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20 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURE

at Cheonjinam Hermitage in 1779 and composed
various poems of himself and his brothers frequenting
Cheonjinam Hermitage.

In a poem from the text, “Saseok” (寺夕) Evenings of the

Temple written in 1797, it states:

誰將好丘壑
留與數僧專
…
鍾動隨僧粥
香銷伴客眠

The rocks steadily surround the temple
And incense and Buddhist sutras are all embedded deep
within
The Buddhist monks eat their porridge with the sound of The Buddhist stupa which remained at the Jueosa temple site until
recently, was moved to the Jeoldusan Memorial Hall managed by the
the bell Korean Catholic community.
And they lay their heads to sleep as the incense burn out
into the night

This poem serves to refute the recent Catholic claim
that “Cheonjinam Hermitage had already been in ruins
by 1779,” and at the same time shows the friendship
between Dasan Jeong Yakyong, his brothers, and the
Buddhist monks of Cheonjinam Hermitage.

Cheonjinam Hermitage and Jueosa Temple became a
place of practice for meditation, debates, and explored
the search for truth by both Buddhist monks and the A group of scholars from the southeastern suburbs of current Seoul
organized their Kanghakhoe academic seminar group at Cheonjinam
Catholic intellectuals. Hermitage and Jueosa Temple, a Buddhist temple in Toechon-myeon
Village in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province)
There was a clear historic unity between the Catholics
and Buddhists, where two different faiths came
of other sentient beings, without expecting any rewards.
to practice in one place. It was an interfaith union
Its trademark is a strong commitment to profound
by both the Catholics, who passionately wanted to
compassion or love for others. It’s not passive — and not
preserve their own faith, and the Buddhists, who
empathy alone — but rather an empathetic altruism that
compassionately embraced them with their wisdom of
actively strives to free others from suffering.
altruism, or Bodhicitta.
The seeds of Korean Catholicism began to take root
and sprout at Cheonjinam Hermitage where it enjoyed
The Bodhicitta (菩提) Path – Empathetic Altruism of
protection of Korean Buddhism. However, while the
Cheonjinam Hermitage and Jueosa Temple Sangha
Korean Catholic community, including Dasan Jeong
Yakyong, devotedly organized the Kanghakhoe academic
Bodhicitta is a core concept of Mahayana Buddhism,
seminar group and expanded their studies at Cheonjinam
meaning the compassionate aspiration to reach
Hermitage and Jueosa temple, the Joseon Government
enlightenment for the benefit of others. It is the
also began full-fledged persecution of Catholics.
enlightened mind that purely aspires for the well-being