Kyunyeo facts for kids

Gyunyeo (born in 923, died in 973) was an important Korean Buddhist monk and poet. He is also known as Kyun Yeo. He was born in Hwangju, which is now part of North Korea. Gyunyeo was famous for his poems, especially "Songs of the Ten Vows Samantabhara." This collection is one of the oldest Korean poems still existing today. He also helped spread the Hwaeom school of Buddhism in Korea.

Early Life and Studies

Gyunyeo was born in a village called Dundaeyeopchon in Hwangju, Goryeo. His mother was a diviner, someone who could predict the future. A traditional story says that Gyunyeo was not very good-looking. Because of this, his parents left him.

However, two crows came and covered him with their wings. This made his parents change their minds, and they took him back. By the age of seven, Gyunyeo already loved reading poetry.

From a young age, he deeply studied the teachings of the Huayan sutras. These are important Buddhist texts, especially the Avatamsaka Sutra. When he was 15, he began studying with a monk named Sikhyeon Hwasang. This was at Buphingsa Temple. Later, he continued his Buddhist training at Yeongtongsa Temple.

Spreading Buddhist Teachings

Gyunyeo worked hard to make Buddhism popular and easy to understand. He wrote a special hymn called "Bohyeon Shipwonga." This means "Songs of the Ten Vows Samantabhara." He wrote it to share Buddhist ideas in a way that everyone could learn from.

He also tried to bring different Buddhist groups together. These groups had sometimes disagreed with each other. Gyunyeo traveled all over the country, teaching Buddhism and trying to unite people.

In the year 958, during the reign of King Gwangjong, Gyunyeo held an important position. He was a "sigwan," which meant he helped choose many skilled monks. He reached a very high rank in the Buddhist world.

Important Roles and Works

Gyunyeo lived at Mahagapsa Temple for some time. Later, he became the leader of Guibeopsa Temple. King Gwangjong himself built this temple in 963 to honor Gyunyeo.

Gyunyeo's efforts helped unite the Korean Huayan school of Buddhism. This school had split into two main branches, the Southern and Northern. Gyunyeo's teachings focused on bringing these different ideas together. He believed in combining different viewpoints to create harmony. His ideas also included local Korean beliefs and practical faith.

Gyunyeo passed away in 973 CE. His most famous work is "Songs of the Ten Vows Samantabhara." This hymn has eleven verses. It is based on the ten vows of a Bodhisattva named Samantabhadra. These vows are found in the Avatamsaka Sutra. Each verse of the hymn is written in a special ten-character style. The hymn shows a Bodhisattva's promise to help all living things. It guides them towards enlightenment, which is a state of deep understanding.

Legacy and Influence

Not everyone agreed with Gyunyeo's ideas. For example, a figure named Uicheon did not include Gyunyeo's writings in some important records. This was because they had different philosophical views.

However, Gyunyeo's teachings became important again later. This happened during the spread of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Eventually, his writings were included in the Goryeo Tripitaka. This is a very important collection of Buddhist scriptures.