V. This Way Out

“The way out is thru the door. Why is it that no one will use 

  this method?”           = Confucius

Back at the dining hall, the meal had ended, and the King now sat inside a separate room the monks had designated as his meeting room.

So soon after his arrival, the small table in front of him already contained a small stack of documents for him to review.  Even while travelling, the requests continued to pour in.

The soldier outside the door announced, “Your Majesty, the monks you requested to meet with you are here.” The doors opened. Two monks entered the room and bowed. 

The first monk was older and held a cloth wrapped book in his arms.  The second was young. He looked nervous and eager to start. He carried two scrolls in his hands.

The older monk approached the King first, “My name is Leom.” Then, gesturing to the young monk next to him he added, “This is Gyeo.”

The King addressed them, “The Abbot tells me you have made some progress deciphering the book.” He gestured for the monks to approach.

Leom answered, “We have, your Majesty. It has been very slow progress, since we have had nothing to use as reference for deciphering the symbols, but we believe the repetition of those symbols and clues left in the book might have given us enough information to piece together a basic understanding.”

Leom turned and looked at Gyoe. Both stood quiet for a moment.

“How did you manage to make sense of the characters?” The King asked.

Gyoe approached the King, with eagerness. He opened the book, pointing to one of the pages. “The symbols in this page are different from the rest.” He looked up and added, “They were our first clue and have helped build a key from which to start unlocking its mysteries.”

With building excitement in his voice, “We believe they represent a specific order value.”

The King looked at Gyoe confused.

Leom, stepped in, reading from the book while pointing to the page, “8, 9, 10, 13, ...” 

With a satisfied smile on his face he added, “We believe the page refers to the Royal Prince’s birth order Your Majesty.”

Gyoe, started to read slowly, trying to make sense of the words and pointing to the page where the symbols were. “8^th Prince, 9^th Prince, 10^th Prince, 13^th Prince…”

“This helped us find the symbols for ‘Prince’.” The young monk stopped for a minute in deep concentration.

Then, as if a light had turned on suddenly for him, he continued, “Also, there is a picture and writing on another page. We believe it is a picture of the Royal baths.”

His fingers quickly located the picture, with the familiarity of someone who had spent many hours with the book. “There are more symbols next to it…. We believe it is a reference to the Daminwon.”  

“We still need to work on deciphering many parts, but we believe we have the meaning of some of the text on this page” and then he added as an afterthought, “The book seems to be the writing or recordings of someone travelling to a new place.”

Finishing, Gyoe’s eyes shined with pride in the work they had completed, “We have also brought with us in these scrolls other parts of the book we have deciphered, Your Majesty.”

 “What do they say?” The King asked.

 Gyoe opened the first scroll.

 “This is the first part of the page.” and read,

 I travel…  Goryeo…. water…. Damiwon….  Years.

I am here.

I am Hae Jin…

Gyoe, stopped and looked up from his reading.

The King stayed quiet, deep in his thoughts for a moment.

Then addressed them, “Leom. Gyoe. You will continue to work on the rest of the book?”

Both monks nodded, and Leom added, “Of course, your Majesty. With your permission.”

“Then I will be speaking to the Abbot.”

“You will be residing at the Royal Palace as advisers to the 

King. You will report directly to me and will not share any of 

this information with anyone else.”

“Leave the book and your findings here with me tonight. You may continue working on it tomorrow.”

“Prepare to leave at the end of the festival.”

Both monks stood for a moment in stunned silence, “Yes, your 

Majesty.” They said together. They bowed to the King before exiting.

Once alone, The King continued reading the scrolls and the translation the monks had completed for the rest of the pages.

Memories came back to him, of all the times the Daminwon had been the setting of intrigue, inside the palace. Beginning with Hae Soo’s first appearance at the Prince’s bath to King Mu’s death.  

A memory rushed at him vividly. It was of Hae Soo and him 

walking the palace grounds to stand by the lake.

He had said to Hae Soo,

“The Late King Taejo’s last words to me were that life was fleeting. 

That it is short and all in vain…”

“But I think that he was wrong.”

“You and I are together like this. So how could it be in vain?”

Hae Soo had stood quietly by that lake contemplating in that still manner that worried him and made him feel like she could disappear at any moment.

He asked her,

“What are you afraid of?”

“What are you hiding?”

She shared how anxious the palace made her feel.

Then, her demeanor quickly changed. Happiness filled her eyes.  

Her voice was full of longing when she told him,

“If only we had met in another world,”

“At another time…”

“I was thinking how great that would be.”

“If that could be, I wouldn’t fear anything.”

“I could truly and freely love you all I wanted.”

The memory faded.

The King’s hand rested on the translated words in the book.

For a minute frustration overtook him.

What had Hae Soo been afraid of?

He felt as if he could reach the answers that eluded him.

He extended his hand as if he could grasp the answers from thin air. If only the mist would lift and make them clear.

He remembered how this book had been brought to him by Queen 

Hwangbo in the early days of his reign.

She had set spies on Hae Soo and taken the book from her room at the Damiwon.

The Queen believed this finding would win favor with the King and cast suspicion on Hae Soo. That it would allow her daughter to be favored as his new Queen and make Hae Soo seem an unsuitable choice.

This book now represented the key to Hae Soo’s thoughts and perhaps to the one thing she kept hiding and always seemed afraid of.

He reached into the chest and set her last painting of him, next to the book.

By painting their portraits onto rocks, she had captured the memory of him and the princes.

The passage of years had allowed him to understand the longing to 

remember every detail in a loved face and made him realize he had no art, no painted image of her to help him remember the outline of her face.

As many paintings as the 13^th Prince had drawn, did any have Hae Soo in them?

Even her handwriting resembled his own.

Why had he not realized sooner her handwriting had changed?

He reached inside the chest.  Paper after paper spread on his table.

The poem repeated in each page, like a prayer. 

She had copied the poem until her handwriting bled its own identity and transformed into his. The similarity of Hae Soo’s handwriting to the King’s had sealed the ending for them. He had not been there with her at the end.

Despite everything, she had held onto hope.

Those words he had written to her then,

Now became his prayer,

When the water has run dry.

Sit and watch the rising cloud  *(1)

 The King opened the scroll,  tracing the symbols with his finger,

 I travel…  Goryeo…. water…. Damiwon….  Years.

 I am here.

 He stopped and spoke his thoughts out loud.

“I need to find the door to you….

Help me, Hae Soo.”

IV. Love is Here and Now

“Love is a gift of one’s inner most soul to another so both can be whole.”  

                                                      Buddha

One morning after breakfast, Geosa offered to take Lady Seol on a tour of the grounds outside the temple. In the distance, the sound of a tambour could be heard, coming from the temple grounds, as part of the festivities for the lantern festival.  

That night, the lanterns would be lit. The temple's courtyard was already decorated for the occasion.

Lady Seol and Geosa walked thru wooded areas approaching a pool.

Someone was there, standing quietly by the edge.  It was King Gwangjong.  

A moment of indecision overtook Lady Seol. 

Fearing that she had intruded, she turned to leave. 

Geosa stopped her retreat, gesturing towards the King. When she hesitated his face grew impatient, and he pressed her to go forward and meet the King. 

She approached slowly and felt the King’s eyes on her. She came to a stop next to him, bowing to greet him. 

This wasn’t the first time she had met him alone. Their meetings together over the years had been few and far between. 

The King gave her a smile and said in a soft voice, “I can still remember the small girl who used to bump into me.” As he spoke, his eyes met hers for a minute and then he continued to look out towards the pool. 

Lady Seol watched the reflection of the pool’s still surface next to him in shared silence. 

The King’s words had triggered a memory. 

She was a child then and had felt especially bored, that day. She had wanted to visit the horses.  Her nanny wasn’t letting her run and play outside. 

She had told her to keep her new dress clean. 

The whole household was very busy preparing for visitors. The King was coming to meet with her Father.

She saw two soldiers enter the house, carrying a large chest into the meeting hall.

Her eyes had filled with excitement. Maybe the chest contained real treasure!  

She snuck into the meeting hall, as soon as they left.

But instead of finding treasure, she only found sheets of paper. Every sheet had a copy of the same poem in pretty hand-writing.   

She started feeling sad, inside the chest, no gems, no crown.

Maybe something to play with?  Then, she had spotted it!

At the bottom of the chest.A real arrow!

She was about to pull it out of the chest, when her Father’s voice rang outside the door. 

“Where is the chest?” 

Startled, she had looked around the room.

“The chest has been delivered to the meeting room, General”, a voice answered. 

She ran.

Scrambling, she hid inside the storage closet.

Another voice, “His Majesty has arrived!”  

Moments later the doors opened. 

Footsteps filled the room and a voice read out loud the poem that she had already seen.

When the water has run dry. 

Sit and watch the rising cloud.  *(1)

Her Father and the King spoke about many things she did not understand that night.

It had been warm inside the closet making her sleepy. Then, loud voices woke her up.  

The King and her Father were having a heated argument. 

She heard her name. 

They argued about keeping her safe. 

About wanting to honor her Mother, Hae Soo.

They seemed to have agreed to keep her away from the palace.  

Soon, the meeting between the King and her Father ended. 

Footsteps followed, and then doors opening and closing. 

The room became quiet. 

She had continued to listen. 

Her legs hurt from sitting so long in that cramped place. She’d looked thru the slight opening in the door and saw nothing. 

She opened the closet door slowly and crawled out.

A thousand stings on her legs made her want to cry.  Tears started to form but the fear of being found out had stopped her.

Quietly, she walked out of the meeting hall. 

Once outside, Seol slipped away from the house to hide in the woods behind the main house. Remembering the words exchanged between her Father and the King had made her heart feel scared.

She found an old tree that was perfect for climbing.  In it she wouldn’t have to hear people talk about things that upset her. 

She slowly climbed to the top of one of the branches. The air felt clean again on that tree, and the branch was solid and high enough to let her feel as if the world was far away. It made her lose track of time.

Down below, she could hear others calling her name. 

She didn’t want to come down. She knew that if she did, her Father would be upset and scold her. 

As it got dark, she began to feel hungry and cold.

She wished she had thought of bringing food.  

Looking down at the tree trunk she saw the shoes she had left behind on the ground. 

She hadn’t realized how high she climbed. Looking down now, she started feeling scared.  

She couldn’t hold her tears back anymore and started crying. 

The sound of a horse approaching, made her stop.  Her heart started beating faster. She couldn’t move.  

Someone was climbing to her branch. 

A man reached her and then sat next to her. 

He had her shoes tucked inside the sash of his shiny clothes.  He reached out his hand and held out her shoes to her, meeting her eyes and smiling.   

Carefully, she extended her hand to him and reached for her shoes. 

Seeing his face, she recognized him.  She had met him once before, when she visited her Mother at the palace on her death anniversary, with her Father.

“Are you the King?” she blurted out.

"I am the King.” He answered.

Seol looked at him and said with surprise, “How did you find me?”  

The King stopped for a minute, smiled again and said, “It was easy, I followed my heart.” 

That night, as they rode home on his horse, she sat in front of the King listening to him as he told her a story.  

His voice was deep and soft. He told her about a lonely King. 

The King could only meet his Queen at night, when the stars in Goryeo shone brightest.

During the day, the King missed his Queen very much. 

The Queen also missed the King. She brought down one of the Goryeo stars as a gift to comfort him and remember her.

The King treasured that star. 

But the King was afraid, because he knew, if his enemies found the star, it could be taken away from him. It would no longer shine for him and he would have nothing to remember his Queen. 

He decided to hide the star from everyone.  

It was a cloudless night.  Seoul’s eyes focused on the bright stars as she listened to the story.

When the King finished the story, Seoul felt wet drops falling on her hair. 

She looked up at the sky and tucked herself closer in. She didn’t want to get wet in the rain. 

That night, she decided she liked this King very much. She was glad he found her.

His soft voice lulled her and her eyes grew heavy.  The night was cold but the King’s arms where warm.  She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Now, Lady Seol turned to see that same King again. This time he stood next to her.  He seemed as far away as she had been.  

His thoughts took him somewhere else too.

“You must miss your Mother very much.” He said, breaking the silence, “She would feel proud of how well you’ve managed the Daebi-won.”

Her Mother had left an immense emptiness in her.  Being raised by her Father and his wife and her siblings had given her an anchor. Her life was not empty.  

Her Father Prince Jung had always been there. The solid presence in her life. 

She looked up at the pools reflection once more and remembered her earlier conversation with Geosa, and suddenly his words made sense.

There was no past, no present and no future. 

All she had was this moment and its connection to her Father and Mother’s love, before they were separated.  

She thought of herself as someone who carried the spirit and whispered love of a Mother she did not remember. 

Looking at all the parts in the scene in front of her coming together she understood at last. 

In the end, she was one with them once again. 

She would not focus on the three of them and how far they all were from each other. Instead, she would think about how close they remained despite that distance.

Lady Seol addressed him in a soft voice for the King’s ears alone, “A star, even one that shines alone, should still try to shine brightly.”  

The King looked at the sky first pausing for a moment and then said, “In the daytime the stars are still there, shinning, but the sun shines brighter hiding their light.” As he spoke, his hand extended to the sky as if uncovering the stars, she could not see by day.

Lady Seol’s eyes grew wide as he came closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and facing her. 

Meeting his eyes, she thought she could see there, the depth of his heart. She saw: love, concern, fear…

The King reached into his sleeve pulling out a hairpin. 

The pin was decorated with small delicate white jade peonies, and a butterfly. 

A small purple flower with green stems wrapped itself at the stem of the pin.  

He extended his hand and opened her palm gently, placing the pin in her hand.

He said to her, “The first time I met you, I knew who you were because you wore the pin I gave to your Mother. I want you to wear this so you will know and remember who you are”

Seol stood quietly looking at the pin.

She touched the small flowers outlining them with her finger. 

Placing the pin in her hair, she looked at him and gave him a small smile. The King’s eyes showed her everything she needed to know. She understood. Perhaps she always had. 

“A Prince stands by my side,” she took a breath and finished,” but I am a Princess because a King is my Father.”

The King nodded.

Saying it out loud had finally given her the courage she needed to add, “In the end, perhaps, the only thing that really matters is that we are of one heart.” 

Then, she did a most unsuitable thing for a subject. She embraced the King. 

They stayed together by the pond a while longer. Then, walked away back toward the wooded area and his horse…. The time had come once more to return to being Goryeo’s Monarch.

The King’s parting words still echoed in her mind, “I still miss your Mother. I see traces of her in you… especially in your smile.” 

Her heart felt dread at his next words, “There are those who would halt at nothing to stop the King.”

“Your Mother was my greatest strength…my greatest weakness.”

“As you are.” He paused, then continued, “Just as she has watched over us both, someday I hope to meet her again and be able to say to her, that I loved you. That I too, watched over you.”

As she walked away from the pool towards the temple gate Seol stopped and looked back, 

“Geosa, what is the name of that place?”

Geosa looked at the pool and said, “We call it the Pool of Reflection. It is named so because, it is meant to be a place that helps us reflect and find our true hearts.”

III. Vision

 “Little girls with dreams become women with

   vision”   

                    Unknown

Late into the night, inside the Haeinsa Temple library, Lady Wang Seol sat reading a volume on medicinal plants of the Gaya Mountains and taking notes. 

The book had been compiled by Buddhist masters.  The sheer quantity of information did not deter her but the lack of specifics vexed her. 

Her primary concern regarded children and the dosages to be applied. While many of the plants used in medicine had proved their efficacy, she often found them having side effects when applied to children. 

The volumes contained next to no information on alternate choices for children or infants.  

A fever had recently struck In-Kaesong, affecting children particularly hard. While the adults had responded very well to the medicinal herbs, the children had not. 

Thinking of the mounting deaths filled her with anger and frustration. 

The answer to better alternative cures could be growing in those verdant mountains overlooking Haeinsa temple, while at the Daebi-won children hurt.

Thinking back to the afternoon’s meal, the Abbots words about being taught by a Master presented itself as the perfect answer. If only the answer was that simple.  

Growing up in her Father’s household she understood palace politics and the complexities of royal marriages.  The Master of medicinal plants of Haeinsa Temple was not just a simple monk.

Her thoughts drifted to the past and memories of her own childhood fevers, and the one whose worried face would always accompany those fevers…her Father. 

He loved all his children but she shared an especially close bond with him. She had attributed that bond to having lost her real Mother as an infant. 

Stories about her Mother’s understanding of plants had inspired her, from an early age, to learn about them as well. Doing this, she felt closer to the woman she couldn’t remember.

It was her Father who shared those stories with her, especially during his weakest moments. She loved his sense of duty and admired it. 

It made watching him breakdown at times, on the anniversary of her Mother’s death, particularly hard.

He missed his Hae Soo.  The woman, his wife, his 

best friend. 

It scared her to see him that way at those times. Her Father had always seemed strong in her eyes. 

In the mornings after the previous nights over indulging in wine, she was always there to give him a cure for his headache.  He seemed embarrassed to see her then, but she would simply irritate him to the point of arguing and soon all their awkwardness would vanish.

She was grateful for his second wife and her siblings most at those times. 

Their affection was just what her Father needed to heal his heart.

That same closeness had made the confrontation with her Father over leaving to work at the Daebi-won difficult as well. 

Her Step-Mother had called it, “A war between two generals inside the household borders.” Her Step-Mother and siblings had known better than to get involved with them then.  Those differences would be worked out between them.  They always were.

In the end, she had passed the examination, qualifying her for entrance to the Daebi-won. The debate ended with her decision to enter it.   

Once she had gained acceptance into the Daebi-won she had made the decision to not look back.  Despite his initial anger, afterwards, her Father supported her fully.

The King’s decision to open free medical centers for the poor had provided the perfect place for her to apply all the years of learning about plants. Inside its walls, she had found what her Father had found on the battlefields as a general. 

She didn’t fight soldiers, she fought disease and pain. Her strategy was simple, instead of a sword she used books, and knowledge of plants to ensure that the medicine used was the best available in their fight.

If there was one thing she had learned from her Father, it was that an army was only as strong as the men who formed it and the leader who led them.

She needed to strengthen the weapons the Daeb-iwon used in that fight. It was the only way to give them a fighting chance. She had picked her battleground.  She could serve and make a difference. She had found a place where she was needed.

A loud thud brought her thoughts back to the library. ..

Two heavy volumes had landed on the table where she sat.

In a voice, much too loud for a library, her mentor Geosa exclaimed, “Only one with no worries and fears can go straight and overcome life!!” Then, in a softer tone he added, “You are no closer to reaching understanding, Lady Seol.”

Seol owed most of her medicinal knowledge to Geosa who had been a faithful companion since childhood.

The King, after one of his visits when she was a child, sent the monk to her home as an advisor to Prince Jung’s household. He had showed up one day, and since then had never left her side. 

Looking up at him she said, “Sometimes I wonder Geosa… Are you truly a monk?”

Geosa ignored her question.

“You have come back to your temple but while others wear monk robes…” She said gesturing at his wardrobe. “Looking at your clothes, someone would think you are a merchant travelling the silk road or a caravan master!”

Instead of answering Geosa snorted, and dropped another oversized volume on the table adding to her growing stack of books. 

Later that night, Geosa held a lamp as he led her back to her quarters. Her two ladies-in-waiting walked behind him and she walked behind them. 

Her spirit felt deflated at the lack of the afternoon’s findings.  She still had so many questions.

She spoke her thoughts out loud to Geosa, “Do you suppose my fate is not to find the answers?  Could I be looking in the wrong place?”

“Hardly, Lady Seol. You can look at it two ways.”  Geosa answered.

He continued as they were walking,” First, as 

usual, you are focusing on the wrong thing. The past, the present and even the future… they don’t matter. It is all one. “

“Will worrying about the future, make it better?”

“The fear in your mind isn’t letting you see clearly and understand.”, he finished.

Seol continued walking in silence trying to make sense of his words, and then asked, “And what is the second way of looking at it then?”

Geosa stopped as they reached the hall that led to the lady’s quarters.  Before being ushered to her chamber, Seol paused inside the entrance and looked at Geosa expectantly.

Geosa said with finality, “The second is, that you’re doomed. “

“Fate is out to get you. …. You’ll never find the answer.” And without another word, he bowed, turned, and walked away.

She could only see his back as he left, but she could have sworn she heard him chuckling.

Revisiting Dramas: Game of Thrones: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

By Maui and PersianRose

This week a year ago Moonlover’s (MLSHR) premiered.  The drama did not do well in the ratings at home but garnered a very strong following with international fans around the globe.  17 million watches in Kissasian later, I was excited about re-watching the 20 episodes mainly hoping to understand the characters’ motivations better.  The first time watching MLSHR was an emotional roller coaster in which I found all the characters multi-layered. They are central to understanding the story since episodes can be emotionally loaded, making it hard to follow all the twists and turns in the story. For this reason, PersianRose came on board adding her insights to the characters motivations.

 Three characters are the key to understanding the manipulation in this game of thrones. King Taejo (KT), his star diviner Ji-Mong (JM) and the lead character who travels back in time to Goryeo to inhabit the body of 16-year-old girl, Hae Soo(HS).  

My first time watching, Ji-Mong went completely under my radar as a character. What a mistake that was! He like HS travels back in time. He arrives ahead of her. Watching more closely I realized his knowledge of the future had placed him right next to King Taejo. JM becomes the character who is conveniently always there at the right time but with everything else happening he is easy to miss. 

King Taejo, understood Ji-Mong knew of the future not just divined it. This gives both KT and JM the strongest position in the game. Both know who the next King will be and can manipulate the Princes and all chess pieces to their hearts content.

Once JM and KT fell into place for me, HS also became so much more than just a girl travelling back in time. She is in a nutshell the King Maker. HS is someone who has the heart to love and the compassion to care for the Princes despite how dangerous this becomes. She is someone whose cosmetic skills proved invaluable to a future King. Her sense of justice leads her down complicated roads in Goryeo and shocks the Princes she meets. From an outright fist fight with Prince Eun, to scolding Prince Wang So, her character reshaped a King from a violent version of himself to someone who could rule and improve the life of its people by liberating slaves.

MLSHR is a combination of beautiful filmed choreography and nuanced acting which allows us to see that each Prince is trying to survive inside the Palace in their own way.  As we get to know their personalities there is light and darkness and motivation for the way they act and their layers build with each episode. 

The drama has it’s shortcoming too. While the music at times seemed to hit all the right notes in other scenes it felt jarring.  The multiple edits, SBS version vs. International Version left us feeling like detectives out to find the missing scenes from either version. Despite this, re-watching for missing clues wasn’t an unpleasant experience. I walk away with new insights in each re-watch and a greater appreciation for the writer who truly worked characters that require deep thinking into their story.

This is the kind of story that has heart and truly manages to stir up all my emotions. The story is not about Prince Charming and a fairytale romance but a story about how Royals survived inside the intrigue of a Royal Palace and what motivates their choices.  Most importantly, it is a story about what stirs the human heart told in a way that makes you care deeply about its characters.

Stellar acting by Lee Joon Gi, delivers a tour de Force as Wang So(WS) the 4^th Prince, and adds even more dimension to the drama. He still manages to leave me feeling raw emotions in scenes like WS drinking poison, or being forced to kill his brother Eun. These scenes are just as visceral this time around.  

Kang Ha-Neul’s performance as 8^th Prince Wang Wook (WW) is the perfect light to WS shadow. Both Prince’s managed to play off each other’s character. WW as a Prince who is smart, calculating and who fails to trust and love wholeheartedly because he is caught in the game of thrones. His struggle is as heartbreaking to watch this time around too. He is someone whose relationship with the strong women in his household such as his mother Empress Hwangbo and sister Princess Yeon-hwa, and his wife Lady Hae-ssi shape his choices.

The story centers around the game of thrones but at times while re-watching I am still swept away by the love stories.  I attribute part of the success of the way these are told convincingly to the strength of the female characters in the story. From Empress Dowager Yoo to Queen Hwangbo both portray the sacrifices needed to remain as Queens.  Princess Yeon-Hwa who obsessively survives by aiming to win the game of thrones even if she must do it alone. Park Son Deok a general’s daughter who can outfight and outmaneuver any soldier in her father’s army.  Chae Ryung who even as a slave could boil down the essentials to love is still a stronger motivator than having no free will.  Lady Oh and Hae Soo who managed to win the heart of a King and Hae Soo who even King Taejo knew held the fate of Goryeo in her hands.  All these women in their struggles show that love can be a multi-faceted game. Things are not always as simple as I fell in love.

 I end episode 20 with tissues in hand and a heart that was touched by this writer’s story and its unforgettable characters comprising the MLSHR universe. King Taejo ends his life with the realization that life is fleeting. Perhaps a true scarlet heart understands that love isn’t easy but it is worth all the struggles to defend it.

II. Interconnection

"The fundamental delusion of humanity is to think that I 

am here and you are out there.”                                                                                            

                                           Yasutani Roshi Zen master. 

Year 965 (17^th Year) of King Gwangjongs Reign.

The first rays of daylight entered Haeinsa Temple.Three times a day the monks gathered at the sound of the large bell. At the courtyard,they entered the hall to pay their respects to the Buddhas. Their incantations filled the silence.






The loud sounds of horses announced the arrival of The King, riding in full armor to the temple gate. Next to him, rode his military adviser for the Northern Garrisons; 14th Prince Wang Jung.

A messenger’s voice could be heard announcing, “The King has arrived! Open the Gates.!”

Two monks rushed down the narrow path, to open the five gates leading to the main courtyard, like sailors descending from the back of a ship to its front.

The King ascended thru the gates followed by the monks’ arrival from the opposite direction. The Kings men ascended the ship from the lower gates. The monks descended it, meeting in the middle inside the courtyard.

”Welcome to Haeinsa temple, your Majesties.” The Abbot announced.






In high spirits, the King addressed the Abbot, “We will be imposing on your hospitality Abbot. My niece is accompanying us on this trip. “

The Abbot looked at all those gathered inside the courtyard,“We are grateful for the honor of your visit to our temple. This is a joyful time at our temple as we prepare for the lantern festival."

The Abbot continued,"We have prepared a meal to be served in the hall.” He added kindly, "And quarters to house the horses and soldiers."

An elderly monk approached Prince Jung, “General, the garrison commander arrived yesterday and is waiting to provide you with his report.”

Prince Jung, nodded his acknowledgment of the news of the commander’s arrival. “I am looking forward to his report and will meet him, later. ”

His voice laced with amusement the King continued, “Prince Jung and I might be more interested in visiting and securing the Northern Borders and the garrisons." The King paused looking at the Palanquin entering the courtyard "Lady Wang Seol, is here to learn about your famous medicinal mountain plants. Her mind can be …. inquisitive at times. I’m certain you’ll be able to accommodate her requests Abbot.”

Descending from his horse in one fluid movement Prince Jung approached the Palanquin.

As if on cue, the door to the Palanquin resting in the courtyard opened. All eyes turned to meet the Prince’s daughter. Prince Jung extended his hand to help his daughter exit the Palanquin.






The King, watching her from a distance, once again saw Hae Soo in Seol’s slight smile. At times in quiet contemplation he would be taken aback by some small gesture of hers similar to her Mother’s.

The King marveled at Lady Wang Seol and never tired of watching her. At 14, she carried her Mother’s spirit, including a penchant for mischief. He specially enjoyed watching her clash wills with Prince Jung. On long trips like this he treasured their conversations and her many questions.

Lady Wong Seol stood next to her Father and bowed to the King. She had a quick mind and like her father she also had the will to command like a general despite her age.

Her extensive knowledge of medicinal herbs had proved valuable in helping her partly run the medical centers, The Daebiwon, in both In-Kaesong and Pyongyang. The centers had been established thru Royal decree by the King, as part of his reforms and provided free medicine to the poor.

The Abbot approached and greeted her, “Lady, I have heard of your good works on behalf of the poor.”

Lady Wang Seol greeted the Abbot but was distractedly gazing at the Temple buildings around her, “I heard that you have an excellent collection of medicinal texts, Abbot. I’m looking forward to studying them.” she said.

“I think you will find, inside our two small libraries, that our collection is quite extensive .” The Abbot, declared proudly.

“Thank you, Abbot. I will make good use of the libraries."

With excitement in her voice she continued, "Our work is making a difference for his Majesty's people, as you may know, The King’s reforms have not been well received by the noble families. Despite this his Majesty’s decision to charge interest on the grain loans has provided the financial support to give relief for the poor at the Daebi-won.”

She had noticed her father’s displeased gaze while speaking, but continued ignoring the warning in his eyes. The farthest and highest building in the temple suddenly came into her line of sight and she froze in place.

The Abbot’s eyes followed her gaze to the building holding her attention, anticipating her question,” That is the oldest building. It is the Jangyeong Panjeon. It was built specially to house and preserve the carved wooden printing blocks, The Tripitaka. You might have heard about them? “







Lady Seol turned to meet the eyes of Geosa standing behind her. The monk always traveled with her as an adviser and a friend and was part of her Father’s household, “I have heard about them.” She said.

The Abbot nodded acknowledging Geosa, "SoSeong Geosa, it seems your time at the Prince's household has been well spent."

He then continued, “We are the only temple in all of Goryeo to hold this sacred collection. The floors of the building have been specially made with a mixture of: clay, salt, sand, and charcoal to preserve them.”

Lady Wang Seol could hardly contain her sense of wonder, “Is it true that animals, insects and birds avoid that building?”

The Abbot smiled slightly bowing once more to the Lady, “You are well informed, Lady.” He answered. “It is time for tea to be served in the hall” and with those last words he walked away re-joining his King as they walked together towards the Hall.







In addition to Haeinsa temple, King Gwangjong, had sponsored the construction of two additional Buddhist temples and would soon begin construction of a third. Haeinsa temple had a long history of receiving royal favor and sponsorship. Legend had it that King Taejo’s wife had been miraculously cured from a tumor at this temple.

As a sponsor of Buddhist practice King Gwangjong, had appointed the Abbot from Haeinsa temple as the Buddhist spiritual leader for Goryeo’s people.

The Abbot walked next to the King, as everyone else heading to the hall followed behind at a distance to afford them privacy.

“Has the book been translated?” The King queried softly.

“The two monks who have been working on deciphering it, have decoded the symbols.” The Abbot replied “However, it is unlike any writing they have encountered before. It has been very slow progress. They would like to meet with you and present their findings your Majesty.”

At the Abbots' words, the King momentarily stopped,” Tell them we will meet after the meal.”

The Abbot paused for a moment, then added, “Regarding the advisers for the court. We have monks ready to travel back with you Your Majesty.”

The King replied, "We will return once the festivities to the festival are finished."

The King, continued, “I have received the updates on the implementation of examinations for Buddhist priests you sent." In a voice expressing frustration he added," but I continue to foresee difficulty in our efforts at making peace between the Zen and Textual schools.”

The Abbot lowered his head in contemplation, “Buddhist too are reaching for enlightenment in this life your Majesty. However, we still fail to fully understand and appreciate the need for a oneness of mind and the interconnection of everything.” They had reached the hall and paused their conversation.

Together they entered the hall and sat opposite to each other. Prince Jung and Lady Wang Seol followed them in. Small tables were set in front of each of the guests.






The Abbot continued addressing those seated in the hall but kept his gaze on the King, “Learning about medicinal properties, requires apprenticeship with a Master your Majesty."

He then turned to Lady Seol,"The information in our texts simply records properties of medicinal plants but the practice and method that must also be learned along the plant names.”

“In that case, you will need to provide the Master as well as the texts Abbot” the King said simply.

The Abbot lowered his head acceding to the King’s request, “We are in luck your Majesty. The best trained Master in medicinal plants has already been with us for many years.” His eyes traveled to the side doors opening as the tea trays arrived.

Kneeling by the King’s side the tea server prepared tea. The smell of the loose leaf green tea King Gwangjong favored reached him. It was prepared with care by someone who knew his preferences. Once the tea was ready, it was poured slowly into his cup.

The King’s eyes traveled up from the hand pouring his tea, meeting her eyes. The face had changed. His brother’s eyes remained. It was the face of his second wife, Queen Kyeongwha, King Mu’s daughter.