[KS] Funeral for Zo Zayong

[David A. Mason]

"To die but not be forgotten is true longevity"
(Lao tzu, Tao Te Ching #33, Ma-wang-tui text 
translated by V. Mair and R. Henricks).

On Wednesday April 5th 2000 (Arbor Day, Hanshik, 3rd 
new moon), we gathered under clear blue heaven on the
southern slope of Sogni-sans Cheon-hwang-bong to 
grant the late "Horae" Dr. Zo Zayong just a bit of 
that sort of "true longevity".

With me was Eugene Craig Campbell (of the KNTO) 
and his family, and David Prendergast (grad student 
in Korean anthropology) and his wife Kimberly.  
I was thankful for their kind company.

We found Zo's tomb rather easily, while it was still 
under construction by a team of workers.  Zo had 
prepared the site in advance, just above one of his 
houses where he held educational festivals.  It is at 
the opening of a deep valley which is dominated by a 
huge granite outcropping called the *Inja-bawi*, which
strikingly resembles the head of a tiger.  Horae loved
that bawi, and once intended to erect a large shrine 
for Tan-gun beneath it;  it seems appropriate that his
body now rests there. 

The tomb is a rectangular mound with white-granite 
side-walls.  Horaes name is carved into the front wall
in English, with the spelling "DR. CHO JA YONG", which I
found curious.  There is a square-block granite altar in
front of it, carved with Chinese characters in the 
traditional way. Off to the right stand three gray man-
sized oval-shaped stones, carved in relief by Horae 
himself with his favorite deities: Chil-seong (left), 
San-shin (right), and Sam-shin Halmoni (center).  They 
represent a trinity of Heaven, Earth and Humanity.  
Thus, Zo's tomb-site is also a permanent shrine for 
his folk-religion ideas, by his own design.

At 5pm we joined Zo's family members (widow, nieces 
and nephews, some neighbor-friends) for his memorial 
service.  They seemed surprised and pleased to have us 
there.  We told them of the international scholarly 
community's high respect for Dr. Zo, and conveyed the 
regards and condolences of all of you who would have 
liked to have been there but couldn't.

I gave a copy of my book _Spirit of the Mountains_ to 
his widow, explaining how he had inspired it, and she 
placed it on his tomb just behind the altar, as an 
offering.  I'd like to think that it made him smile...
We put the rice-wine and various foods that we had 
brought on the altar together with the family's offerings.

The ritual was traditional and solemn.  I had prepared 
a eulogy-speech, but dropped the idea when his nephew 
expressed that he wanted the ritual to remain purely old-
Korean-style.  Instead I just prayed to Horae's spirit 
from myself and on behalf of  those of you who asked 
me to do so.  When the family was done offering the 
makkoli and bowing they gestured for me to take a turn; 
I was so overcome with emotion that I didn't perform 
the ritual correctly.  No-one seemed to mind.

Afterwards we ate the offered-foods and talked, then 
said our farewells.  I left my celadon wine-cups there, 
so after driving back to the Beobju-sa area to drop 
David and Kim off, I had to drive all the way back to 
get them.  The tomb-area was then peacefully deserted 
in the fading glow of the setting sun, so I took the 
opportunity for a more extended and personal session 
of bowing, chanting and prayer.

I spent Thursday just exploring temples amid the 
truly MAGNIFICENT scenery of Sogni-san National Park,
enjoying another perfect blue sky day.  At one point 
I found a small "San-shin-je-dang" [Mountain-spirit-
ritual-shrine] belonging to a village near Beobju-sa,
just the sort of place that Horae loved and strove to
preserve.  So I conducted yet another little ceremony
for him there, assuring his spirit that he will not be
forgotten, and that the understanding and preservation
of Korea's traditional culture will never cease.

Then I went on with my searching for Mountain-spirit 
paintings, photographing them and analyzing their 
variations --- in a small humble way, one among many,
carrying his lifeswork just a little bit further onwards.

David A. Mason
Wonju City, Korea



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