Book Introduction

The author, Master Baek Bong, lived a life far from Buddhism until the age of 56. At 57, he began meditating on the koan(hwadu), and attained enlightenment within a year. Despite having encountered the Diamond Sutra for the first time, he was so overcome with ecstasy that he composed verses for each chapter of the sutra overnight. This book offers a comprehensive and uninterrupted sermon, grounded in his own personal experience, rather than traditional Buddhist lecture.

This book actively and creatively presents the expedient method of emptiness, which had previously been limited to a passive understanding, presenting the "self as emptiness" as an absolute and subjective source that transcends all relative worlds. Since this "self as emptiness" is the fundamental foundation, it asserts that even birth and death are our right and our own actions. Furthermore, it presents a traditional expedient method of koan based on the "self as emptiness." * Source: Yes24

Biography of Baekbong Kim Ki-chu

He was born on February 2, 1908, in Yeongdo, Busan. With a bold and rebellious spirit, he had a turbulent youth, including serving a year in Busan Prison for participating in the anti-Japanese nationalist movement. After liberation, he worked in the educational field and began studying Buddhism late in life, in his fifties. While diligently practicing the "nothingness" koan, he suddenly attained great enlightenment in January 1964.

"Suddenly I hear the sound of a bell. Where did it come from?
The quiet, limitless and empty sky is my home.
With one sip, I swallowed the three thousand realms.
Water and water, mountain and mountain. They are bright by themselves."
─ A poem written by Master Baekbong at the moment of enlightenment.

Even after achieving great enlightenment, Master Baekbong remained in the secular world and greatly promoted the layman-style Buddhism. Many philosophy professors and artists sought him out, and he became friends with monks such as Cheongdam, Jeongang, Gusan, Gyeongbong, Tanheo, Hyedu, and Ganghye. His compassionate and passionate sermons moved countless disciples, opening their closed minds and letting go of their delusions, which greatly helped them achieve true freedom and peace. On the morning of August 2, 1985, he passed away after giving his last sermon. It is said that even after entering nirvana, the great master shed tears due to his utmost compassion for all living beings. His works include 『Lecture on Diamond Sutra』, 『A Commentary on the Vimalakirti Sutra』, 『Lecture on Seonmoonyeomsong』, and 『Absoluteness and Relativity』.

About the Author

Author Jang Sun-yong graduated from the Department of History and the Graduate School of Philosophy at Korea University. He completed the National Translation Training Institute of the National Culture Promotion Association and the Jigok Seodang program of the Taedong Classics Research Institute, and studied Buddhism and Zen under Master Baekbong. He received the Translation Award of the 17th Haengwon Cultural Award and is currently dedicated to planning and translating Buddhist and meditation books. His edited works include "Heunggong Beopmun," "Ten Ox-Do," and "Drinking the Same Water: Poison to Snakes and Milk to Cows." His translated works include "Vimalakirti Sutra(Xiang Xuanzang Edition)", "The Path of Zen Meditation," "The Tibetan Book of the Dead," "The Heart Sutra and Life Medicine," and "Avatamsaka Commentary."

Publisher's Review

The Jogye Order, the mainstream of Korean Buddhism, is centered on Seon(Zen) Buddhism, particularly the Southern School of Seon (南宗禪), which originated from the Sixth Patriarch, Master Huineng. The most distinctive characteristic of Southern Seon is sudden enlightenment (頓悟), which involves "suddenly transcending and entering the state of Buddhahood," as seen in the case of Huineng, who had been selling firewood for a living, suddenly realized when he heard a phrase in the Diamond Sutra, "Let your mind flow without dwelling on anything."

Master Baekbong, too, lived a life far from Buddhism until he was 56. Born during the Japanese colonial period, he participated in the anti-Japanese nationalist movement, and after liberation, he became involved in politics, experiencing several imprisonments. However, by achieving "a sudden enlightment in less than a year after taking up koan(hwadu) at the age of 57, he embodies sudden enlightenment, much like Huineng. Because it was an enlightenment that thoroughly realized the source of all dharmas, even though it was the first time in his life that he encountered the Diamond Sutra, after his enlightenment, he was so filled with ecstasy that he recited verses for each chapter of the Diamond Sutra in one night (this was later included in his work, Lecture on the Diamond Sutra). In this way, he can be said to be a faithful transmitter of Mahayana Buddhism, especially Seon Buddhism.

News of layman Baekbong's enlightenment reached the Sangha. There was a division between monks like Cheongdam who advised him to become a monk and monks like Hye-am who advised him to preach as a lay person. He, however, said that "Buddhism is not about shaving one's head," and decided to preach to lay people as a layman. From then on, he saved sentient beings with ceaseless preaching until he entered nirvana in 1985, leaving a great mark on Korean Buddhism as a layman.

I will introduce a few notable examples of the Geosapung(a layman style Buddhism) left behind by him.
First, rather than relying on word-for-word interpretations or traditional commentary on sutras or Zen sayings, he preached freely and comprehensively, drawing on his own experiences. He was particularly attentive to conveying the essence of Buddhism to modern people, whose paradigms differ significantly from those of the traditional era in which he lived. For example, he actively and creatively developed the expedient method of emptiness, which had previously been limited to a passive understanding, and presented the "self as emptiness" as an absolute and subjective source that transcends all relativity. He argued that because this "self as emptiness" is the fundamental foundation, birth and death are our right and our own actions. (On the other hand, if the false ego becomes the central axis, it is passively involved in life and death, bound to reincarnate through the six paths.)

And, based on this "self as emptiness" as the foundation, he reformed the traditional hwadu method and developed Saemalgwi. Saemalgwi means new hwadu. While traditional hwadu practice was for monks, Saemalgwi was created for the busy, busy lay practitioners of everyday life. In other words, if you thoroughly understand the "self as emptiness," you can make all aspects of your daily life, whether eating, washing, or driving as a hwadu. The idea of ​​Saemalgwi is that this can not only replace traditional hwadu but also serve as the foundation for new methods of practice to come. Although he attained enlightenment through traditional hwadu, he did not insist on its methods. Paradoxically, it is because he attained enlightenment through traditional hwadu that he was able to reform it.

He also presented precepts and methods of practice suitable for lay practitioners, responding to the changing times. In the Ten Precepts of Not Doing he presented the fundamental attitude that a layperson should have such as
Even if you have a wife and children, do not fall into selfish love.
Even if you inherit the family business, do not covet ill-gotten gain.
Even if you mix with worldly laws, do not abandon the Great Way.
Even if you wander the world, do not forget the nature of the Dharma.

The last characteristic that should be mentioned is that he shows an originality of language that no one else could think of when interpreting the sutras. This can be said to be a terminology that came out after much deliberation in order to most correctly understand the scriptures.

*****

The real Buddha that carries your body is without sin, but because of your own misdeeds, you yourself have turned around and killed your Buddha. So, starting tonight, let us go out to save my Buddha. Let us save the Buddha, not kill him. - From "Let's Liberate the Buddha"

“In the past, during the time of Buddha, there was the great layman Vimalakirti, in China there was the famous great layman Bang, in Korea there was the great layman Buseol, and now in our country there is the great layman Baekbong.” - Monk Donggwang Hyedu.

Preface

As I finished the collection of Master Baekbong's Dharma talks, I was reminded of my first time participating in the Borim Seonwon Summer Retreat 30 years ago, where I spent an all-night meditation retreat. At Borim Seonwon in Namcheon-dong, Busan, in the sweltering heat of over 30 degrees Celsius, countless people from all over the country crowded together on the small veranda, sweating profusely as they listened to Master Baekbong's passionate sermons. One day, Master Baekbong concluded his sermon with the words, "Truly, this universe is nothing more than a laughing stock," and then chuckled and departed the room. The scene remains vivid even after all these years.

Master Baekbong's sermons are passionate and unhesitating. Anyone who listens to them can sense his sincere dedication to awakening the students' right perspective. He emphasizes the need for new, contemporary methods, rather than clinging to the traditions of Buddhism and Zen. He himself emphasizes moving meditation over sitting meditation, and suggests new ways to approach the hwadu. Furthermore, the content of Geosa's sermons does not rely on outdated interpretations of sutras or Zen sayings, nor does it offer word-for-word explanations. Instead, it is thoroughly grounded in his own experience and freely expounds upon them.

To aid readers' understanding, let's examine several unique characteristics of Geosa Baekbong's sermons.

First, he emphasizes the understanding of emptiness as the cornerstone of practice. Understanding emptiness, of course, refers to mastering the principle of emptiness, the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. However, despite the fact that the essence of "emptiness" is to deny the substantiality of all dharmas and free ourselves from attachment, there is a tendency to fall into pessimism and nihilism, riding on the sentiment of "resignation," or to understand emptiness passively and negatively, focusing on "emptiness." However, Geosa meticulously reveals that not only our bodies, but even our daily lives, including what we see and hear, are built upon emptiness. He further establishes the "self as emptiness" as a means of establishing absolute subjectivity. "I as emptiness" is the protagonist of emptiness and the protagonist of the world, the place where we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and taste with our tongue. This place stands tall and alone as a precious absolute, the place where all dharmas, the relativity, are turned.

Second, there is Saemalgwi. Saemalgwi means a new hwadu, and it came from the idea that even busy people, such as drivers or machine repairmen, have the right to resolve the issues of life and death, and therefore a hwadu should be prepared for them. To possess Saemalgwi, there is one prerequisite: understanding the previously mentioned principle of emptiness. In other words, only by grasping the fact that the "I as emptiness," the formless dharmakaya, turns the formless physical body, can Saemalgwi be turned.

The most significant characteristic of Saemalgwi, unlike traditional hwadus, is that it does not involve doubt or emotion. While the koans(hwadus) of the past were approached with doubt, Saemalgwi must be approached with unquestioning faith. Because it is based on the Dharmakaya, the "I as emptiness," Saemalgwi is already engaged in the koan as soon as one opens their eyes in the morning and says, "I'm awake." Then, I go to the bathroom. I wash my face. I eat. I do my work... In this way, one can engage in the koan all day long. While the positions from which people engage in the koan may differ, the koan is the same in that it holds true all day long.

Master Baekbong declared that the Saemalgwi expedient would be used popular in fifty or a hundred years. This signified not only that it would replace traditional koans, but also that the ideology of Saemalgwi would become the foundation for countless future expedient methods of practice. Therefore, the master emphasized that without the Way of Saemalgwi, all sentient beings could not be saved, and that the koan expedient must be changed.

Third, he used the term "Jungsaengbul" (setinentbeing as a Buddha) to emphasize that sentient beings are inherently Buddhas. Surprisingly, many people oppose themselves to Buddha as subject and object, limiting and belittling themselves as sentient beings. Therefore, the great master emphasizes that confining oneself to the framework of a sentient being cannot lead to study, and that one must study while thinking of oneself as a Buddha. This is because this study is not about filling in some shortcomings or improving oneself, but about revealing one's original perfection. The great master asserts, "Even a deluded Buddha studies Buddhahood. If one is not a Buddha, one cannot study Buddhahood."

This book is a compilation of tapes containing the voice of the great master Baekbong. It consists of five chapters in total. The first chapter introduces the practice and life of Master Baekbong. The second and third chapters select the contents of sermons given by Master Baekbong using the texts of “Diamond Sutra Lecture,” “Vimalakirti Sutra Lecture,” “Seonmun Yeomsongyo Lecture,” “Baekbong Seonsi Collection,” and “Absoluteness and Relativity” written by Master Baekbong. The fourth chapter contains sermons on “Seonmun Yeomsongyo Lecture,” and the fifth chapter contains sermons on “Baekbong Seonsi Collection.” Finally, at the end of the book, there is a Buddhist hymn written by Master Baekbong. Since this Buddhist hymn contains the essence of Mahayana Buddhism, reciting it and savoring it will be of great help to anyone in understanding the Buddhist law.

The sentences in the Dharma Sayings Collection strive to preserve colloquial language whenever possible, while also refining them to suit the literary style. However, I had to add necessary words to select and connect repetitive content and scattered passages. Therefore, any omissions or distortions in the Venerable Master's teachings are entirely my responsibility. Furthermore, as you read the Dharma Sayings Collection, you will frequently encounter repetitive content. This is because Venerable Master always earnestly emphasized it, and so even if it feels somewhat redundant, it has been included as is. Furthermore, I have included frequently occurring dialects and unique terms used by Venerable Baekbong. For example, "natu-da" (to appear), "tak-jil-ri-da" (to contact), "jump-chal-na-da" (to transcend), "deul-nae-da" (to bring up and put forth), "reveal-da" (to reveal), and "taek-do-eop-tak-do-eop-tak-do" (to have no chin). Furthermore, the term "form play," frequently used by Venerable Master, refers to our lives, where we live by manifesting the relative form from the absolute state of the Dharmakaya. To be caught in the form play refers to the lives of sentient beings obsessed with form. Furthermore, the term "I," which frequently appears in the collection of Dharma sayings, has different meanings depending on the context. Sometimes it refers to the "I as emptiness," the absolute place, that is, the true self, and at other times it refers to the ego, our false self. Readers can infer its meaning based on the context. The word "scientific" is also frequently used, which can be safely understood to mean "in perfect accordance with reason."

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all the fellow practitioners of Borim Seonwon, including Ilsimhaeng, Daedosung, Kim Taek-su, and Cheongbong, as well as my friend Im Jeong-hun, who have provided profound support, both material and spiritual, while awaiting the completion of this collection of Dharma sayings for a long time.

From the foot of Sapae Mountain, Jang Sun-yong

index

Preface

Chapter 1. The protagonist of Nuri
The protagonist of Nuri
The karma of the body, the karma of the mouth, the karma of the mind
As if
I as the void
What is born and dies?
Seeing oneself is seeing the Buddha
Delusion and defilements
A person outside of kalpa
There is no room to mark in the mind
Dharma does not originally arise
Do not compromise
Time and space
Samadhi--non-brightness, non-darkness
What is the empty and quiet body?
The wise eye
truth and falsehood
conditioned and unconditioned dharmas
how do good knowledge meet?
What is it like to practice through Buddhist chanting and sutra recitation?

Chapter 2. Samalgui
Cause and Effect
Repaying Debts
During emptiness, life and death do not come together
Emptiness, formlessness, and non-action
make the three realms your playthings
To dissolve karma (1)
To dissolve karma (2)
Your body is not your body
Blurred
Let's liberate the Buddha
The Buddha's workplace
Sentinent being as a Buddha
Words
In the Samadhi and concentration
About the koan
The path of self-nature
Question and answer on Emptiness
Expedient means are lawless

Chapter 3. The man of empty kalpa
Preface to the Zen chanting
The man of empty kalpa(1)
The man of empty kalpa(2)
Round and round
A radish grows at Jinjoo
The pine tree in front of the yard
When you do not think of good or evil, what is your original face?
Supernatural
wisdom and virtue
One-to-ten song and ten precept of no-doing
Even if you realize it, there is nothing you have realized
Something to happen
The nature of sin
The Perfect Enlightenment

Chapter 4 Poetry
Preface to the Collection of Poetry
Chinese Parasol Tree
The Sound of the Bell
The Song of One Mind
The three zen and seven Phrases
The Four Seasons
The Illusory Mind
Spiritual Wisdom
Recognition
My Rice Bowl
The Song of the Twelve Causes and Conditions

Prayer Hymns