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休靜

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Hyujeong

Senses:

  • (1520–1604); a Joseon dynasty Seon 禪宗 monk who can be counted among the five most important figures in Korean Buddhist history; commonly known in Korea by the respectful title Seosan Daesa 西山大師. He was an influential teacher and writer, who is said to have guided hundreds of students, a number of whom became eminent Seon masters in their own right. He played a major role in consolidating the forms of study and practice of Korean Seon which would, by and large, remain in place down to modern times. What has made Hyujeong most respected in the broad view of Korean history was his role in the creation and guidance of an army of monks, which played a decisive role in the eventual repulsion of the Japanese invasion by the armies of Hideyoshi Toyotomi 秀吉豊臣. In addition to serving in this unusual capacity of military leader, Seosan was a first-rate Seon master and the author of a number of important religious texts, the most important of which are his Samga gwigam 三家龜鑑 (a comparative summary of the three teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) and Seonga gwigam 禪家龜鑑, a guide to Seon practice (translated by Jorgensen, 2015). Both texts are studied by Korean monks down to the present. Like most monks of the Joseon 朝鮮 period, he had been initially educated in Neo-Confucian philosophy 宋學. Dissatisfied, he wandered through the mountain monasteries, eventually joining the saṃgha. Later, after making a name for himself as a teacher, he was made arbiter of the Seon school by queen Munjeong. He soon resigned from this responsibility, returning to the itinerant life, advancing his Seon studies and teaching at monasteries all around Korea. He died at the age of 85, leaving behind some 1000 disciples, 70 of whom were monks and nuns, and many of whom held a prominent role in the later transmission of Joseon Buddhism. Hyujeong is also known for his efforts in the continuation of the project of the unification of Buddhist doctrinal study and practice. He is considered the central figure in the revival of Joseon Buddhism, and most major streams of modern Korean Seon trace their lineages back to him through one of his four main disciples: Yujeong 惟政; Eongi 彦機, Taeneung 太能 and Ilseon 一禪, all four of whom were assistants to Seosan during the war with Japan.

    Reference:

    Jorgensen, John. 2015. A Handbook of Korean Zen Practice: A Mirror on the Sŏn School of Buddhism (Sŏnga kwigam). University of Hawai`i Press.

    [Charles Muller]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bulgyo sajeon 974a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 211c

    Fo Guang Dictionary 2162

    Kankoku bussho kaidai jiten 157

    Index to the Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono) 158

    Han'guk bulgyo inmyeong sajeon (Yi) 366

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)2552c,3214c,4404c, (v.9-10)525a

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2017-06-18