"Practicing is in the daily life and daily life is in practicing"
"What is my true nature before the Universe appears?"
"Washing clothes and cooking is also practicing."
"Depend on the truth which does not appear nor disappear."
Brief History
- He was born in Seo san Chung Cheong Nam-do, 1914.
- He became a monk in 1942.
- Now he stays at Sudock-sa.
Do you want hear my story? Then listen. Have you heard about the karma. That means cause and effects. For example; If I hit some one then I would be hit. We should know this if we want to get out of the circle of life.
This is a story when Buddha lived. There was a monk called Hong do. He practiced for many lives during long time. One day when he rested under a pine tree, one of the pine cone fell down and hit him. By this time he got to be so angry and changed to a snake. He became a snake by only one time anger. Then why we don`t change to the snakes eventhough we get angry so many times.
Why? His faults was so thin so by long time practicing he got results so fast, but our faults are accumulated so thick that we get effect very slowly for long time. Only when we attain the truth then we can get out of the life and death. And we also free from the defilements. So all of us, monks or lay persons, should practice to be free from the life and death.
Then I`ll tell my story. It is up to you whether you make my story precious or valueless. But if you get something from it then you can add 90 years more, my life, to your age.
I became a monk when I was 17 years old. I had a friend who liked to fish. I didn`t like him do so I prevent to kill the living creatures, but he didn`t take my advice. One day a sudden wave rolled him and took him into the sea by the shore and he didn`t came back. With this accident I started to doubt about the life. Also I felt impermanence from everything. I wonder how I could not to die. So I asked every people as many as I could meet the recipe how not to die and I wanted to find my true self. I met a monk, I asked him how I could attain the true-self. He answered.
"There is great monk, whose name is Man kong. Only he can teach you how not to die."
I ran to him and asked. He advice me to meet a monk Oyung Eum sunim first.
Oyong Eum sunim taught me. "What is Buddha in Buddhism? It means the mind that doesn`t die. How can we transcend the death. If you really want to know, then you should be monk first."
That`s why I became a monk. I attended the kitchen work for first 10 years my monk`s life. After that I started to practice how to clean mind. I stayed good zen centers as many as I could. Sudock-sa, O dae-san, Baik yang-sa, Mahayeonin Kum kang-san.
I have worked very hardly as well as sitting-ze uptill now. Working is also good practice. An attendant said me " You are too old to work. I will do your work instead."
So I told him. "This is my practice. Do practice your won, let me do my own."
I don`t like to see monks who don`t practice hardly Now a days, we live in abundant in material, but lack in spirit. Buddha insisted that monks should keep only three clothes and a bowl for meal. But some monks wear leather shoes. It`s nonsense.
Temples should be abundant in spirit but lack in materials.
I kept a Kong An-What is true mind before the universe appeared.
At last I found that real I was that started to doubt who I am. So I found my self. But other point, it is wrong. The end is same point that starts. There`s no difference between start and end.
I think I will change my body soon. But my mind won`t change. That is only thing that doesn`t die. Our bodies are impermanent, they come and go ceaselessly. So we should think that only thing that doesn`t die when we are strong. Like the old cars which don`t work, old bodies are useless for practice. How should we practice?
Do by yourselves..