Songgwang Temple Spreads Monastic Jewel
By David A. Mason
Contributing Writer
Just two weeks ago the front page of this newspaper was topped by photos of the death and funeral of Master Beop Jeong (1932-2010). The passing of this highly-respected yet humble monk, famous for his collections of essays such as ``Freedom from Possessions," touched the heart of this nation. Many may have wondered why his corpse was taken from Gilsang Temple in Seoul down to a remote southern monastery for his cremation. The answer is a long story.
Back in 1982, I was intrigued to
hear about a grand temple located at a remote mountain far from Seoul that contained what was at that time Korea's only international meditation center with non-Korean monks in residence. When I finally went there, I spoke with a French bhikuni nun living a Korean monastic lifestyle, and she was able to explain to me the reason that spiritual-minded foreigners were flocking to such a faraway site to learn and practice ``seon" (Korean Zen Buddhism).
The incentive was that there was one of the 20th century's greatest enlightened seon masters, then the only one willing to teach in English, and the context of that monastery's proud history of fostering many "living Buddhas" like him. I discovered Songgwang Temple, one of Korea's most profound sacred sites and one of its ``Three Jewels Temples."
Songgwang Monastery was first established as the little-known Gilsang Temple near the end of the Silla Kingdom era, on the western slope of Mt. Songgwang (Spreading Pines) in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.
However, its importance within the history of Korean Buddhism goes back to a doctrinal dispute just beginning to divide the religion in those days. Seon or purely-meditational Buddhist sects had been brought in from Tang Dynasty China and taken root as the "Nine Mountain Schools," in sharp contrast to the conventionally-dominant ``gyo" scholastic sects that emphasized study of Buddhist scriptures and devotional practices. Throughout the late Silla period and the beginning of the subsequent Goryeo Kingdom (935-1390), monks of these two kinds of Buddhism struggled for dominance and governmental favor. Both religious and royal leaders unsuccessfully strove to find a way to reconcile and unite them for the sake of national harmony.
The master who finally accomplished this crucial task was called Ji-nul, now known by his title ``Bojo-guksa," which literally means ``Master of Universal Illumination." Born in 1158, around Goryeo's cultural peak, he became dissatisfied with the quality and dedication of most of his fellow monks and the debilitating effects of the dispute between the seon and gyo schools. He therefore set out walking around the nation visiting minor temples in remote areas, practicing on his own without the guidance of any particular master, a very unusual course for a young monastic. He had three progressive spiritual-awakening experiences while reading and meditating at various southern temples, and along the way founded a new type of monastic association called the ``Retreat-Community of Concentration and Wisdom," realizing the first step of his great reformist dream.
The reputation of this group spread, and many more of the younger monastics joined them. Jinul moved his growing brotherhood to the still-minor Gilsang Temple in 1200, seeing that this auspicious location near the southern coast had plenty of room for growth while still maintaining the integrity of monastic discipline.
Based on his experience of three successive awakenings, Jinul developed his own sect of Buddhism that reconciled the competing seon and gyo approaches. His approach of combining traditional seon concentration with devotional and wisdom practices, including study, repentance, prostrations, chanting and contemplation, resulted in a step-by-step process of broad enlightenment, proved agreeable for dozens of generations of Korean monks, and continues in the present day.
Monks and officials all over the nation admired his teachings and the practices of his community, and King Huijong of Goryeo decided to lend his own respect and support, in order to unify the national Buddhist schools at last. He granted Jinul the title Bojo-guksa, and approved renaming the mountain Mt. Jogye, after the mountain in southern China where Sixth Zen Patriarch Huineng had taught. Gilsang's name was changed to ``Suseon," meaning Practicing Meditation, and later on to ``Songgwang,'' meaning Spreading Pines Monastery, taking the mountain's original name. National Master Jinul Bojo's new school became known as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It has remained the nation's dominant Buddhist spiritual sect for exactly 800 years since he passed away (attaining final nirvana) while still gripping his staff of office in 1210.
Several monks from Jinul Bojo's lineage succeeded him in the royally-appointed position of ``Guksa" (National Master). A total of 16 great monks based at this monastery attained that exalted rank, beyond the hundreds said to have achieved enlightenment there, a legacy matched by no other temple. Koreans say that this record was predicted by the acquired name Songgwang Temple itself, because those characters can be interpreted as implying 18 top-ranking resident masters spreading the Buddhist teachings far and wide.
Songgwang Temple is said to have once featured 16 hermitages on the pine-covered slopes dedicated to them. Only eight still remain today. Monks consider it a privilege to live and practice in any of them, to follow in the footsteps of so many former enlightened sages produced by the ``Retreat-Community of Concentration and Wisdom."
That very legacy is why the temple is known as ``the Temple of the Sangha-Jewel," completing the well-known conceptual-set of Korea's ``Three Jewels Temples."
Since the ancient days Buddhism has been said to gain its vitality from its ``three treasures," also translated as ``three jewels": Buddha, Dharma and Sangha (``Bul,'' ``Beob'' and ``Seung''). The "Buddha Jewel" means the reality of Sakyamuni Buddha attaining enlightenment on this earth. The ``Dharma Jewel" means the Buddhist doctrines that potentially guide all sentient beings to overcome their suffering, and the ``Sangha Jewel" means the community of monastics that preserve, practice, develop and spread those profound teachings. These correspond to the ancient Tripitaka or ``three baskets" division of the Buddhist scriptures that was described in my second article of this series. Buddhist believers commonly pledge in chanted-prayer to "take refuge in" these three treasures, as their sacred touchstones and guides as they progress towards higher realization.
Therefore, Tongdo Temple with its relics of Sakyamuni is called the Buddha-Jewel Temple (see my 4th article), Haein Temple with its Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks is the Dharma-Jewel Temple (3rd article) and Songgwang Temple completes the set as the Sangha-Jewel Temple. This system of the "Three Jewels Temples" representing the primary treasures of Buddhism is unique to Korea.
Songgwang's legacy continued throughout the 20th century. During the dramatic revival of Korea's seon traditions and the Jogye Order, some of the most famous and important Patriarchs of Meditational Buddhism have studied, practiced and exercised leadership here, such as Hyobong (1888-1966) and Gusan (1910-1983)
Master Gusan led its reconstruction by the 1970s and then established Korea's first International Seon Center within it, training the first foreigners ever to become Korean Jogye monks and nuns. This led to highly successful missionary works resulting in dozens of overseas temples, and dozens of non-Korean monastics practicing here. Songgwang Temple gained further international reputation by being featured in the popular books and articles by UCLA's professor Robert Buswell.
The tangible legacy of Songgwang Temple now includes three designated National Treasures, ``Guksa-jeon'' or National Master's Hall (No. 56), a wooden Buddha Triad-Statue (No. 42) and an original Edict of Goryeo King Gojong (No. 43). Those items listed as treasures on a national scale include the "Sweet Dew" stone pagoda erected after Jinul Bojo's death and a stele inscribed with his biography.
The templestay program held here for the past seven years, emphasizing seon practice, is very popular with all kinds of visitors.
All these factors have led to the lofty reputation of Songgwang Temple. Its legacy is the very reason that beloved Master Beob Jeong was brought back for cremation at this serene place where he had once practiced wisdom and concentration. Up to a hundred monks now follow his example and that of the patriarchs gone-before.