Master Hyujeong, Protector of the Nation

By Chun Ock-bae

Master Hyujeong (1520-1604) is commonly known as Seosan Daesa (the Great Master of the Western Mountain). He is a central figure of Joseon Kingdom Buddhism because of his patriotic contribution to the defense of his motherland during his role as leader of the monks' militia during the Japanese invasion of Korea.

The Land of Morning Calm, was invaded in 1592. Master Hyujeong, even at his advanced age of 72, on his own accord took command of a monk militia, and together with troops from the Ming Dynasty, he recaptured Pyongyang and fought to the bitter end, until the war concluded with the consummation of a peace treaty with Japan.

Korean Buddhism is perceived to be a protector of the nation and its people. From the beginning, it has played a vital role in times of turmoil and crisis. Since Buddhism was introduced during the Three Kingdoms, it has played a distinctive role of as a defender of the people against a long and painful history of foreign invasions.

Hyujeong was also an influential teacher and writer, who is said to have guided hundreds of students, a number of whom became eminent ``Seon'' masters, or meditation masters. He played a major role in consolidating the forms of study and the practice of Korean Seon which would, by and large, remain in place in modern times.

He claimed that meditation and the understanding of doctrines are not inseparable, both are essential as two wings of a bird on the path to enlightenment. However, he considered doctrines a gateway to practice and meditation a more effective way to find truth.

Hyujeong also made an effort to harmonize Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. He believed that the essence of their teachings was identical: to teach the truth of the mind. Like most monks of the Joseon period, he had been initially educated in Neo-Confucian philosophy. Dissatisfied, he wandered through the mountain monasteries, eventually joining the Buddhist order.

Hyujeong used the ``mind'' as the object of his lifelong ``hwadu'' (object of meditation; great question). The theme of Hyujeong's many books, including the ``Seonga Gwigam,'' is the mind. In the ``Seonga Gwigam,'' he represented the mind in terms of it being ``a single thing'' (ilmul). His view was that the mind alone is the mother of the universe, that it is the foundation of humanity, heaven and earth. He noted that it is within the mind that the division of good and evil, along with all ideologies and assertions, are born.

Starting from the main premise that Seon is to assimilate Buddha's mind, ``Gyo'' (doctrinal study) is Buddha's word, Hyujeong advanced the idea that with Seon as the principal and Gyo as the subordinate, one could proceed to enlightenment, and thus he placed Seon superior to Gyo. Seon is the arrival at the wordless truth, accomplished through silence, without a word. Gyo is the arrival to the wordless world, accomplished through edification in the scriptures.

Therefore, he noted that Gyo is a method that, following the teachings of Buddha, examines every dharma, and teaches the principles of emptiness. Seon is entering directly into this principle of emptiness and experiencing it, and Patriarchal Seon, in particular, cuts into the space where meaning takes place, forming the principle of emptiness in the mind's foundation.

Moreover, he warned that no matter how diligently one practices Seon, without precepts only ``evil wisdom'' could be created, and though monks and nuns may focus on the practice of Seon meditation in order to achieve enlightenment, it is critical for them to work together in maintaining the mind's fundamental precepts, those that help each of us guard against the temptations of one's environment, as well as those that help us collectively purify our thoughts, words and deeds.

Master Hyujeong was a first-rate Seon master and the author of a number of important religious texts, the most important of which is his ``Seonga Gwigam'' (Mirror for Seon), a guide to Seon practice which is studied by Korean monks even to this day. Seonga Gwigam is a collection of teachings and aphorisms from classical Seon [Chan] and pre-Chan literature offering instruction on Seon practice, along with commentary by Hyujeong. It is an important practice manual in Korean Seon Buddhism.

In Seonga Gwigam, Hyujeong offers an inclusive vision of Buddhist cultivation that recognizes the value of varying approaches. From a traditional Buddhist viewpoint, the work is well balanced: it stresses the importance of the precepts, discusses training in concentration, and provides general words of caution to those treading the path to awakening.

Master Seosan considered the Buddhist texts to be of the utmost importance. Yet he also knew that the enormous amount of Buddhist sutras and commentarial literature was an obstacle to students of Buddhism. In his own introduction of Seonga Gwigam, he explains that ``... the Buddhist sutras are as numerous as the sea is vast and this causes much concern. Buddhists in the future will have to pick through too many leaves and branches in order to find the essence. Therefore, I have extracted and summarized several hundred passages from various texts and I have written them down in one book.'' His valuable words of wisdom have been a constant inspiration to Korean Seon monks and remains as relevant and applicable as ever.

He died at the age of 85, leaving behind some 1,000 disciples, 70 of whom were monks and nuns, and many of whom later played prominent roles in the spread of Joseon Buddhism.