It was when Bulpil was in the sixth grade of elementary school that he first met his father, Seongcheol. He had gone to Myogwaneumsa Temple to meet Seongcheol, who was staying there with Hyangok, holding hands with his wife, Myoeom, and his uncle. He had never seen him before and did not even know what he looked like. However, as the two monks entered the room, he recognized immediately who Seongcheol was.

But as soon as Seongcheol saw Bulpil, he shouted, "Go!"

Suddenly, something welled up inside Bulpil as well, and he told his uncle, "I will go back."

That was their first meeting. It happened when Bulpil was in the sixth grade of elementary school, before the Korean War broke out.

In the spring of 1956, his daughter Sugyeong (Bulpil) visited Seongjeonam Hermitage to see Seongcheol. Sugyeong had climbed Mt. Palgong with her friend, Okja. Both were just twenty years old, having just graduated from teacher training college.

Although she received a teaching appointment, Sugyeong prepared to go into the mountains instead of to school. Her uncle told her to hold onto teaching for just one year, even if she became a monk, and her mother urged her to return to university to study further, but they could not change the mind of the stubborn Sugyeong.

Venerable Bulpil, who lived with only the words of Venerable Seongcheol in his mind, visited Seongjeonam Hermitage on the day of the end of the monastic period. Upon the arrival of Sugyeong and Okja, Seongcheol bestowed upon them the Dharma names Bulpil and Baekjol, respectively. While it is commonly known that the name Bulpil was given to signify that a Dharma name is unnecessary, this is not the truth.

Venerable Seongcheol meant that one must become a person who is useless to the world [不必] to attain the Way, and one must become a person who is incompetent in a hundred ways [百拙] to attain Buddhahood. Upon receiving the names, Sugyeong asked:

“Why specifically Bulpil?”

“If you understand ‘Hapil’ (Why necessarily), you understand the meaning of Bulpil.”

It meant that "non-essential" is a prerequisite for attaining the Way. Since it is something that can only be achieved by studying like a fool, it implies that uselessness is inevitable.

Venerable Bulpil was born as the youngest daughter of Venerable Seongcheol. Although she had two older sisters, they died early, leaving her alone. As Venerable Bulpil was Venerable Seongcheol's only blood relative, she seems to have been viewed with various misunderstandings by the public. It is said that she built Geumgang Cave within the grounds of Haeinsa Temple and established it as a hermitage without informing Venerable Seongcheol. She also clarified that the story claiming she was present at Venerable Seongcheol's deathbed is a widely held fact. Furthermore, she emphasized that some reports stating the Venerable called out Venerable Bulpil's name as he passed away are also contrary to the facts.

It was a statement that "non-essential" is essential for attaining the Way. - My First Meeting with My Father, Venerable Seongchol

Hopes for the Future

Learning Eternal Happiness from the Venerable

The Origin of My Dharma Name, Bulpil

Receiving the Masamgeun Hwadu

The Passing of Venerable Ilhyu

Building Geumgang Cave at Haeinsa Temple

Venerable Bulpil's Brothers

The Passing of Venerable Seongchol

#VenerableSeongchol #VenerableBulpil #VenerableSeongchol'sDaughter

[Interview with Venerable Bulpil] "My Father, Venerable Seongchol; My Teacher, Venerable Seongchol"

Baengnyeon Buddhist Cultural Foundation http://sungchol.org/

Institute for the Study of Seongchol Zen Thought http://www.songchol.com/?skipintro=1