The Late Ven. Sung-chol Inspiration for Millions
On November 4,1993 Venerable Song-chol the patriarch of the Korean Buddhist Chogye Order passed away. For 13 years this spiritual head of Korea's largest Buddhist Order provided guidance to some 12,000 monks and nuns and about 15 million lay people.
In 1935, at the age of 24, Song-chol left his wife and baby daughter to become a monk under Master Ha Dong-san Sunim at Haein Monastery. While still in the early stages of training, or haeng-ja life, his teacher broke all the traditions and allowed Song-chol Sunim to sit in the meditation hall with fully ordained monks. This was the first and last time in Korea that such an event took place and it heralded the future of this brilliant, talented leader.
From the start his life took on a definite pattern. He shunned company, despised name and fame, and never longed for belongings or money. His frugality was legendary. He would scold anyone who wasted anything at all and he himself insisted in the simplest fare. In fact, his padded winter coat, covered in patches, was with him for most of his monk's life. He had no interest in the things that interested most people: he never cared for owning special objects or meeting famous people, for example. He maintained a simple lifestyle until the end.
After three years of training and study, Song-chol Sunim took the higher ordination and became a Bhikkhu in 1938. The next period of his life was passed in a variety of temples throughout the country until 1947 when he went to Pongam-sa, a temple famous for many past masters. There he stayed for four years during which time he worked on the present form of the Chogye Order which was then reestablishing itself after the end of Japan colonial rule.
As the Chogye Order's celibate monks began to take the main temples over from the married monks, Song-chol Sunim was made the first Head Monk of Haein Monastery in 1955. It was then that he made apparent his deep-seated dislike of public office and his confirmed conviction to live a life of meditation. He refused to stay at Haein Monastery, putting a friend in his place to run the temple and went to stay in Pagye-sa Temple, Songjon Hermitage for the years. There he sealed the hermitage so that no one could go in or out, only two helpers went for supplies when necessary. This was a period of intense practice and though Song-chol Sunim had always lived an exemplary simple life, during this period he finalized the form his lifestyle was to take until his death. The hallmarks of this lifestyle were extreme simplicity, withdrawal from society, and constant admonition of all those around him to practice and attain enlightenment.
After this retreat period, Song-chol Sunim finally took up residence in Haein Monastery. In 1981 he was elected the 7th Patriarch of the Chogye Order and in 1991 was re-elected to become the 8th Patriarch.
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