#Landscape 1
Baek Baek’s Hyun Moon Right Answer
Publishers have their own formula for creating a’best-selling writer’. There is one very famous formula among them. The first condition is a single religious. A monk who lives alone after a monk is somehow the object of envy. The second condition is a handsome man or handsome man with a handsome face. If you meet these two conditions, you have the possibility of’quasi-celebrity class’. One final decisive condition is required here. It is none other than’Harvard’. The formula is finally completed when the signboard of’Harvard’, the world’s most prestigious, is added to it.
A representative of a renowned publishing company told me, “If you have these three formulas, you will be able to do it.” I was confident that I could make an extra-large bestseller. Hyeongak was none other than the first author to appear while meeting this formula. He is a single religious monk at Harvard University who was shocked by the words “Who are you?” while listening to an invited lecture by Buddhist monk Sung San (1927~2004). His face is also very handsome. After graduating from Yale University in the US, I studied Comparative Religion at Harvard Graduate School of Theology. Monk Hyeongak met all the conditions of the best-selling formula. They even have special scores. He was a handsome and blue-eyed foreigner.
What was the result? It was a great success. The book written by Buddhist monk Hyeon-gak is 『Borrow』. The book’s subtitle was’From Harvard to Hwagyesa Temple’. It has become a million sellers who have sold over 1 million copies. In addition, the nomination of the Hyeongak monk has also increased. Monk Hyungak has become a’celebrity class’. None of the Buddhist figures had such a degree of public recognition, except for monks Sung-cheol and Beopjeong. Moreover, he was young.
#Landscape 2
However, it was not that Hyeongak was a’empty cart’ with only loud noise. In Buddhism, there are Haangeo and Dongangeo. In the summer and winter, you must do meditation all day in a safe place, with no entry to the prose every three months. It’s not easy. Hyeongak monk has lived 32 times. It takes a full 16 years, even just by the time it is filled. He had a thirst for the truth and a sincere old heart.
Whenever the Hyeongak monk finished living and went to save, requests flooded. From interview requests by newspapers and broadcasters, requests for law were poured out from temples large and small. The public cheered. We even put a welcome placard on the temple for the returning monk Hyeongak. When it comes to cutting-edge culture, this kind of public reaction was also quite’over’. Because of the sentiment of the scholarship, there was no such thing as a welcome placard when an individual was finished.
Hyeongak’s teacher is Monk Sungsan. He is a Zen master who opened his eyes to the globalization of Korean Buddhism. Monk Sungsan was concerned about this early on. After leaving Harvard University, Lee Yeok-man-ri came to Korea and asked Hyeon-gak, a disciple who had shaved their hair and left, to “don’t learn Korean.”
It wasn’t one or two inconvenient. Because you need to know Korean to communicate with people around you. Still, monk Sungsan said, “Don’t learn Korean.” One day, Buddhist monk Hyeongak asked Master. “Why are you telling me not to learn Korean?” Monk Sungsan replied: “What will happen if you learn Korean? Koreans won’t let you go.”
The Master looked forward and worried about his disciples. He feared that he could get lost in the way of an investigator while being swung over by the cheers and interests of the public. For a number of practical reasons, Hyeongak eventually learned Korean. Later, I spoke fluently enough to think I was Korean.
#Landscape 3
Monk Hyungak decided and left Korea. In September 2009, he made a small save in Munich, Germany. We met Hyeongak just before he left Korea. I sat down with him at a restaurant in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Monk Hyungak said, “In Korea, I have lived only as a celebrity.” I was startled. It was a confession and a sound of reflection that came from deep inside. I wasn’t saying it was good to hear. His penance was serious.
At that time, monk Hyeongak had a lot in Korea. Everyone recognized him, he was honored, he was popular, and he was frustrated because he couldn’t invite him from everywhere. Monk Hyeongak said he would put it all down. It was a strong blow to himself. “I was wrong. I became famous, so I was invited and treated here and there. It was’Hyeongak Show’. “I’m so very embarrassed,” he said, “I want to go back to the beginning.” He said, “I will leave Korea and work in a place where there is no place to save. If necessary, I will do a part-time job at a Chinese house.” When Monk Sung San also first went to America, he worked in a laundry. Listening to that, I remembered’Hyeongak and Sungsan’s first meeting’.
#Landscape 4
It was before the monk Hyeongak went to the temple. He first met with Sungsan monk. After I revealed my name, I talked about the story of growing up in a Catholic family, what kind of study I studied, and I first encountered Buddhist thought through Schopenhauer, and nowadays I talked about who I am interested in, what kind of book I am reading.
Then the monk Sungsan, who was listening silently, cried out. “Who are you~ Ah!” He was startled. I’ve never had a question like that in conversation. “I was really scared back then. It felt like I was sitting in front of a real hungry tiger.” He was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to do. I woke up and managed to answer. “My name is ○○.”
When he heard that, Monk Sung-san shouted again. “That’s the name your mother gave me. There was no name before receiving it. Who are you~Ah?” He was shocked. I was just blank. So I replied, “I don’t know.” Then Sungsan said, “Study it. Study it only. Stop reading now!”
Later, monk Hyeongak said: “At that time, I was a kid carrying a sharp and dangerous knife. Monk Sungsan made me aim the sword at my neck.” This was the’initial intention’ that Monk Hyungak wanted to return by confessing, “I was a celebrity in Korea.”
#Landscape 5
When Monk Hyeongak left for Germany, the publishing industry looked for’the next star’. I mean the author with the best-selling formula of’Single religious + handsome + Harvard’. At the place where Hyeongak monk left, monk Hye-min met the conditions. The publisher eventually made a super-large bestseller, and Monk Hyemin became a’Star Monk’.
Not long ago, monk Hyeongak criticized monk Hye-min for “don’t live like a celebrity.” People ask. “Is the Hyeongak monk qualified to criticize Hye-min so much?” Monk Hyeongak’s criticism of the monk Hyemin was very strong. I think that as a practitioner, I was able to hit it at the junior connoisseurs as it was the first to hit myself. It means don’t forget the’reason for leaving the country’ and don’t get lost.
When looking at the words and expressions that the monk Hyeongak brought up, it is cold, spicy, and heartless. But I read the heart of the monk Sungsan, who was worried about his disciples in advance, saying, “Don’t learn Korean”. “Don’t a monk practitioner live like a celebrity!” I’ve never seen a whistle warmer than this.
Written by: Religious reporter Baek Seong-ho [email protected], Photo = Hyuk-jae Kwon, reporter
