The Buddha of Sujongsa Temple
By Mun Suk
Lying on his stomach like a black rock in the temple courtyard
He amuses himself by rolling over in one place throughout the day.
Sightseers admiring the fall leaves pass closely by
But he doesn’t move.
He is unwavering among the people coming and going.
He neither wags his tail to draw attention
Like those dogs down the mountain
Nor bares his teeth to defend his territory.
Putting aside thoughts, his eyes follow the sun,
And gaze east and then west with casual interest.
In front of his black pupils, a season passes by unnoticed.
The world below the mountain does not concern him,
He has no intention to leave the temple, even though having no leash.
Because he is not on a leash
He knows he is in paradise.
I ask the woman who cleans the temple lounge,
And she says the dog is named “No-Thought.”
Poet Mun Suk made her literary debut in 2000 in the literary magazine Jayu Munhak. She studied Korean literature at Dongguk University Graduate School. She writes poems continually with Buddhist themes. They include: poems about Buddhist temples, poems about her associations with Buddhist monks and nuns, poems of warning about her own secular tendencies, poems explaining karma, and poems about searching for the Dharma. Her poems frankly reveal her daily life and her state of mind as they are, which provides a chance to reflect on herself.
In her 3rd poetry collection titled Buriron [Non-Dualism] is the following poem titled Loss:
I have already spent half of my life/ Many days I stayed awake all night/ What is left/ are a few poetry collections which may have been used as trivets by some/ In the meantime, a woman my age next door/ made a billion won from an apartment she bought for half a billion/ and then made two billion won more from an apartment she bought for a billion/ The reason I am reduced to creating trivets/ is because I loved poetry/ which fulfilled me with no thought of making money.
She says she has been “reduced to creating trivets” because she writes poetry and has no skill to make money like another woman her age. Although she is financially hard-pressed, she has no desire to accumulate wealth. Rather, she seems to say that peace dwells in a life free of worldly desires.
The poem The Buddha of Sujongsa Temple tells the story of a dog living in the courtyard of Sujongsa Temple, whose residents have named it “No Thought.” Thus, the poem conveys the teaching of living without thoughts and concepts. The dog is calm and detached like a rock, has no likes or dislikes, has no fear, and never begs for attention. He lives his life free of thought. Though unleashed, he never leaves the temple. Observing the dog’s behavior, the poet reflects on a serene life free of thought.
Mun Suk’s poems reveal her mind well, which is to honestly reflect on her own flaws and to guide herself to a renewed state. All advanced practices begin with repentance. Likewise, to reflect on oneself honestly, without bias, and to acknowledge all one’s deficiencies is a virtue necessary to one who seeks to cultivate the mind.
Explanation by Mun Tae-jun (Poet)
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