Yujeong

Samyeong Daesa 사명대사 / 泗溟大師
School	Korean Seon
Personal
Born	1544 Joseon
Died	1610
Senior posting
Title	bhikṣu

Yujeong
Hangul	사명당
Hanja	泗溟堂 or 四溟堂
Revised Romanization	Samyeongdang
McCune–Reischauer	Samŏngdang
Pen name
Hangul	송운 also 종봉
Hanja	松雲 also 鍾峯
Revised Romanization	Songun also Jongbong
McCune–Reischauer	Songun also Chongbong
Birth name
Hangul	임응규
Revised Romanization	Im Eung-gyu
McCune–Reischauer	Im Ŭnggyu
Courtesy name
Hangul	임이환
Hanja	離幻
Revised Romanization	Ihwan
McCune–Reischauer	Ihwan
Dharma name
Hangul	유정
Hanja	惟政
Revised Romanization	Yujeong
McCune–Reischauer	Yuchŏng
Posthumous name
Hangul	자통홍제존자
Hanja	慈通弘濟尊者
Revised Romanization	Jatong hongjejonsa
McCune–Reischauer	Chat'ong hongjejonsa

Samyeongdang (1544–1610), also known by his dharma name Yujeong, was a Korean Buddhist monk during the Joseon era. He is sometimes identified by his pen name, Song-un. He was born to a family of the Im clan in Miryang, Gyeongsang Province. After the deaths of his mother in 1558 and his father in 1559, he became a monk at Jikjisa on Hwangaksan in Gimcheon.

In 1561, he passed the seon-gwa, the specialized civil service examinations for Buddhist monks. He corresponded with various scholars of the time including Pak Sa-am, Heo Ha-gok, and Im Baek-ho. In 1575, he was recommended as head of the Seon order, but refused and instead traveled to Myohyangsan. There he was instructed by preceptor Hyujeong. He went on to pass three years at Bodeoksa on Mount Kumgang, and later traveled through Palgongsan, Cheongnyangsan, and Taebaeksan.

With the start of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) in 1592, Yujeong joined his teacher Hyujeong's Righteous Army of monks. After Hyujeong retired due to his age, Yujeong took over the leadership of the army. He led the army into battles at Pyongyang and Uiryeong in 1592, set up mountain fortresses through Gyeongsang in 1594, and joined in battle again at Ulsan and Suncheon.

In 1604, after the end of the war, he traveled to Japan on Seonjo of Joseon's orders to forge a peace accord with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and returned with 3500 Koreans who had been taken prisoner. Yujeong's diplomatic missions established a resilient foundation for a series of major Joseon missions to Japan.

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Wikipedia