In a graveyard realizing he had drank from a skull cup, Wonhyo had an epiphany (satori).
The following tale is from the life of Ven. Wonhyo, the renowned monk from the Silla peninsula. He twice tried to visit Tang, China. At the age of 33 with his Dharma friend, Ven. Uisang, he tried to cross the Amnokgang river on a trip that failed. On a second attempt, he left with Usiang for Dangjugye, in the territory of Baekje, to reach Tang by sea.
When they arrived at the harbor, it was already dark and stormy. They stayed in a cave hewn out of the earth. When they awoke he realized it was not a cave but an old graveyard.
The heavy rain had not stopped, so they had to stay another night. On the second night he could not sleep. He knew it was a graveyard. And this led him to a sudden realization:
“All phenomena arise when the mind arises. And when the mind is absent, the cave and the graveyard were not two; there was no sense of duality.”
This sudden realization gave rise to a profound understanding of the world. Wonhyo said, “The three worlds are only mind, and all phenomena arise from the mind, from consciousness. If the truth is present in the mind, how could it be found outside of the mind! I won’t go to Tang.”
Then he once again returned to Silla.
There is a dramatic story which was later added to these events. It is said that Wonhyo drank water when he awoke in the night desperately thirsty. In the darkness, he found a container with water in it and gratefully drank it.
The next morning he found that the water he drank was filthy rainwater that had collected in the skull. This experience became the basis of his realization that “there is nothing clean and nothing dirty; all things are made by mind.”
The fact that all phenomena arise from the mind is a truth he clearly understood. He knew that the mind exists in all human beings. So he decided not to go to Tang China but to return home.
Sanshin mountain-spirit, Mt. Seorak-san,
Prof. David Mason (san-shin.net)San-shin.org
There were at least three elements similar to Korea's [indigenous] San-shin traditions already present in the Mahayana Buddhism that took root in Korea. This made it easy for the imported religion to absorb native spirits: protection by devas, meditation-practice in caves, and carving stone Buddhas.
Protection by Devas
In the Hwa-eom-gyeong 18 "Mountain Gods" are said to serve as guardians of the Dharma [Buddhist teachings]. They are considered devas, demigods, or nature/animal spirits ranking lower than the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Na-han but higher than any human being.
Each San-shin of each mountain that hosts a Buddhist temple is said to protect the temple buildings themselves and the local Sangha [community of monks]. Protection of the nation in general, always a part of Korea's San-shin traditions, became a major theme of Korean Buddhism throughout history.
Still today, monks and common people both pray to San-shin for spiritual protection from ill-fortune.
Meditation-practice in caves
In the Seon sect which became very important in Korea from the ninth century onwards, it was standard from the beginning for monks (in both China and Korea) to seek enlightenment without distractions by extended meditation practice conducted in mountain caves.
Both beneficent and harmful spirits were encountered there as part of the monk's development; there are several old stories about Korean monks [such as Wonhyo and Usiang] and other heroic seekers meeting and being helped or advised by San-shin while meditating or deeply praying in caves. There are many Tantric Buddhist texts which... More
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