Interview with Master Daejong Musang, master of lyrics of the Jogye Order
“It is said that there is merit just by wearing a robe. However, it is also the scariest clothing for a Buddhist disciple.”
When asked on the 6th, “What is the spirit contained in the lyrics,” Daejong Musang, the master of the lyrics of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said this. Gasa refers to the robe that monks wear over their jangsam, from their left shoulder to under their right armpit. When unfolded, it looks like an ordinary rectangular piece of cloth, but so much care is put into it that there is a saying, “You can accumulate merit with just three strokes of stitching.”
Master Musang, whom I met at Beopjusa Temple in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, where Songnisan Mountain’s Jeongipum Pine tree stands quietly, said, “In the past, we made it with so much care that we had to cover our mouths with a mask to prevent saliva from splashing during the lyrics, and if we wanted to go to Haewooso in the middle, we had to change into old clothes.” He, who has been in charge of the Gasawon Dopyeonsu for 40 years and disseminates unified lyrics within the order, was appointed as the first lyric master of the Jogye Order in September last year.
Gasa, which is made by connecting several pieces of cloth, is divided into 9 types according to the number of pieces: yawn 9, 11, 13 pieces, medium quality 15, 17, 19 pieces, and commodity 21, 23, 25 pieces. It symbolizes the 9th rank in the world of paradise, and the 25th rank is awarded to the highest priest and great master.
Master Musang said, “If you sew with even the slightest creases, the shape will be lost, so you have to iron and sew again every time you connect a piece.” He added, “It varies depending on individual skill and how many sets are made, but it can take anywhere from 10 days to 20 days.” “It’s a tedious process that takes about a day,” he said.
It’s something I’ve been pursuing for over 60 years, but the beginning was very simple. It is said that in the mid-1960s, while running errands by participating in a temple’s Gasa Buddhist ceremony with the intention of obtaining a set of robes, he caught the eye of the monk Beopjang, the best monk at the time. It was a time when up to 100 people gathered together to cut fabric on one side and sew and iron on the other. Perhaps because he was quite clever, the monk Beopjang took him with him every time he went to the Gasa Buddhist Temple. One year, when a request was made for the Gasa Buddhist Temple, I gave him the bamboo ruler (Gasa Ruler) that I used for cutting, and continued the tradition.
“No one can behave carelessly while wearing a robe. Even if we fight, we don’t fight while wearing lyrics. ha ha ha.”
Master Musang said, “Gasa is called the attire of liberation, purity, and fortune, but at the same time, it is a garment that symbolizes patience and precepts.” “If you don’t fulfill your duties as a monk, you will end up in hell, so it is the most terrifying garment for a monk,” he said.
Reporter Lee Jin-gu [email protected]
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