TRANSLATING THE HEART OF SEON
American-born Buddhist monk CHONG GO SUNIM helps bring Buddhism to a global audience

Written and Photographed by Robert Koehler

”I can remember sitting on a sandbank on a river in Montana, just dead quiet night, and having this sense that there’s something much bigger than me. What is it? How can I get in touch with it? I think this is where you see adrenalin junkies and people who always need to be outdoors, because that’s the only way they know how to get back in touch with that. But it’s actually part of us, and you need to look inside for it.”
That’s part of what motivated Chong Go Sunim to come to Korea to become a Buddhist monk 20 years ago. Now at the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Hanmaeum Seon Center in Anyang, the American-born monk heads Korea’s only full-time Buddhist translation group, helping spread awareness of Korea’s Buddhist tradition to English-speaking audiences.

From the Pacific Northwest to Korea
Chong Go Sunim was born in the United States; he was raised in Oregon and Washington State. He eventually made his way over to Ohio State University to do doctoral work in industrial organizational psychology. The great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest inspired an appreciation for
transcendent silence. “I used to do a lot of hiking in the mountains,” he says. “You go hiking for seven, eight, ten days, and things get real quiet inside. You step out of all the normal stuff. For the first three or four days, you’ll have whatever song is playing on the radio going in your head over and over, but then it will get really quiet.” He adds, “Seon really spoke to that. It was like ‘I really know what they’re talking about here.’”
It was in the United States that he met the Buddhist nun who would become his Buddhist teacher, Daehaeng Sunim, the founder of Hanmaeum Seon Center. “She had several temples in the US, and she was making a trip through to talk at some of the temples,” he recalls. Daehaeng Sunim spent much of her life practicing intense meditation in the mountains of eastern Korea, studying with the first patriarch of the Jogye Order in the 1940s. In 1972, she moved to Anyang, where she founded Hanmaeum Seon Center as a place to teach.
Already interested in meditation, it took one really bad day to convince Chong Go Sunim to make the leap to monkhood. “About six months after I met my teacher, one of the monks there [in the United States] said, sometimes you’ve got to challenge yourself,” he explains. “Sometimes you’ve got to input something tough inside. ‘True self, prove that you’re there. Buddha Nature, prove that you’re there,’” he continues. “And so I was going to work the next morning, and I said to myself, ‘True self, show yourself. I dare you.’ And that was one of the worst days of my life. You know that thing about how if you throw a frog into boiling water, it jumps out, but if you slowly turn up the temperature, it will stay there? That was the track I was on. The next 10 years of stress just came on that day. So I got home at 9:30 that night and I was like, OK, this isn’t going to work.”
“When you’re not being honest with yourself, you can kind of put up with stuff,” he says. “But
eventually you’re going to be really unhappy. That’s what came that day.” He asked himself what he wanted to do. “When I was honest with myself, I wanted to come to Korea to be a Buddhist monk, to study spiritual practice and learn how to get in touch with and share and rely upon this bigger thing that’s outside of me.”

Buddhism in English
As its name would suggest, Hanmaeum Seon Center teaches Seon, better known in the West as Zen. Chong Go Sunim describes Seon as “very experiential.” “People can point the way, but you’re the one who has got to do it,” he says. “There’s belief involved, but it’s belief in taking that next step. Try it, apply it. If you fall down, why did you fall down. That also made a lot of sense to me.”
Soon after he arrived in Korea, he began learning the language, first at Yonsei University and later at Sogang University. “There are a lot of interesting folk in Korea,” he says. “You can be in front of the most fascinating person in the world, but if you can’t communicate, there’s nothing there for you.” His mastery of Korean segued into a position at the center’s translation center, where he spends the working day translating Buddhism-related works. He explains that to translate properly, everyone first needs to be on the same page regarding the Korean. He explains, “The first years we had a heck of a time reviewing the English translations. We finally realized it’s because everyone had slightly different ideas about what the Korean meant. We realized that we all needed to work on the Korean first, to make sure everyone was on the same page with the Korean, and then we could start translating into English.”

A unique festival
Buddhist temples everywhere in Korea are putting up lanterns to celebrate the upcoming Buddha’s Birthday, marked in Seoul by the popular International Lotus Lantern Festival. “It’s a great festival bringing together the traditions of not just Korea, but the entire Buddhist world.” The showpiece of the festival, the lotus lantern parade down the heart of Seoul, features groups from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Mongolia, Thailand, Japan, and other Buddhist nations.
When it comes down to it, though, the festival is more about our inner light, says Chong Go Sunim. “The lotus lantern festival is really about celebrating the light we all have within us,” he says. “It’s a call to brighten that light and share it with others.”

FYI>
Hanmaeum Seon Center: http://www.hanmaum.org/eng

May 7, 2013 / Issue No. 579 Lotus Lantern Festival Popular Buddhist celebration not to be missed The Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul is an important Korean celebration held in the lead-up to Buddha’s birthday. This year it will be held the weekend of May 10–12 and feature a huge lantern parade with various traditional performances and ceremonies that you can watch or have a go at yourself. A spectacular parade, the festival’s main attraction, will take place on Jongno Street May 11, featuring a brilliant ocean of light from countless handheld lanterns and grand ornate lantern floats. Following the parade is a post-parade celebration known as Hoehyang Hanmadang. Participants and spectators come together in a spirit of dedicating one’s merits to others. Buddhist entertainers put on a show, and the audience gets into the act, dancing hand in hand. On May 12, visitors can stroll through more than 100 booths, which will be set up along the street leading to Jogyesa Temple from Jongno. This is where you’ll be able to make your own lotus lanterns, create Buddhist art, try temple food, and strike up a conversation with a friendly monk. Some booths will be dedicated to introducing the Buddhist cultures of Tibet, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia. Lantern exhibitions will be held at Jogyesa Temple and Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul and Bongeunsa Temple in southern Seoul. On display will be a wide selection of exquisite and meticulously crafted lanterns made of hanji,Korean traditional handmade paper. Each lantern tells its own story with its warm, cheerful light. The grand finale of the festival features a mini lantern parade around Insa-dong accompanied by the singing and dancing of the Lotus Lantern Performance Groups. VENUE: Jogyesa area, Bongeunsa area DATE: May 10—12 MORE INFO: T. 02-2011-1744, www.llf.or.kr GETTING THERE: Jogyesa: Jonggak Station, Line 1; Bongwonsa: Samseong Station, Line 2 Eerie Tales from Old Korea Korean yadam stories reveal different side of old Korea Seoul Selection is pleased to announce the release of “Eerie Tales from Old Korea,” compiled by Brother Anthony of Taizé. Homer B. Hulbert and James S. Gale, two of the most famous North American missionaries to come to Korea in the 1880s, were very fond of ghost stories, but for years the Korean scholars they met swore that no such stories existed in Korea. Eventually, they discovered that Korea, too, had a plentiful supply of ghosts and spirits, celebrated in many eerie tales. However, because the stories had seemed too frivolous or were connected with shamanism and Buddhism, the scholars had been ashamed to talk about them. A main source of these stories were collections of yadam. These were a form of short tale, especially popular in the Joseon period. Whereas Confucian classics were the gateway to officialdom, yadam offered an escape valve, dealing with things much closer to daily life. The stories told there were about individuals who were not always admirable paragons of Confucian virtue; rather, they were often artful dodgers who managed to escape from tricky situations; survive traps; deal with ghosts, spirits, and nine-tailed foxes; and even get rich in the process. As we celebrate the one hundred-fiftieth anniversary of the birth of Hulbert and Gale, the present selection of Korean ghost stories—nostalgic for their echoes of the lost world of old Korea and its many ghosts—is offered for the pleasure of readers in the twenty-first century, one hundred years after their original publication. Cost: KRW 9,500 Around the Web A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler. President Park is showing off the hanbok in the United States. President Obama’s daughters have taught him a pretty good Gangnam Style. The Chosun Ilbo explores Incheon’s Chinatown. The JoongAng Ilbo breaks down the upcoming Lotus Lantern Festival. Seoul Museum—definitely worth a visit. The Hangang River from Mt. Eungbongsan. Korea has granted a Ugandan lesbian refugee status. Dale goes to Jangyusa Temple. What to do around Hwagok Station. Yours Truly visited the newly restored Sungnyemun Gate and attended the Jongmyo Daeje this weekend. Events Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music 2013—Far From Home The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music will be staged at various venues in the metropolis for two weeks beginning May 14. Under the main theme “Far From Home,” each daily program differs in genres, styles, and collaborative structures as well as in their subjects. From this year, Korea Foundation participates as the main sponsor of the festival. The opening day session, featuring Dvorak and other notable composers under the daily theme “Globetrotters,” will take place at Sejong Chamber Hall. Other daily themes include “Once Upon a Time,” “European Expats,” “Vienna Spring” and “American Dream.” The Family Concert—East & West program on May 17 is going to be a crossover extravaganza that will bring together Western classical music and Korean performing arts representing its folk, aristocratic, and court traditions. In particular, K’Culture Company, created by a group of reform-minded young talents of traditional music, will share the limelight with farmers’ percussion maestro Kim Duk-soo. The venue is the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. Admission is KRW 20,000. On May 19, an outdoor stage will be set up at Deoksugung Palace as Korean Symphony Orchestra collaborates with famed Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski and Chinese cellist Jian Wang for the Palace Concert program. Korean diva Kim Soo-jeong will render a selection of Giuseppe Verdi’s aria scores. The palace program is open to the public. The May 26 concert, titled Wanderer Odyssey, will wrap up the entire festival, presenting hallmark works by Mozart, Brahms, Carl Maria von Weber, and other composers who crisscrossed the world in search of their musical essentials. For details, visit www.seoulspring.org. PERIOD: May 14–26 MORE INFO: T. 02-712-4879, www.seoulspring.org Dream Concert 2013 Some 21 K-pop groups will be performing at Dream Concert 2013, one of the biggest K-pop events of the year. All the biggest names will be there, including SHINee, SNSD, KARA 2AM and more. VENUE: Seoul World Cup Stadium DATE: May 11, 6:30pm ADMISSION: KRW 5,000 Tickets: dreamconcert.oilbankcard.com MORE INFO: T. 02-786-7637, www.dreamconcert.kr GETTING THERE: World Cup Stadium Station 월드컵경기장역 (Line 6), Exit 2 Gods Kitchen with Mark Ronson British-American musician Mark Ronson is holding his first Korea concert on May 11. Ronson’s second album Version won him a Brit Award for Best British Male Artist in 2008. He was also nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year. As a producer, Ronson has worked with Jay-Z, Lily Allen, Robbie Williams, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Duran Duran. In 2010, Ronson was given a vocal track to a song titled “Lovely Way”, sung by Michael Jackson, to produce for Jackson’s posthumous album Michael. VENUE: Walkerhill Theater DATE: May 11, 10pm–5am ADMISSION: KRW 55,000 MORE INFO: T. 010-3360-7846 GETTING THERE: Gwangnaru Station 광나루역 (Line 5), Exit 2 DIGITAL PEACE 2013 Hosted by the French and German embassies, the Institut Francais and the Goethe Institute, Digital Peace is thus an artistic season oriented toward the celebration of peace and reconciliation, a series of events fitting into the historic continuity of this opening up of Korea. The program proposes a selection of Franco-German works, artists, thinkers, designers, expositions, schools, institutions, labels, and festivals—the common thread is the notion of peace expressed through the broadest variety of digital approaches, forms, and expressions. All the events are organized in collaboration, correspondence, or connection with Korean artists, galleries, institutions, schools, and labels. VENUE: Platoon Kunsthalle DATE: May 11 MORE INFO: www.digitalpeace2013.com GETTING THERE: Hakdong Station 학동역 (Line 7), Exit 10 / Gangnam-gu Office Station 강남구청역 (Line 7, Bundang Line), Exit 3 AMCHAM: 60th Anniversary Hwangap Reception Join to celebrate six decades of successful partnership between American businesses and Korean consumers and companies. AMCHAM will invite senior private and public sector leaders and VIPs from both countries to celebrate the long-standing partnership. VENUE: Conrad Seoul DATE: May 14, 6pm–8pm MORE INFO: T. 02-6201-2200, www.amchamkorea.org GETTING THERE: Yeouido Station 여의도역 (Line 5, 9), Exit 3 or 4 RASKB: Korean Pottery & Porcelain in Icheon Area This afternoon and evening will be especially memorable. As well as helping to commemorate this special day, you will witness all the color and pageantry which the Koreans lavish on the celebration of the birth of Buddha. The lanterns, costumes, and celebratory dances are colorful and joyful. Just don’t forget your camera! In celebration of Buddha’s birthday the RASKB will be visiting several different temples and shrines in Seoul. The first stop will be Gaeun Temple and Chilseongam (hermitage) to see its white Buddha, a fifteen-foot tall relief carved in rock. The tour will spend approximately one hour here. From this temple participants will continue on to Bomunsa Temple, headquarters of the Bomun Order, the only order of female monks in the world. DATE: May 17, 2013 – 1pm to 9pm COST: KRW 33,000 for members and KRW 39,600 for non-members MORE INFO: See this link. GETTING THERE: See link above. Everyday Koreans Jongmyo Daeje   Korean dancers at the Jongmyo Daeje. The memorial rite for the kings of the Joseon Dynasty, the Jongmyo Daeje is performed by the Jeonju Yi clan, Korea’s former royal family, on the first Saturday of May. Photo by Robert Koehler. *Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website. NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too. Notifications Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com. Update Your Shopping Mall ID – Seoul Selection encourages you to change your ID and password for our online bookshop and shopping mall at Seoulselection.com. The old IDs and passwords no longer work following our recent upgrade. Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at trans@seoulselection.com. Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok. Seoul Selection via Ingram – Seoul Selection now has a direct wholesale distribution agreement with Ingram Book Group, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of publisher content. By choosing to allow Ingram to represent our material, we have opened our titles to a wider audience. Our titles will be available for order through Ingram at more than 35,000 distribution channels worldwide. Ask your local bookstore to have Seoul Selection titles available! Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

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Forward this email to a friend Unsubscribe / Change Profile Sponsors Recommended SEOUL (May 2013) Dictionary of Korean Idioms One Fine Spring Day New Books The Kite Fighters Panmunjeom: Facts about the Korean DMZ Easy Learning Korean: Reading/Writing (Beginning level) Korea Strait Art of Korea New DVDs The Man From Nowhere The Horse Doctor Vol. 2 of 2 Love 911 I Am Father Helpless

The Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul is an important Korean celebration held in the lead-up to Buddha’s birthday. This year it will be held the weekend of May 10–12 and feature a huge lantern parade with various traditional performances and ceremonies that you can watch or have a go at yourself.
A spectacular parade, the festival’s main attraction, will take place on Jongno on May 11, featuring a brilliant ocean of light from countless handheld lanterns and grand ornate lantern floats. Following the parade is a post-parade celebration known as Hoehyang Hanmadang. Participants and spectators come together in a spirit of dedicating one’s merits to others. Buddhist entertainers put on a show, and the audience gets into the act, dancing hand in hand.

On May 12, visitors can stroll through more than 100 booths, which will be set up along the street leading to Jogyesa Temple from Jongno. This is where you’ll be able to make your own lotus lanterns, create Buddhist art, try temple food, and strike up a conversation with a friendly monk. Some booths will be dedicated to introducing the Buddhist cultures of Tibet, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia.
Lantern exhibitions will be held at Jogyesa Temple and Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul and Bongeunsa Temple in southern Seoul. On display will be a wide selection of exquisite and meticulously crafted lanterns made of hanji, Korean traditional handmade paper. Each lantern tells its own story with its warm, cheerful light.
The grand finale of the festival features a mini lantern parade around Insa-dong accompanied by the singing and dancing of the Lotus Lantern Performance Groups.

EAT>
In commemoration of Buddha’s coming, it is worth visiting temple food restaurants in Insa-dong.

BUY>
Buddhist paraphernalia shops are lined up along Insadong-gil.

FYI>
T. 02-2011-1744, www.llf.or.kr
(45 Gyunji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul | 서울시 종로구 견지동 45)

GO>
Anguk Station 안국역 (Line 3), Exit 6
Jonggak Station 종각역 (Line 1), Exit 1, 2, or 3
Samseong Station 삼성역 (Line 2), Exit 6

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