The Dharma Master Chǒngsan of Won Buddhism: Analects and Writings

Preface

vii Preface This book is an introduction to the teachings of Song Kyu (1900–1962; “Chŏngsan”), whose lifetime aspiration and plan was to help realize in the New World “one harmonious family under Heaven, with morality.” Chŏngsan had begun to formulate this aspiration in childhood, when Korea lost its national identity under the Japanese occupation and the Korean people began to suffer much hardship. While wandering in search of a mentor, the young Chŏngsan encountered Pak Chungbin (1891–1943; “Sot’aesan”), who was in the process of establishing a new religious order following his spiritual awakening in 1916. Sot’aesan ushered Chŏngsan into the new order as its “chief codifier.” As the order’s chief codifier, Chŏngsan helped Sot’aesan systematize the central doctrine of the new order until Sot’aesan’s death in 1943, when he succeeded Sot’aesan as head dharma master of the order. This book includes Chŏngsan’s analects and some of his writings before and after his inauguration as the second patriarch of the order of Won Buddhism. The translations in this book consist mostly of moral and religious discourses that Chŏngsan delivered during his tenure as head dharma master. In 1972, ten years after Chŏngsan’s death, the Chŏngsan chongsa pŏbŏ (Dharma words of Master Chŏngsan) was published as one of the order’s two sacred books. The book consists of Sejŏn (Canon of the world) and Pŏbŏ (Dharma words); the former is Chŏngsan’s own writing, the latter a compilation of his analects. In 1982, a second collection of Chŏngsan’s moral and religious discourses, the Hanuran hanich’i‑e (With one truth within one fence), was published, which is an invaluable source for Chŏngsan’s insights into the question of moral perfection. In 2000, I translated the Chŏngsan chongsa pŏbŏ as The Dharma Words of Master Chŏngsan for use within the Won Buddhist order. For viii / Preface this volume, I have redacted that canonized version to present Chŏngsan’s moral, religious, and philosophical thought in ways more suited to a general readership. I deleted three chapters of the Dharma Words, moving some sections from those chapters into other, thematically appropriate chapters. I have inserted more than eighty sections from the Hanuran hanich’i‑e (With one truth within one fence) into the Dharma Words and added a new chapter, “Moral Culture,” which comprises sections from the Dharma Words and the Hanuran hanich’i‑e. This reordering of material better reflects Chŏngsan’s teaching that moral culture is essential for the New World, a central theme that is scattered throughout Dharma Words. The provenance of each of these collected and rearranged sections is given in parentheses at the end of each section. The translation consists of three parts: Part One is the Canon of the World (Sejŏn) with no changes from the canonized version; Part Two, Dharma Words (Pŏbŏ), has been redacted as described above; and Part Three, “Other Selected Writings,” includes sections that can help understand Chŏngsan’s central thought. Chŏngsan’s “Ode to the Consummate Enlightenment” (1937) reveals his views of the ultimate principle of the universe, and the natural laws governing the vicissitude of life. The section “On Irwŏnsang” (1937) outlines the central doctrine of Won Buddhism systematized in the Pulgyo chŏngjŏn (Correct canon of Buddhism), as can be seen in the section “Truth, Faith, and Practice of Irwŏnsang.” I had the rare fortune to be a student of Master Chŏngsan for seven years, from 1955 to 1962, at the headquarters of Won Buddhism in Iksan City, South Korea. It is my hope that this translation of his sayings and writings will serve to make his wisdom and insights better known to a general readership. It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge my indebtedness to those who gave me such unstinting support for the publication of this work. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Professor Sung Bae Park for his initial examination of this project and decision to make this volume a part of SUNY series in Korean studies. I also thank Nancy Ellegate at SUNY Press for her help throughout the process of the publication of this book. My appreciation goes to the University of Hawai'i Press for permitting me to reproduce two sections of The Scriptures of Won Buddhism, “Section One: The Truth...