by Ilyon
Chosin clasped his bride in his arms and danced for joy. Then he took her hand and led her from the Buddha Hall and down a mountain path, until they reached a quiet valley near his native place. Here he built a snug cottage in the green forest. It was only a one-room cabin but it was sweet to Chosin, for he and his wife loved each other passionately. He was familiar with the forest and made his living by cutting wood and hunting hare and deer, which he and his love-mate cooked in a pan over crackling flames and ate with good appetite.
Time sped by like a warrior's arrow, and at last they had lived together in the forest for forty years, during which five children were born to them. They had been able to live for some time by selling the bride's jewelry, but at last it was all gone and they were reduced to abject poverty. There was not a grain of rice or barley in the house and the family had to subsist on grass and roots. Chosin hunted and cut wood as diligently as he was able, but he could not supply his now large family with even the bare necessities of life. He knew that killing the mountain creatures was against the commandment of Buddha, not to speak of the sin of living with a woman, but now he would have killed even human beings to keep his wife and children from starvation.
The whole family wandered in rags through the mountain villages begging for food. As they were crossing Haehyon-nyong (Crab Pass) their fifteen-year-old eldest son fell dead of hunger. With many tears Chosin and his wife buried the beloved child on the mountainside and continued with the remaining four to Ugok-hyon (now U-hyon), where they built a lowly cottage with a thatched roof.
More years passed. Now Chosin and his wife were as grey as if snow had fallen on their heads, and thin and pale as death. Both of them fell ill, while their children cried for food. The ten-year-old daughter walked fifteen miles through the mountain villages begging for food for the family. She was bitten by a stray dog and collapsed in pain on her return. Tears streamed down the sunken cheeks of the aged couple.
At last, wiping away her tears, the old wife spoke to her husband: “When I married you in the flower of my youth and beauty, you kissed my blushing cheeks and called them roses. Then we had fine clothes to wear and good food to eat, and our married love deepened as long as the mellow wine flowed from our barrels, But now my rosy cheeks and cherry lips and the glow of strength in your eyes are gone. Nothing is left to us but sunken stomachs, the pains of old age, sorrow and the fear of death. No one in this wide world will give us so much as a night's sojourn in a storeroom or a bottle of soy-sauce. We have become a laughing-stock.
“If we cannot feed our own children, how can we enjoy our remaining years in love? Coquettish smiles have vanished like the dew, and the pledge of our love has fled like the pussy-willows on the four winds. The passionate, carnal desires of our green youth have led only to this bottomless grief of the grey winter. It would be better to be a lone bird pecking at a mirror and calling for its mate than a pair dying with its young in hunger and cold. It is intolerable that lovers should meet in wealth and part in poverty, but such is the end of our ill-fated love. Since there is no other remedy, let us kiss and part, each taking two of the children.”
Chosin consented, though he grieved deeply at the thought of parting from his loving wife and two of his children. “Farewell, husband,” said his wife. “I am going to my old home in the north; you go south.” At this bitter parting, Chosin gave a great cry, and awoke.
It had all been a dream. He lay in the Buddha hall, before the altar, where the candle he had lighted had burned down to a stump. In one night he had tasted all the sweetness and bitterness of life. Tears of disillusion stood in his eyes. As the dying moon sank into the bosom of the sea, the dawn light revealed that his hair and beard had turned white in a few hours. With his disenchantment with love came a turning away from all worldly ambition. He was tired of work, and the hot flame of greed in his heart melted away as if it had been cold ice. In shame and remorse he turned his eyes from the holy Buddha images to the frost-covered tiles of the temple roof, which shone like spearheads. Chosin then went to Haehyon-nyong (Crab Pass) where he had buried his son in the dream. Digging in the place of the imagined grave, he discovered a stone image of Maitreya Buddha, which he enshrined in a nearby temple. After this he returned to his home temple in the capital and resigned from the position of caretaker of the country manor at Myongju. Before his death he built Chongt'o-sa (Temple of the Purified Land) with funds from his private fortune.
Reading this story, we realize that not only Chosin but many people like him dream the same dream, and we give them warning in the following lines.
Youth and beauty may meet in love for a moment's joy,
But rosy cheeks soon pale in sadness, like autumn leaves;
Wealth and nobility are like floating clouds,
And this temporal life of desire is only an empty dream;
Men's good or bad behavior stems from their inner minds,
Yet young men dream of fair brows and thieves of treasure;
Behold how one night's dreaming under the autumn sky
Can lead a man to enjoy the cool air with closed eyes.
86. The Reflection of Buddha on Fish Mountain
(In what follows, Ilyon first tells a story which was evidently taken from Indian sources and applied to Korea, then quotes the Indian source itself. The place-names he uses, however, are mainly Korean, perhaps derived from the Chinese versions of Indian place names. The country of Buddha's birth, for example, is given as “Nakal.” Buddhist tradition places Buddha's birth at the town of Lumbini in the present kingdom of Nepal.)
In an antique record it is written that the site of Man-o-sa (Temple of Ten Thousand Fish) was formerly called Mt. Chasong or Mt Ayasa (Mayasa, meaning fish). Nearby was Karakuk, where an egg descended from heaven on the seacoast from which came a man who ruled over that country. This was King Suro.
In those days there was a poisonous dragon in the mountains which lived in a jade pond and carried on with five female ogres (Nach'al-nyo) on the sapphire waves, calling up thunderstorms and devastating crops of the five grains throughout the four seasons.
Using his magic art, the King pronounced spells against the dragon to stop his mischief, but to no avail. It was not until he prayed to Buddha to enforce his Five Commandments on the monsters that they ceased to do harm. Then the fish and dragons of the Eastern Sea came to these mountains and filled a valley with water and lived there, making music by striking jade stones with their heads and tails.
In the eleventh year of King Myongjong of Koryo (1180). Man-o-sa was first built on this mountain, It had been reported to the King by the monk Porim that there were three wonders in this area that resembled those of Karakuk in North Ch'onch'uk (India) where a reflection of Buddha is found. These wonders were a jade pond where a poisonous dragon lived; an auspicious rainbow stretching from the jade pond to the mountaintop and illuminating the clouds with orchestral music; and to the northwest of the reflection of Buddha a shining rock where Buddha washed his robe in a basin which ever since has been filled with crystal water all the year round, so the tradition goes.
This is the story told by Porim. During my pilgrimage to this mountain I saw with my own eyes two awe-inspiring things. First, two thirds of the rocks on hill and dale emitted musical sounds like gold and jade bells. Second, there was a mysterious image which was seen at a distance but disappeared when approached.
The following interesting story is written in detail in the language of North Ch'onch'uk (Probably meaning Sanskrit). The passage quoted is found in Volume VII of the “Kaham” Kwanbul Sammae-gyong.
“When Buddha visited the Olive Farm Flower Forest of the Poison Dragon on Kosonsan Mountain in Yakon-Karakuk, he came to the southern side of Anasa Hill and stood in the Nach'al cave, whose entrance is to the north of the Blue Lotus Fountain in that forest. Here he saw five female ogres called Nach'al who had been turned into dragons twisting and twining with the poisonous dragon in love embraces, dancing and yelling for joy. Amid this ecsta
sy the poison dragon sent down hail and the man-eating ogres committed all kinds of outrages, devastating farms and spreading plagues throughout the four seasons.
“Seized with fear, the King offered sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth to stop these calamities, but his prayers went unanswered. Then a wise Brahman priest said to the King, 'The crown prince of King Chongpan in Kapira-kuk has attained spiritual enlightenment and is now called Sakyamuni Buddha. He is working wonders.'
“The King was delighted at these words and prayed to Buddha, saying, 'Today thy brilliant sun shines over all the universe; wilt thou not come down to this kingdom on earth?' And suddenly Sakyamuni, followed by a fairy youth who commanded the six elements of nature, appeared to fulfill the wishes of the King of Nakon-Kara. From his forehead flashed ten thousand rays like sunbeams, which all became Buddhas and appeared in the cave.
“The poison dragon and the female ogres prostrated themselves and begged Buddha to give them his commandments. In response the august Buddha preached them a sermon on the Three Treasures and the Five Prohibitions.24 The dragon king fell on his knees with hands palm to palm and desired Buddha to remain permanently, saying, 'If you go away bad thoughts will take root again in my heart and I will never become an Ayo-Bodhi (attain enlightenment).'
“But the heavenly king of the Brahmans bowed to Buddha and said, 'Pakapa (honorific term for Buddha) should think of the myriad creatures to come in the world above and not a small dragon on earth. Leave him alone.' And hundreds of thousands of Brahman kings shouted in chorus, 'Leave him alone!'
“The dragon king presented to Buddha a seven-treasure stand decorated with gold, silver and jewels, but Buddha shook his head and said, 'I have no need of gold or jewels. I would rather you offered me the stone cave of the Nach'al.' The dragon king agreed with a glad heart, and Buddha comforted him with a promise to stay in the cave in a seated posture for one thousand five hundred years.
“So saying, Buddha entered the stone chamber, which instantly became a hall of mirrors, reflecting the images of the dragons inside but allowing the visage of Buddha to pass through and be seen from outside. All the dragons knelt and worshipped Buddha with clasped hands, beholding his radiant face both day and night. Buddha sat erect beside the stone wall with his calves folded against his thighs (the “lotus position” in which Buddha is usually represented in sculpture), and his image appeared on it when seen from afar, but vanished on a nearer view. When the heavens offered sacrifice to this reflection a voice was heard preaching and when Buddha moved his feet the mountains resounded with the sound of gold and jade bells.”
In the Kosting-jon (Biographies of Great Monks) we read, “Hye-won heard that in Ch'onch'uk there was a reflection of Buddha which remained on the Mirror Rock at the request of the dragon king long, long ago. This reflection was found in the stone chamber of an ancient divinity to the south of Nakalkasong in Woljikuk, North Ch'onch'uk (India).”
According to Pophyon's Soyok-jon (History of India) there is on the Nakal border about half a yusun's distance south of Nakal city a stone chamber southwest of Paksan. In this chamber there is a reflection of Buddha which appears bright and lifelike at a distance of ten foot-spans, but which becomes dimmer and dimmer as one retreats, until it vanishes altogether. The kings of many nations have sent their best painters to try to make true representations of this reflection, but all have failed. The people of the country say that a thousand Buddhas have left their reflections on the wall of this chamber, including Sakyamuni, who descended from heaven to save the souls of all the myriad creatures of the earth. They also say that about a hundred foot-spans west of the reflection is a rock where Buddha used to shave his head and cut his fingernails when he lived in the human world. In volume II of Songham's Soyok-ki (A Trip to India), we read, “During the lifetime of Buddha a poison dragon changed into a cowherd who offered milk and butter to the king. One day he offended His Majesty and was severely reprimanded. To vent his spite he bought a bouquet and offered it at a stupa, swearing that he would be reborn as a devil-dragon, kill the king and ruin his kingdom.
“He then committed suicide by dashing himself against a stone wall, and, reborn as a dragon king, made mischief until he was subdued by the spiritual power of Buddha. When the dragon saw Buddha he repented of his sins, and after receiving Buddha's commandment against killing, prayed Buddha to stay in his cave and accept his offerings. But Buddha replied, 'I shall surely die, but I will leave my reflection in your cave. Whenever wicked thoughts rise in your heart, look on this reflection and they will subside.'
“So saying Buddha entered the stone chamber and became a god. Ever afterward his reflection would come into sight at a distance and vanish on a closer view. The local inhabitants call the footprints of Buddha on the rocks the seven treasures.”
This story is found in the Buddhist scriptures. The people of the Land of Haedong (Korea) named the mountain (mentioned at the beginning of this section) Anasa, but it should be called Manasa, meaning fish, since it is supposed to be named after the mountain in North Ch'onch'uk.
87. The Fifty Thousand Images of Buddha on Mt. Odae
According to an old mountain legend, it was Chajang Popsa who first called Mt. Odae the abode of Buddha. In the tenth year of T'ang Chen-kuan (636) when Queen Sondok was on the throne, Chajang visited China in order to see the Munsu Buddha at Wutaishan. (Ilyon notes that the T'ang Biographies of Monks makes this the twelfth year, (638), but says he is following the dating in Samguk Sagi.)
Arriving at T'aiho-chih in China, he prayed before a stone image of Munsu beside a pond there, in fulfillment of a long-cherished desire. On the seventh night of his worship, he had a dream in which Buddha recited to him a verse composed of four phrases. He awoke in wonderment and recited the verse from memory, but he could not understand it because it was in Sanskrit.
On the following morning a strange monk appeared, bringing with him a robe of gold-shot red brocade, a Buddhist begging bowl and a relic of the Buddha. Addressing Chajang he said, “You look pale with anxiety. What ails you? Tell me and perhaps I can help you.”
Chajang replied that he had received a verse from Buddha but that since it was in Sanskrit he could not interpret the sense of it. He recited the verse to the monk.
“O I see,” the monk said quickly. “Listen to my translation: 'Karapajwarang' means T understand all the laws of Buddha'; 'Talsa-takoya' means 'My own mind is void'; 'Nangkasakarang' means 'I interpret the Buddha's mind in this way'; and 'Talsanosana' means 'Soon I will see Nosana(i.e. Buddha).'“ The monk then gave the robe and other things to Chajang and said, “These were the personal effects of Sakyamuni; you are expected to preserve them as heavenly treasures. On Odae-san (Korean Pronunciation of Wutaishan), which rises on the border of Myongju to the northeast of your country (Silla), ten thousand Munsu Buddhas make their permanent abode; go there and see them.” And with these words he disappeared like a mist.
Chajang could find no trace of the mysterious monk, and so was about to begin his homeward journey when the dragon of the T'aiho-chih (pond) appeared and asked him to sacrifice to Buddha for seven days, and Chajang did so. While he was sacrificing the dragon said to him, “The old monk who interpreted the verse to you the other day was the true Munsu Buddha, so you must build a temple and a pagoda in his honor.” (Ilyon notes that this paragraph is found in a separate biography of monks, but gives no title.)
In the seventeenth year of T'ang Chen-kuan (643) Chajang climbed Odae-san in order to see Munsu Buddha, but due to a thick fog which veiled the whole mountain in darkness for three days he returned to Wonyong-sa, where he met Munsu Buddha in person. Some years later he went to live at Kalbonch'o, which is now called Chongam-sa. (Ilyon notes that this paragraph is also found in a separate biography of monks.)
Many years passed, during which a friar named Sinui, a disciple of Pomil, came to this mountain and lived in a cell which he built near Chajang's old hermitage. After Sinui's death his cell became dilapidated, so the f
amous monk Yuyon of Suta-sa repaired it and lived there. It is now called Woljong-sa.
When Chajang returned from China to Silla, Poch'on and Hyomyong, the two sons of the great King Chongsin, traveled to Haso-pu (in Myongju) and stayed overnight at the house of Sehon Kakkan. (Ilyon inserts a long note here to the following effect: In the Samguk Sagi there is no record of a King Chongsin or of Princes Poch'on and Hyomyong. However, at the end of that book it is written that a temple was built in the first year of T'ang Shen-lung, in the year of the snake (705), when King Songdok had been on the throne for four years. This King's personal name was Hung-kwang, his childhood name was Yung-ki, and he was the second son of King Sinmun. King Songdok's elder brother, Hyojo, was called I-kong or Hong. King Sinmun's childhood name was Chong-myong and his nickname was Il-jo. “Chongsin” in this paragraph is probably a contraction of Chongmyong-Sinmun, and “Hyomyong” is a mistake for Hyo-jo or Hyo-so. There is also no record in the Samguk Sagi of the building of a temple by Hyo-myong as described below, during the years of Shen-lung. It must have been King Songdok who erected this temple.)
On the following day they crossed a high mountain called Taery-ong (Great Pass), each leading a thousand followers to Song-o-p'yong to enjoy the beauty of the mountain scenery. There suddenly the two brothers decided to leave this sensual world and escape to the sacred Mt. Odae. (Here there is another long note by Ilyon: An antique record says that in early August of the first year of T'aehwa (647) the King hid himself in the mountains, but this seems to be an error because King Hyojo or Hyoso ascended the throne in the third year of T'ien-shou in the year of the dragon (692) at the age of sixteen, and died in the second year of Chang-an in the year of the tiger (702) at the age of twenty-six and was succeeded by the twenty-two-year-old King Songdok. Thus the old record errs by forty-five years and places these events in the reign of King Munmu (Actually it errs more than that. The year 647 was the first year of Queen Chindok.)