Wongwangsa Bogong Daehwasang Enters Nirvana (入寂)

In 2001, served as president of the 'Taego 26' monk group at Taego Chongrim Seonamsa of the Korean Buddhist Taego Order
Made significant contributions to the development of Korean Buddhism

Large Buddhist Banner Painting Directly Drawn by Monk Bogong (Photo by Wongaksa)

[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] A Buddhist official reported that Venerable Bogong, the founder of Wongwangsa Temple, quietly entered nirvana early morning on the 4th in the Dharma hall he passionately built with all his heart.

Venerable Bogong, aged 56 with 33 years in the Buddhist order, personally carried out all the work with wholehearted passion, including civil engineering, constructing the Dharma hall and monks' quarters without anyone's help seven years ago. He also personally painted Buddhist paintings such as the Guardian Deities Thangka, Medicine Buddha Thangka, the Five Hundred Arhats, and the Hell Scroll inside the Dharma hall, and carved the signboards and couplets, completing the Wongwangsa Temple project on Namgaksan Mountain.

The late monk was a chanting master who presided over numerous temple consecration ceremonies and various rituals. He was also a talented painter of Thangka and various Buddhist paintings throughout his life, as well as skilled in calligraphy and wood carving. Among his works are several pieces including the large hanging scroll Thangka created through 49 days of prayer.

After the temple's consecration ceremony on the 5th of last month, his health rapidly deteriorated. He refused treatment, stating that he had accomplished all his Buddhist works in this life and quietly prepared for nirvana.

Unable to swallow water or food and unable to speak, in his final written communication with his fellow monk Dowol, he expressed, “When I decided to enter nirvana, the eyes of those beautiful male and female Buddhist devotees flickering before me weighed heavily on my heart. As a sign of gratitude for the benefactors’ grace, I will do my utmost to melt away all the karma of the benefactors by offering my body as the final Buddhist service.”

He also said, “Rather than showing an outstanding appearance in this world, I believe that sharing the teachings I have studied with the public is more helpful for spreading the Dharma.”

Upon passing, the monk said, “The body is not originally mine; only the awakened soul (Gakhon, 覺魂) goes on.” He wished that even his small offering would help eliminate the suffering of sentient beings in the Sah? world and requested that his body be promptly taken for research on methods to cure sentient beings’ illnesses. It is known that he donated his body to Keimyung University for research purposes.

Venerable Bogong entered monastic life at Haeilsa Temple on Taebaeksan Mountain in Gangwon Province in 1988. In 2001, as president of the ‘Taego 26’ monk group at Seonamsa Temple, the head temple of the Taego Order of Korean Buddhism, he significantly contributed to the development of Korean Buddhism by presiding over memorial services for the Daegu subway disaster and the May 18 Gwangju Uprising victims.

Choi Gap-rok, president of the devotees’ association, said, “Although it is very regrettable that he suddenly departed like a fleeting condition after accomplishing all his Buddhist works, the numerous spiritual powers and Buddhist works he demonstrated according to his teachings will continue the teachings pursued by Wongwangsa Temple, such as right Dharma practice, Bodhisattva Buddhism, and the cultivation of the temple grounds. We are grateful for the connection with the monk over the years,” and prayed for his enlightenment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.