7

A moon in the mind twinkles solitude by swallowing the light of ten thousand worlds. What is this? a single question appears as one forgets the border of the light. -Yeol-Ban-song (an enlightenment song of dying) at Sudeok-sa

8

When to give a dharma talk? Whenever a man came to Gyeongheo to seek out the seonsa’s dharma talk while he was staying at Cheonjang-sa, one could never get a single word from Gyeongheo. Yet if a man brought some herbal wine asking for a dharma talk, then Gyeongheo would reward him with many words. One day a student of Gyeongheo who didn’t agree with the Zen Master’s peculiar behaviour asked him a question. “I wonder why you only give talks to the people bringing wine. If there’s no wine, you don’t offer any dharma talk to anybody. How so? How come you teach people only if they bring liquor? You must teach people equally regardless of what’s in their hands!” Gyeongheo answered. “When your mind is clear like a mirror, you don’t need any dharma talk to understand the truth. The truth is always there with no words and you become the truth already. So why talk? However if you get drunk, there are a lot of things to say because you are in a drunken state. The truth can deceive you, so that you talk”

9

One day there was a Buddhist purification ancestral ceremony at Cheonjang-sa. It was for the wealthiest family in town, who offered loads of food to the temple for hosting their ancestor’s purification ceremony. Beautifully arranged rice cakes, fresh fruits, and appetising dishes were elaborately arrayed on the ceremonial alter at Cheonjang-sa.

Knowing that at the time there was a national famine spreading across the country, a lot of

famers, peasants, and people were always in hunger and frequently they were dying of starvation. So whenever there were any big Buddhist ceremonies in town, hungry people could get a good chance to fill their hungry stomachs. As soon as there was news floated around town that Cheonjang-sa would be hosting a purification ceremony, all the people came to get some food. Piles of people were watching the ceremony outside the temple to get their meal. As the ceremony was about to start, Gyeongheo seonsa noticed that people watching this ceremony are all in hunger. What they really wanted was not to wish the rich family’s ancestor’s fortune after their death, but to get some food so that they could gain some food for the day. Gyeongheo, all of a sudden, started coming out to the alter displayed colourful and delicious dishes at centre. He grabbed the cookies and rice-cakes from the arranged dishes on the alter in front of all the public and began to hand over the food to the observing audience. The abbot of Cheonjang-sa, Taeheo sunim, was so upset about his behaviour in public. All other monks watching this scene were also quite shocked to see this situation. Taeheo yelled, ‘What on earth are you doing now? You are not supposed to touch the food before the ceremony. How come you give the food to the people now, and not after this ceremony? That is for the their ancestor!!’ Gyeongheo said, “This is the true way of doing purification for their dearly departed. If they want to go to a pure land after death, they have to clarify their previous bad karma only by compassion like offering food to the people in hunger. So people watching this ceremony today came to this temple to get food. If we give them the food right at this moment, it is the best way to clarify the ancestor’s karma, thus they can reach the pure land quicker, I believe.” All the monks and Buddhists at the spot bowed to him.

True purification

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One day as Gyeongheo seonsa was staying at the hermitage of Gaeshim-sa, he was drinking some tea with his apprentices and reciting a Seon poem.

Which one is the true way of getting the truth of enlightenment? As clouds occur on the southern mountain, rain falls down on the northern mountain.

As he finished reciting, he asked a question to his students drinking tea together ‘What does this mean?’ All of sudden, Hanam who was one of his students sipping tea answered ‘I see the roof tile as I open the window’.

Next day Gyeongheo seonsa announced to the public during dharma talk “Hanam’s practice already has opened the gate of enlightenment.”

Gaeshim-sa

*(Gaeshim: opening the gate of enlightenment)

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Visiting the Seon Hall

It was a hard climb to get to the fairyland Where a man attained enlightenment in quietude. The monastery was very small but it was friendly with its entire surroundings, Even with the visiting stars hung on the empty railings. The canopy, the blue dragons, and the heavenly guardians are all discoloured, And the towering rock is as blue as a ghost. Yet it looks more like the spirit of the dead monk, And the fleeing clouds and passing birds are flitting in the dark of the forest.

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The Song of Meditation

All of a sudden, it came to my mind that everything is but a dream. All the heroes and great people of the timeless ages are in their graves. What is the use of prosperity and honour in the face of death? Alas! My life is but a tiny dewdrop at the end of a blade of grass, A feeble candlelight before the wind.