[K-spirit] What is the Middle Way Thought? (Prof. Kim Sung-chul) 

#KimSungchul #Wonhyo #FundamentalVersesOnTheMiddleWay #TheMiddleWay #Sunya #Emptiness # Nagarjuna #Kumarajiva #Sengzhao #Madhyamika #ThreeTreatises #KoreanSpirit #PlatonAcademy #ChoHyunTV #HyuSimJeong#KSpirit #김성철교수 #중관학특강 #중관학내용
Interviewee introduction
-Honorary professor of the Department of Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University
-Former standing advisor of the Korean Buddhist Studies Association
-Former president of the 23rd Korean Buddhist Studies Association
-Former director of the Graduate School of Buddhist Culture at Dongguk University, Gyeongju Campus.
I met with Professor Kim Sung-chul, the honorary president of the Korean Buddhist Association, at his research lab in Seobuichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The first thing that caught my eye in the small room, about 5 square meters, were the many terracotta statues. The statues of Ven. Sung -chul and Ven. Beopjeong seem to come alive. These are sculptures that Prof. Kim himself made.
He was fascinated by sculpture after seeing the works of Kwon Jin-gyu (1922-73) as a high school student. Although he worked as a dentist after graduating from Seoul National University's School of Dentistry, he later switched to becoming a Buddhist scholar and is approaching retirement. He still finds time to work on terracotta sculptures.
His father, Professor Kim Jong-seo, served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Seoul National University and was also a faculty advisor for the university's Buddhist Student Association. When he was young, he also used to occasionally meet Tanheo Sunim, who had come to visit his father.
He had a passion for Buddhist studies and received numerous awards, including the Gasa Academic Award, the Fire Award, the Cheongsong Academic Award, the Banya Academic Award, and the Tanheo Academic Award. He was also selected as a representative research achievement of the Korea Research Foundation for his study on Ven. Seungrang, a Goguryeo philosopher who is regarded as Korea's first thinker, more than 150 years before Wonhyo.
Professor Kim's major is Nagarjuna's Madhyamika. Nagarjuna is considered the father of the eight major schools of Mahayana Buddhism.
He has taught Madhyamika at various places such as Dongguk University Gyeongju Campus, Seungga University, Cheongamsa Temple, Bongnyeongsa Temple, Tongdosa Temple, Haeinsa Temple, Unmunsa Temple, Songgwangsa Temple, Donghaksa Temple, Ssanggyesa Temple, Beomeosa Temple, and Bulguksa Temple.
An interview with Professor Kim will be an opportunity for you to understand Madhyamika, the essence of the essence of Buddhism. It's not easy to find someone like Professor Kim who can explain Madhyamika in an easy and clear way.
Interviewer introduction
Cho-hyunTV Hyu-sim-jeong
Cho Hyun
Journalist specialized in religion at Hankyoreh newspaper
iuhappyday@naver.com
What do you want to have? Lots of money, high status, solid power, good family and friends, joy and happiness. When you become wise with an open mind, many additional benefits come along.
Hyusimjeong is a place where people can become wise and mature by letting go of religion, ideology, fixed ideas, and prejudice, and by opening their hearts to learn, so that they can be happy together.
Have the wisdom to accept the things that cannot be changed and the courage to change the things that can be changed!
May you be healthy and happy!
May you be loved and respected!
May you be a creator of a beautiful world!
* Johyun TV Hyusimjeong does not generate revenue as it does not advertise on RU-vid. Therefore, it is created by the talent donation of interviewers, interviewees, cameramen, and editors.
Since most of the interviews are conducted by Johyun holding a phone on a tripod, please excuse any poor sound quality.