The purpose of this paper is to reveal the activities of Noimuk Cheoyeong (雷黙處英, ?-1592-1612-?), a monk general from Geumsan Temple who established the Righteous (resistance) Army at a time of national crisis as a result of the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592- 1598). It seems that little prior research about him has been done because no literary works, epigraphs, or biographical details have been passed down. However, considering the status of Geumsan Temple, where the Righteous Monk Army was stationed, and the fact that he was one of ‘Three Reverends’ who saved the country, it is important to examine related data.
The following is a summary of the contents and findings of this paper.
First, Cheoyeong, from Geumsan Temple, was a successor of the Venerable Cheongheo Hyujeong (淸虛休靜, 1520-1604). Cheoyeong was a remarkable figure who led 1,000 soldiers to join the nationwide revolt of teachers to save the country when the Japanese Invasion of Korea occurred in 1592. He was appointed to the position of a monk general of the Honam region and made some brilliant military contributions, including the victory at the Battle of Haengju in 1593. The formation of the Righteous Monk Army was a Buddhist task that the Order, which was in charge of saving the world and delivering the people, he accomplished even at the risk of his own life, knowing that “Protecting the country is the best protection of dharma” at the time when this national crisis unfolded. The activities of the Monk Army served to turn the tide of the war.
Second, Cheoyeong had established a close affinity between dharma brothers and Venerable Samyeong Yujeong (1544-1610), a representative monk general during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. Yujeong was a hero who led the Righteous Monk Army during the war and scored numerous military victories and negotiated peace terms with the Japanese Army. After the war, he was sent to Japan as a National Teacher to secure the safe return of 3,500 surviving victims to Korea on behalf of numerous Confucian subjects who filled the Court. Considering the nature of their friendship, Cheoyeong and Yujeong seemed to have been about the same age. This connection between them seems to have led to Cheoyeong writing the epilogue of the Collection of Great Monk Samyeongdang, which was complied in 1612 after Yujeong passed away. Cheoyeong’s unique writing reveals his thoughts and deep understanding of his master, Cheongheo Hyujeong's ideas, his perception of the nature of Seon (meditation), and the ideals by which he inspired the Righteous Army to save the nation.
Third, King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, later in 1794, ordered that Cheoyeong be honored by being elevated to the status of one of the Three Reverends who saved the country along with the Venerable Hyujeong and Venerable Yujeong, and that his portrait be enshrined in the Pyochung Temple of Haenam. After the War, the Righteous Monk Army was transformed into a permanent organization with 700 members stationed at the South and North Han Mountain Fortress and 300 members stationed at Heungguk Temple in Yeongchwi Mountain under the Left Navy Camp of Jeolla Province. These symbolic figures who saved the country played a vital role in representing the status of the religious Order out of the Court and leading the people to the refuge of the Order.
Fourth, there are no epigraphs about Cheoyeong and his biography was not even registered in history books of the Order such as the Dongsa-Yeoljeon (biographies of the brilliant masters of Korea), but writings about Cheyeong by later persons appeared in several literary collections. Therefore, it is imperative to find related history materials about this important historical figure and any temples he may have been associated with. It is fortunate that the ‘History and Cultural Memorial Hall of the Great Master Noimuk Cheoyeong’ was built at Geumsan Temple in 2013. It is believed that this will open new horizons for the organization of history and research into historical materials in this area.