'Vernerable Monks and Famous Temples' Sheds Light on Monks Long Past

Hwang Won-kab, novelist and journalist, has just put out "Venerable monks and famous temples", an insight into 10 years researching historical Buddhist figures. Hwang looks at 25 great monks in Korean Buddhist history, their lives and where they lived. Some of the monks that people Hwang's work are the legendary Lee Cha-don put to death for, what was at that time, a "new" religion, Wonhyo who was primarily responsible for solidly establishing Buddhism within ancient Korean society, and the eminent Dosun, Bojo, and Muhak who carried on the Buddhist tradition. During his preparation for his work, the author found few temples remaining with barely traces left behind of these great monks.

In particular, Wonhyo has left a path all over the Kyongju area(southwest portion of the peninsula), capital during the ancient Shilla dynasty- his travels reads like a guide book to historical Kyongju. Also of great interest are anecdotes of his wife, Princess Yosuk, and their son Sulchong which give the venerable monk a human quality. The book published by Book Village is available for 15,000 won($13) at boostores across the nation.