It has been about one year since last visited Yeonghae 영해 and Byunggok 병곡. Got there over 2 hours and 30 minutes from Daegu by car. Drove to Yeonghae last weekend, unloaded the bicycle at the parking lot in front of Goesi-ri traditional village 괴시리 전통마을 and started cycling around the coastal regions. The village has its own historical background to attract tourists as Yi saek 이색(1328~1396), an eminent confucian scholar in the late Goryeo dynasty was born here.
It's always fun to reflect back on the days of childhood. Enjoyed cycling on the old trails along the coast, tracing the childhood memories. Byunggok used to be a tiny fishing village, however, everything has been changed except road and back alley locations, and new restaurants and accommodation facilities now occupy the space instead, its long beach and beautiful seashore landscape having become ever more popular.
Jangyuksa Buddhist temple 장육사 was also added along the coastal trail to the route this time, which is one of the popular tourist attractions among Buddhists. Seon(Zen) master Naong 나옹 선사(1320∼1376), was born in Yeonghae and founded this temple about 700 years ago.
He left home at the age of 21 to become a Buddhist priest. Five years later, he suddenly attained enlightenment while meditating day and night. In those days, Mongol Empire, the Yuan Dynasty 원나라 established by the Mongols ruled China from 1271 to 1368.
Naong went to Yuan China to learn more in the birthplace of Seon Buddhism, and went and found some renowned Seon masters there, among whom the Indian monk Dhyana Bhadra, who then stayed in Yuan, was most popularly known as Jigong 지공, 指空 and formally recognized Naong as an enlightened master. After returning from China, he was appointed as king's teacher.
Naong and Yi saek were from the same place, lived in the same period and sustained friendship even if Yi saek was not a Buddhist and 8 years older. Yi saek wrote his epitaph after Naong died. Naong left a poem behind, which shows to us his deep sense of unity with great nature, not separated from each other.
Blue mountain teaches me to live silently
Blue sky teaches me to live innocently;
live like water and wind and die,
leaving love and hatred behind.
