[Opinion] Spiritual Beings

Sometimes, it feels as if human actions are worse than animals’. This thought comes naturally while watching those who kidnap and murder children, do inhumane things to the food we eat, and perform political actions full of betrayal and plotting against each other. There are quite a few stories describing how a beast such as a tiger helped loyal and dutiful people since a long time ago. Stories of cats and dogs, which saved their masters from crises, are still reported in the social section of today’s newspapers. Humans refer to these clever and trustful animals as spiritual beings, meaning that they are divine spirits.

In Mt. Inwang, Seoul, there lives a faithful dog. This dog does his best to accompany an elderly person who climbs Mt. Inwang every morning. Rain and snow cannot dampen his spirit all year long. The dog waits for the elderly person to take him up every morning at the same place and returns to the mountain after seeing him off at the same point. Passengers cannot suppress their amazement at seeing the dog bow to the elderly person by lying stretched out on its belly. They are wondering whose child can respect his/her parents like this dog in this world.

The flock of sparrows, living near the house of Choi Jong-tae, a renowned Korean formative arts sculptor, in Yonnam, Mapo, Seoul is just as good. The sculptor, who starts his morning by meeting the sparrows, has fed them three times a day for 10 years without fail. When the sculptor steps outside, the sparrows fly towards him from all over within a speck of time. If he arrives late, the birds wait in a line on the roof until he returns and when hearing his footsteps from afar, they all fly to greet him. The sculptor preciously keeps his relationship with the birds just like any other sculptures he made.

The squirrel of Mt. Jogye Bulilam, where the “Inownness” Bupjung priest lived, cannot be excluded. Bupjung always fed nearby birds and squirrel while practicing austerities in his monk’s cell. Sooner or later, if the priest naps, the squirrel would come in to the cell and knock on the door. Thanks to the squirrel, Bupjung was unable to slow down. Could it be just me who feels ashamed when listening to these stories of spiritual beings? Acting as the supreme creature of all creation is not an easy job.

Editorial writer Oh Myung-chul oscar@donga.com