Brief History
- Was born on June 15 in 1910
- Became a monk under Tan Ong zen master`s teaching in 1929
- Stuied at Ong Gok University in Japan
- Finished Monk college of Kim Ong-sa temple
- Practiced at Mu Mun Kwan for 6 years
- Is a member of the Senior Committee of the Chogye Order
- Is the Residential Master in Jick Ji-sa temple
- Wrote the book of "Interpretation of _consciousness"
If you cut off the attachment to "I" then whole universe is yours. "Seeing clearly, hearing clearly and touching clearly is enlightenment."
Buddhism is the religion of enlightenment. And the Sutra is an explanation of the enlightenment. Among three treasures-Buddha truth and Sangha- with attaining the truth the Sangha becomes Buddha, without attaining the truth Sangha becomes Sangha. What did Buddha attain, he attained the meaning of life in which he saw clearly, heard clearly, and touched clearly. When heconnedted with the tree then he himself became a tree itself, and when he connected with the rock then he himself became a rock itself.
Buddha, who knew life, was a free man. He could transform his body as he wanted, sometimes big, sometimes little. Also he could disappear if he wanted. He was full of wisdom. His wisdom burns like fire.
And Buddha`s attitude was modest. He had 32 distinguished characters.
As for us, even though we are not enlightened, we can keep ourselves in good shape when we practice.
So it is virtuous if we can control our bodies, mouths, minds as we want. Confucious and Jesus are the saints who belong to this group who attained enlightenment.
It is said that we can be Buddha if we attain the truth, but there`s no definition of the truth. They are Arahats who know only the truth. They insist to live in the state of Nirvana.
In the Lotus Sutra, when Buddha was about to speak, he refused to speak for fear that the Arahats would not understand him. The Arahats left the place with saying like this"We have followed you over 40 years, so we`ve already known all about you, Why do you refuse to speak in front of us?"
This is pride. With such pride no one can enter the world of truth nor understand Lotus sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra. We can not pour water into glass that is full of water already.
Whoever wants to know the truth, should empty his thoughts. If he holds what he knows, then he will never understand the truth. For instance, we can`t see if dust comes into our eyes. Even the dust of gold is the same. So knowledge and information can also be an obstacles to understanding. An attachment to something leads us to wrong paths. Money, food, and medicine are no different. The universe is clear like a mirror so we should keep it clean and dustless.
Every word, deed what we did when we are alive is recorded or pictured meticulously. So after death when we go ;to next world we can see it clearly on the mirror. Also our sin will be weighed by the scale. This is the law of Avatamsaka of Universe. If we got enlightenment we can see past and future. But why can`t we see? Because of the greed in mind.
In old China, there was a custom to bury the properties he had slaves and concubines he loved together. So lots of people were buried alive. In the dynasty of Jin in old China, there was Wi mubu he was 70 years old man but he married with a young lady of 20 years old. He had a son Kwa, so he used to say to his son to let his young wife get married after he died. But just before he died he changed his mind and he wanted to go with his beloved wife. But after his father died, his son considered his father`s contradictory will and he decided to let his young mother get married with the a other man. His neighbor said badly about his deed not following to his father`s will. But Kwa said " I followed my father`s will he left when he was sane. I could no follow his will he left when he was out of his mind.
A few years later, Kwa became a General to fight in the battle. One day he worried about the strong enemy and saw a man with white hair tying the grasses busily. All the enemy fell down from the horses by the grasses. So he got a victory. That night he saw a man in his dream and the old man answered his question that he was his young mother`s father. He said that he would like to pay back his gratitude. The word" Pay back by tying the grasses" came from this story.
There`s another story.
There was a man who got a jewel from the sea. With the jewel he could get everything. After his death, his two daughters declined to take it for each other courteously. So they decided to throw it away in the sea. But they found another one by the sea. If we keep clear mind we can be virtuous. If we throw I, my, me the we can get whole universe and anocktarasamackcksambodhi. Consciousness means considering I, my, me and ignorance of the whole universe is one.
With this consciousness, we can get six roots inside and six dusts outside they become 18 realms. Without stopping we born and die.
After Enlightenment, every thing is one. This is the primary point. It is life. It is God in christianity. We refer our minds to mystic emptiness. We should know that the life of Universe is one. You and I are the same not different.
One day Mazo walked with his best student, Back Jang. They saw the wild geese flying over the river. Mazo asked Back Jang. " Can you see the birds?" "Yes."
Late he asked again. "Do you see the birds?" "No. They are gone." With this saying Mazo picked up Back Jang`s nose and twisted it. "Ouch!" " Here is a bird. Why did you say they`re gone?"Without enlightenment, he can`t understand the bird and he himself are the same. According the great zenmaster Eusang "The nature of the universe is full and same." I`ll give you nice song from the Nature of the Universe.
Sat with clear mind
Sky and ground are in my eyes
Friends came from far
They are the bright moon and the clear wind