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Staff Reporter
Yu Young-mo (1890-1981)
Yu was a thinker and follower of Lee Seung-hun who founded Osan School and later led the March 1 Independence Movement.
He was a teacher of Ham Seok-heon, a philosopher who later devoted himself to the non-violence movement in Korea.
Yu thought that the country had been destroyed by the ideology of the privileged noble class and suggested the democratic and progressive idea that ``ssial'' (ordinary people) should be the master that should be served.
Unlike Ham who actively engaged in social activities, Yu stressed self-training, meditation and an ascetic life.
He hid from society to soul-search and meditate for democracy and peace in the nation.
With the sun burnt face of a farmer, he went to an agricultural village to spend his life working, meditating and serving with love.
When he was 51, he went into a state of deep meditation and, on top of Samgak Mountain, had an experience of his body becoming one with heaven and earth. Yu used to eat only one meal a day.
He did not distinguish death from life. He freed himself from desire and knowledge.
He thought that the real freedom of life was when he emptied his mind and discarded the desire for possessions, and enjoyed his life in this freedom.
From his deep spiritual understanding, he cultivated a philosophy for a practical life. Based on Christianity, he combined Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism to produce a thought that can be globally adopted.
He thought that the strength of a nation comes from the qualities of being honest to God and having the mind of God.
Yu was the first thinker who spoke and wrote about philosophy in the Korean language.
He practiced the life of a monk in Christianity. And he was a great philosopher who combined the spirits and philosophies of the East and West.
Ham Seok-heon (1901-1989)
Ham was a non-violent pacifist thinker and follower of Yu Young-mo. Unlike Yu, Ham was active in various social activities to bring democracy, and shared the suffering of the people. He represented thoughts of the grassroots through various channels such as the media, lectures and books.
He participated in the March 1 Independence Movement as a high school student. After that, he learned the passion and spirit of sacrifice for the country from Lee Seung-hun, a founder of Osan School.
Ham didn't restrict himself within the fence of the church as he pursued the renewal of the nation. He taught about Christian faith, national pride and scientific spirit to students at Osan School for 10 years.
He was imprisoned six times for his involvement in the independence movement under Japanese colonial rule. Throughout this time, he learned from the lives and spirits of independence fighters Ahn Chang-ho and Lee Seung-hun, and later led movements for independence and democracy.
Having one meal a day like his teacher Yu, he practiced long meditation and examined the inner world of himself.
By this, he could get into a state of deep spirituality and transcendental freedom and reached the love and faith that could hold everything in the heart.
He thought that people not only have to believe Jesus, but also have to follow his life to save the world.
Ham's independent but universal philosophy of life was based on his own experience in body and mind.
One of his books, ``The Meaning of Korean History,'' a long-time best-seller, shows how the Christian faith can truly exist together with the national spirit.
His deep faith, passion for the nation, democratic views and philosophy for the world peace can also be found in that book. His writings and thoughts are persuasive in the real world because they come from the author's own experiences of life and history.
Ham criticized the nationalistic civilization pursuing competition and conquest. He combined the Christian spirit, a scientific way of thinking and a nature-friendly life philosophy of Korea and wider Asia to create a philosophy that covers both Eastern and Western civilizations and will contribute to the peace of the world.
According to him, God is in and with ``ssial'' as in the meaning of ordinary people. So, ssial was engrained in the center of history and the universe. His nonviolence and peace philosophy stresses love that individuals should have when they stand among the whole community.
chungay@koreatimes.co.kr
