4. 가난하지만 도를 닦는 일에 기뻤던 시절, A Time of Poverty, but Joy in Buddhist Practice

[眞如華]

 은해사 강원이 깨져서 공부를 다 마치지 못하고, 해인사 강원으로 옮겨가게 되었다. 전국의 스님들이 모여드는 해인사 강원은 방부를 들이는 일부터 어려웠다.

”스님 앞에 벌써 40명이나 기다리다가 돌아갔어요.“

그런 이야기를 듣고도 무비스님은 객실에 묵으면서 울력할 시간이 되면 먼저 나가서 빗자루를 들고 울력을 하고, 산에 불이 났다 하면 얼굴을 아는 도반들과 같이 가서 불을 껐다.

‘중이 절에서 사는데 누가 나가라고 할 수 있나?’

누더기도 빨아서 짜지도 않고 척 걸어놨다. 오래오래 시간이 걸리면서 마르라고 그렇게 했다.

산감을 따라다니면서 산의 나무도 지키고, 산에 난 불을 잘 껐다.

”원래 한철 동안만 산감을 사는데 스님, 두 철 할 수 있겠어요?“

”두 철 아니라 2년이라도 하지요.“

”그러면 산감을 두 철 살고 강원에 방부 들이세요.”

영암스님이 총무를 보실 때였다. 그렇게 해인사 강원에 방부를 들일 수 있었다. 어렵게 들어간

해인사 강원의 공부는 치열했고, 치열한 만큼 즐거웠다. 저녁이면 강통을 흔들어서 중강과 발기라는 소임을 뽑고 논강을 준비해서 다음 날 글을 새겼다. 발기라는 소임은 경전을 직접 새기면서 문제를 제기하는 사람이고, 중강은 논강시간의 사회자다. 서로의 이론과 글 새김을 가감없이 중강이 다

기억했다가 강사스님 앞에서 대표로 발표해야 했다.

먹을 것도 부실해서, 물 한 바가지로 허기를 메우고 그보다 더 배가 고프면 고추밭의 생고추를

따서 먹는 날이었지만, 종이도 귀하고, 책도 귀한 그때, 공부만큼은 하늘을 찌를 자부심으로 가득했다.

 The academy at Eunhaesa eventually closed down, so Mubi Seunim could not complete his studies there and had to move to the academy at Haeinsa Temple.

Haeinsa was where monks from all over the country gathered, so it was difficult even

to be accepted.

"Forty monks were already waiting ahead of you," someone told him, "and they all gave up and left."

Despite hearing this, Mubi Seunim stayed in a guest room. Whenever it was time for community work, he was the first one out with a broom. If a fire broke out on the mountain, he would join the fellow monks he recognized to go and put it out.

He thought to himself, "I'm a monk living in a temple. Who could possibly tell me

to leave?"

He would wash his worn-out robes and hang them up without wringing them out, letting them dry slowly over a long time. He followed the temple's mountain keeper, helping

to protect the forest's trees and becoming skilled at fighting fires.

One day, he was asked, "The mountain keeper position is normally for one term.

Do you think you could do it for two?"

"I could do it for two years, not just two terms," he replied.

"Alright then. Serve as the mountain keeper for two terms, and then you can be admitted to the academy."

This happened when Yeongam Seunim was the head of the temple's administration.

And that was how he was finally able to be accepted into the Haeinsa academy.

The studies at Haeinsa, which he had entered with such difficulty, were intense—and

just as intense was his joy in them. In the evenings, they would shake a box to randomly select a "presenter" (balgi) and a "moderator" (junggang) for the next day's scholarly debate. The balgi was the one who would interpret the scripture and raise questions, while the junggang served as the debate's facilitator. The junggang had to remember everyone's theories and interpretations perfectly and present a summary to the head instructor.

Food was scarce. Some days, they would fill their stomachs with a bowl of water,

and if the hunger was still too much, they would pick and eat raw peppers from the garden. Paper was precious, and books were rare. But despite it all, their pride in their studies was so great it could pierce the sky.

[眞如華]

해인사 강원...
나무대방광불화엄경 나무대방광불화엄경 나무대방광불화엄경 _()()()_

[釋대원성]

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[일심행]

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[一眞華]

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[마니주]

어려운 시절에도 오로지 하늘을 찌르는 자부심으로 공부에 전념하셨다. (가슴이 저려옵니다)
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[대등행]

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[여연행]

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[無相行1]

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[自明華]

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[妙法樹]

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[*영산월*]

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[무량화*]

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[보리월]

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[수경도]

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[대연화]

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[pokora]

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[청산(靑山)]

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