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The Lives of

The Monks of Old

in Korea Authored by Jong Sang Kim Illustrated by Jae Hong Kim Translated from the Korean original by Bhikkhuni Yeokwang ~ Tathaaloka Originally published by Parang Sae Eorini: Blue Bird Child

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Jong Sang Kim Born in 1935 in An Dong, South Korea, Jong Sang Kim's writing "San Wi-eso Pomyeon (Looking from the Mountain Top)" has been featured in Seoul Newspaper, and he has published a number of books including "Eomoni Mu Myeong Chima (Mother's Cotton Skirt)" and "Suit, Jwi-ga Deul-eur-ra (Shh, Listen to the Mouse!". Awarded first prize for Korean Literature and Grand Prize for Children's Culture in Korea, he is currently Principle of Yoo Seok Elementary School and serving as Vice President of the Association for the Promotion of Korean Buddhist Youth Culture. Jae Hong Kim Born in 1958 in Kyeong Gi Do Provence, South Korea, Jae Hong Kim came with an interest in expanding on his professional and personal concern for both nature and humanity. Many young readers have received love through his illustrations in the green books: "Ssal Baeng i reul Ashinayo (Do You Know the Ricepeople?)," "Cho Seung Dal gwa Bam Pae (The Night Ship and the New Moon)," "Dong Gang eui Aideul (Children of the East River)" and "Kohyang i Hakgyo (Hometown School)". Seok Yeokwang ~ Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni Born in 1968 in Washington D.C., Bhikkhuni Yeokwang (Pali/Sanskrit: Tathaaloka), nee Heather Buske, grew up in the Northwestern American countryside, left university for monastic life in 1989 at the age of nineteen and was ordained as a bhikkhuni at an international Sangha gathering in Los Angeles in 1997 with the Sri Lankan Elder Venerable Bhante Ratanasara as preceptor, and the first American bhikkhuni ordained on American soil, the Venerable Karuna Dharma as supporter. As of 2003, she currently lives, studies in the graduate school and teaches sharing Dharma in English at the Bhikkhuni Sangha College at Un Mun Sa in the Leaping Tiger Mountain Wilderness of South Korea with her tonsure master, Korean Bhikkhuni Sangha President Myeong Seong Sunim, her fellow elder bhikkhunis and two-hundred-seventy sramaneri seminarians.

May this work be for the happiness and benefit of all living beings both young and old.

[in the garden]

The monks of old, when they planted seeds, in a single furrow they planted three, for the birds, the bugs and I alike to eat.
[on the deck]

The monks of old, if their water gourd broke, with pine roots they sewed a patch, and a well-worn gourd was saved, and brought to life again.

[with ink tablets]

The monks of old, when they dipped their brushes into ink, practiced their writing on the inkblock, as paper and ink were precious, and not to be wasted.

[on the path / with ants]

The monks of old left fine shoes behind for good and wore light straw sandals, so as not to trample and kill small crawling creatures.

[on the path / with rocks]

The monks of old were careful not to harm sprouts and seedlings, for they had sympathy for the tenderness of youth.

[on the path / going up the hill]

The monks of old, disturbed not even a stone carelessly and without good reason; for "the place of everything in this world, as it is, is my place," they said.

[in the field]

The monks of old, although their work was hard, they felt good about it; saying, "where there is shade, there is sunshine."

[with wooden fish]

The monks of old remembered the Buddha even while walking down the road, as a blessing for all that lives and breathes.

[with cow]

The monks of old knew the importance that life has for all living beings, and honored every breath as most precious; everything that lives and breathes as most dear; for we are not seperate.

[with burs]

Even when grass seeds and burs stuck in their robes, the monks of old would bring them carefully to new soil, with mindfulness and consideration.

[fish in pond]

The monks of old, if they came across someone selling live fish, would get one and set it free to swim in the waters from which it came, to live still, as I yet live, saying, "As I live free, may you also go in freedom."

[behind the cart]

The monks of old, however long their journey, never rode in a cart or wagon, so as not to burden the horse or cow that pulled it.

[going up the hill in the evening light]

The monks of old embraced nature and had the greatest respect for it; speaking of entering the mountain forests as entering the bosom of monastic life: strong and secure, full and complete in meaning.

[in the candlelight]

Over the light of shining jewels, the monks of old preferred to closely watch a single candle; for the natural burning out of the candle may shed great light on many things for both oneself and others.

Yet Nal Sunim Deureun ~ Eotteohke Sarasseulkka (The Lives of the Monks of Old)
Copyright Jong Sang Kim * Jae Hong Kim, 2003, Printed in Korea First Printing: 04.28.03 / First Circulation: 05.03.03 Author: Jong Sang Kim / Illustrated by: Jae Hong Kim / Design: Dal Recreative Publisher: Jung Mo Jeong / Planning Commissioner: Sang Bae Lee / Published by: Blue Bird Child Editors: Young Heui Baek & Yoo Soon Shin / Registration: 01/21/88 (1-635) Address: 368-12 Seo Gyo Dong, Ma Po Gu, Seoul, South Korea / Tel: 82.2.337.2004 / Fax: 82.2.337.0401 Email: editor@bluebirdchild.com / homepage: www.bluebirdchild.com ISBN 89-7057-663-0 (set) / ISBN 89-7057-664-9 77810