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The Venerable Beopjeong(법정스님), a much-respected Buddhist monk(스님) and author of top-selling essay collections, died from lung cancer(폐암으로 돌아가시다) yesterday. He was 77.
Beopjeong, whose most famous book is "Without Possession(무소유)," maintained a frugal and secluded life while preaching the virtue of possessing nothing, a soothing message to Koreans tired of chasing their possessive desire in vain.
속세로부터 벗어나 소박한 삶을 살았던 법정스님은 헛되이 욕망을 쫓는 현대 한국인들의 지친 삶을 어루만지는 메시지를 담아내며 소유하지 않는 미덕을 전파하였다.
"When you do not own anything, you actually own everything in the world." This one line in "Without Possession," a collection of 35 short essays, sums up the Venerable Beopjeong`s lifelong philosophy(인생 철학).
First published in April 1976, "Without Possession" has sold about 3 million copies in a period spanning about 30 years, inspiring many Korean readers with his refined and thought-provoking prose.
1976년 처음으로 출간된 이후 30년에 걸쳐 약 3백만 권이 팔린 ‘무소유’는 정갈하고 시사하는 바가 많은 문구들로 한국인들의 사랑을 받아왔다.
Born Oct. 8, 1932 in the southwestern area of Haenam, South Jeolla Province, Beopjeong spent his childhood in Mokpo. His first encounter with the fundamental question of human limitations came during the bloody Korean War(피로 물든 한국전쟁을 겪으며 인간의 한계에 대한 근원적인 물음과 처음으로 마주하게 된다). In 1955, he left his home in search of a new start in his question-laden life(물음으로 가득한 삶을 새로이 시작하고자).
His initial destination(첫 도착지) was Mt. Odae, but he had to drop in on Seoul due to heavy snow. During his unexpected stay in Seoul, Beopjeong came across the Venerable Hyobong (1888-1966), one of the top Zen masters(불교 선종의 지도자, 정신적 스승) in Korean Buddhist circles. After talking with Hyobong, Beopjeong decided to become a monk on the spot(그 자리에서) and put himself down the Buddhist path that lasted for 55 years.
In the 1960s, Beopjeong worked on the translation of major Buddhist scribes(불경 번역 작업을 하다) along with(~와 함께) other respectable monks such as Yunheo at Bongeun Temple in Seoul. He interacted with democracy activists only to see the political campaigns lead to disappointing results.
Beopjeong set up(세우다, 짓다) a small temple called "Bulilam" just behind Songgwang Temple in South Jeolla Province in October 1975. The next year, he published "Without Possession," which became such a huge bestseller in the following years(다음 해에) that made it difficult for him to maintain a quiet and peaceful life even in that remote area(그렇게 한적하고 은둔한 곳에서조차 조용한 삶을 살기가 힘들어지는).
In 1992, on the 17th year since his settlement in Bulilam, Beopjeong decided to leave behind(남겨두고 떠나다) what he had -- which was almost nothing except for his Buddhist robe(법복) -- and found a new secluded place in a small hut in Gangwon Province. Until recently, he stayed in the non-descriptive(조금의 꾸밈도 없는) hut, refusing to meet with visitors and giving Buddhist lectures only on special occasions.
About three years ago, he contracted lung cancer(폐암에 걸리다). His last public appearance was last April 19 when he gave a lecture at Gilsang Temple in Seoul, which drew keen public attention due to a huge number of followers, regardless of religion(수많은 인파로 인해 종교에 상관없이 예민한 관심을 받았다).
Beopjeong`s status as one of the most respected Buddhist leaders in Korea is largely due to his remarkable life that rejected any material possession or fame(그 어떤 소유나 명성도 거부했던 삶 때문이다), while sparing no efforts to help people in need and push for reconciliation in society(도움이 필요한 자들과 사회 통합에는 노력을 조금도 아끼지 않으면서).
The longstanding popularity of "Without Possession" also demonstrates how Beopjeong has shown a simple yet hard-to-achieve way out of the possession-oriented modern life.
‘무소유’의 식지 않는 인기는 모든 것이 소유에서 비롯되는 현대의 삶에서 법정스님이 얼마나 간단하면서 동시에 이루기 힘든 삶을 살아왔는지를 증명해준다.
The late Cardinal Stephen Kim Su-hwan, one of the most famous Catholic leaders here, once observed his take on Beopjeong`s representative book: "Although this book preaches the virtue of possessing nothing, I really want to possess this book.

" (insight@heraldcorp.com By Yang Sung-jin