the deepening autumn

As November arrives, the temperature drops sharply, and people’s clothing gets thicker. It’s a bit chilly, but it’s the perfect season to ride a bicycle comfortably without breaking a sweat. The crisp air feels refreshing, and the cool breeze makes pedaling pleasant rather than tiring. 

Last Sunday, a padyatri rode his bicycle along the streams and riverside paths in the northern area of Daegu 대구, making a full round trip. On the way, he passed through a rural village where the villagers were finishing up the harvest. Continuing on, leaving the countryside behind, he entered the city. To shorten the return time, he entered the bike path along the stream running through central Taejeon-dong 태전동 area. A new bike path had been built along the stream, with a monorail running above it. 

the Buddha's path

A very significant insight a padyatri has recently gained about Buddhism is the legendary anecdote that the Buddha transmitted his enlightenment to Mahākāśyapa 마하가섭 when he held up a flower and Mahākāśyapa smiled was a fiction created in China. Besides, realizing that the Buddha’s original teaching and Chinese Buddhism, along with Seon(Zen) Buddhism 선불교, are not the same, a padyatri had to reconsider Buddhism from a new perspective and in a new way.

견성성불 見性成佛 expresses the core idea of Seon Buddhism: enlightenment is attained through directly perceiving one’s own true nature and attaining Buddhahood. On the other hand, it is a statement that greatly distorts Buddhism. In fact, the Buddha realized anatta(non-self) and did not acknowledge any kind of substance or existence.

As Buddhism was transmitted to China and became indigenized, it absorbed Daoist and Laozi thought, giving rise to Seon Buddhism. It was a process in which the logical and analytical Buddhism transformed into the intuitive and non-logical Seon Buddhism. 

It is almost impossible to attain enlightenment through Seon Buddhism. This is proven by the fact that since Seon Buddhism was introduced to the Korean Peninsula around the 4th century, very few have truly attained enlightenment. Therefore, in modern times, since Korean monks cannot find answers within Korean Seon Buddhism, they often go to Theravada Buddhist countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka to seek the path.

A well-known Seon dialogue can be cited as an example of the limitations and problems of Seon Buddhism. Such lofty, abstract stories, heavily colored by Chinese Buddhist influence, are not the way the Buddha kindly taught the truth to his disciples.

A monk asked Zhaozhou 조주,                                                                           “What is the meaning of the Patriarch’s coming from the West?”

Zhaozhou 조주 replied,                                                                           
“The cypress tree in the front yard.”

The Buddha's enlightenment is the doctrine of dependent origination 연기법(pratītyasamutpāda), which is expressed through the Four Noble Truths 사성제, and the Noble Eightfold Path 팔정도. The precise map leading to that path is also Dependent Origination, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path.

Even if one has not yet attained enlightenment, the fact that enlightenment exists and the method to reach it are presented by the Buddha with utmost clarity. It is by no means an unrealistic or fanciful story. Therefore, by following that path, we can have confidence and hope that we will eventually attain enlightenment.

20 years later

As autumn arrived, a padyatri visited Jeokcheonsa 적천사, an ancient Buddhist temple located 4 kilometers south of Cheongdo 청도, for the first time in 20 years. It is said that this temple was founded around 1,600 years ago during the Silla period by a Buddhist layman 거사, and over time, it grew in scale. Around the year 1100, during the Goryeo 고려 dynasty, approximately 500 monks practiced here, and many renowned Zen masters emerged from this place.

At the entrance of the temple stand two famous ginkgo trees that greet visitors. They are estimated to be around 800 years old, and in late autumn, they turn a brilliant yellow, transforming into a spectacular sight. These trees have been designated and preserved as national monuments. According to legend, they grew from the staff that a monk named Jinul 지눌 planted while rebuilding and repairing the old structures of Jeokcheonsa in 1175 during the Goryeo dynasty. He was a venerable monk of the Goryeo period who played a decisive role in establishing Korean Seon Buddhism. It was the end of October, but autumn had come late to this mountain. On the day a padyatri went, the ginkgo leaves still had a greenish hue rather than the typical golden yellow of autumn.       

  

Jeokcheonsa is located halfway up the mountain, so you can either drive there or park in the village at the foot of the mountain and walk up. A padyatri walked up, and it seemed that many more houses had been built throughout the valley compared to the past.

as autumn returns once more

Drove to Daehap 대합 township, a typical country village in Gyeongnam 경남 province and started from the township office. Each day of October’s autumn feels more and more precious. The mountain pass between Daehap and Goam 고암 had a steep uphill section, which was a bit tough, but it was an enjoyable day during the Chuseok 추석 holiday.

Took a short break at the top of the mountain pass between Daehap and Goam areas. The long downhill beyond the hill was enough to cool off a cyclist's  sweat. The photo on the right shows the downhill road leading to Goam after crossing the mountain pass and the rural scenery.

Rode over once again the long mountain pass from Goam to the Seongsan 성산 area and headed east toward the Dalchang 달창 Reservoir. The road runs right next to the reservoir, allowing you to enjoy the scenery. You can keep going straight along the road, then descend the downhill near the reservoir embankment and turn left, which will take you onto a path that runs just below the embankment. You can also see the Dalchang reservoir embankment in the distance.