many spiritual benefits. If I stay at home all day I become distracted and end up thinking about the missionaries around the world, church problems, and other matters, and I can't deal with all I have to take care of. But when I go out to sea I can think more comprehensively. Because of this, I love the ocean so much. I believe that is why the concept of cultivating oneself through fishing came about.

(9)  Whenever I go fishing, or anywhere else, I always think a lot. If you go fishing ten times you think ten times; if you go a hundred times you think a hundred times. If you think one hundred times while going fishing ten times, you can advance ahead of other people.

(10)  Hunting is exercise for the sake of your physical health, and fishing is for the sake of your mental health. You tend to reflect on your life and think a lot when sitting down and fishing. It is amazing that you can actually have such a time. You can analyze your past and plan for your future. It can be your most important time. You can calmly reflect on yourself with dignity. This is absolutely necessary. In the East, this is called cultivating oneself through fishing. After fishing for a couple of years, you will want to free the fish and put aside all thoughts of eating the fish you catch. That is the true way. The desire to eat simply vanishes. Thus you can cultivate your mental and ethical development. By learning such things you can rid yourself of cruel tendencies. If you are a leader of a certain department, you will become a gentleman toward your people. Fishing provides a way to cultivate your character and create harmony among people.

(11)  History is creating a new world. No one can tell me I'm wrong about this; I'm not ashamed to say it. When I see the face of a fish, I speak to it. All-day while fishing I say, "You have never seen a person like me, right? My purpose is not to catch you. I want to mobilize you, and based on this fishing ground I want to solve the problem of hunger for humankind. Did you know that is the purpose of your creation? If that's the case, the one who catches you will not be doing anything wrong."

(12)  When I fish, I say to the fish, "Please come. I am your owner, your master." Then all the fish come to me and I feed them. Because of that, I can always catch more fish than others around me. Other fishermen feel this is strange and cannot understand it. If you do things centered on the vertical God, this is what happens. In that circumstance, also, a different, brilliant ray emerges. You have an average light, but I emit a special ray of light. The fish see that light, so even if I push them away, saying, "Don't come," they still flock to me.

(13)  When I go fishing, I always free the first fish I catch. I free it with the heart of God, who released it after creating it. Also, I have not eaten any of the fish I have caught. Even so, I cannot allow the fish to die a natural death when there are 20 million of God's sons and daughters starving to death every year. I say to myself, I catch you to save the 20 million starving sons and daughters of God. Fish are caught on my hooks much more often than on the hooks of others. This is because of my devotion. Whether animal or plant, since the principle is that they were created to serve human beings, fish should feel grateful for my attitude. With this mindset, if I go to a fishing tournament, I can catch fish just fine when others cannot. It is because of my devotion. I think, "Hey, fish, I cannot dive into the water museum that God created, so why don't you just jump out of the water so I can appreciate the joy God wants me to feel?" Then the fish come and it is easy for me to catch them.

(14)  If you have true love everything is possible, everything unites. From the animal world to the plant world, and even to the venomous snake, everything protects me. When I go fishing I say, protect me. I tell the fish, "This is for true love. I am trying to save all the people who are starving. God is shedding tears out of His desire to feed them. With that heart, I am catching you. I'm catching you not for myself but for my posterity, all human beings, and so you have to forgive me." That's how I think and what I say. So I always release the first fish that I catch, instead of eating it, as a sacrificial offering to God. Anyone who is given love is willing to offer their life. Suppose there are twelve people on my boat; still I catch one-third of the total catch. Those people say, "The fish recognize you, Father, so they are biting your bait!"

(15)  Trying to catch fish from a boat on the blue ocean can be compared to God's providential work of restoration and salvation. The fish represent fallen people. If you prepare everything, use good bait, and tie a sturdy line to a fine fishing rod, you should catch many fish. But you will not be able to catch a single fish if your skill is poor, the line is weak, the bait is spoiled or the fishing rod is worthless. It is all the same. Our life of faith is like catching fish.

(16)  If you want to succeed in this world, you must put yourself in the position of a fishing rod and set it up with a good fishing line and good bait. Only then can you fish effectively. Fish are not caught easily. You reap the harvest when all the corresponding conditions are met. Without these conditions, you cannot bring in the harvest. We are not living alone. We live together with all of creation, with all humankind, with heaven and earth and with God. We must see with the eyes of all humankind, with good eyes, good senses, and good bodies. We should realize that God sees and owns our five senses and our body. The person who lives like this and feels like this doesn't need religion.