Background
Song Tonguk was born in southern of Korea (Chŏnju, Chŏlla province), and entered the sangha at the age of nine in 1857.
鏡虛禪師
Song Tonguk was born in southern of Korea (Chŏnju, Chŏlla province), and entered the sangha at the age of nine in 1857.
The young monk studied under the tutelage of Kyehŏ–sŏnsa.
His original name was Song Tonguk. And his dharma name was Sŏng’University He ordained at Ch"ŏnggye monastery located at Kwach’ŏn, in the Kyŏnggi province.
When he was 14, in 1862, Kyehŏ–sŏnsa disrobed and sent Kyŏnghŏ–sŏnsa to Manhwa–sŏnsa for further study at Tonghak–sa.
Kyŏnghŏ soon distinguished himself as a sūtra-lecturer grew until a dramatic incident took place in 1879 while Kyŏnghŏ was travelling to Seoul to meet his previous teacher Kyehŏ–sŏnsa. On the way he entered a village looking for shelter from a rainstorm and discovered that the entire inhabitants of the village had died from an epidemic.
When Kyŏnghŏ returned to his monastery, he summarily dismissed all of his students, and began serious Sŏn meditation practice. After his awakening, Kyŏnghŏ wrote:
upon hearing that there are no nostrils, I realize the whole world is my home.
On the path under the Yŏnam mountain in June, people in fields enjoy the day, singing the song of good harvest.
Kyŏnghŏ now devoted himself to teaching Sŏn at various monasteries including Pŏmŏ–sa, Haein–sa and Sŏnggwang–sa until his disappearance in 1905. His activities from 1905 until his death in 1912 are not clear. Some claim that he wandered around in the northern part of of Korea as a beggar.
And other sources report that he lived a life of a layperson, letting his hair grow and teaching Confucian classics.
Kyŏnghŏ’s unconventional life style and eccentric character brought him some criticism as well as fame amongst the followers of the wild freedom style Sŏn masters.
