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I was born in a village in Cheonbuk Namwon Sujimyun Homshil in October 21, 1937. My father would always read books and write poems and also was a new-school play actor who played tennis back then.

My father passed away when my mother was 27. Marriage was a yoke for her for she had to raise me and my sister alone.

"Become a reverend when you grow up. However smart a woman is, when one gets married she has to live for her family.

But if you become a buddhist priest, you can think the whole world as your big family and you can work for that huge family. Isn't it a worthwhile life? If you're born, wouldn't it be better living to make the world a better place to live in?

A woman like I only knew to live for a family, but why get married if you know you can live for more? I'm willing to let you get all the education you can get if you become a priest." This is how I got to dream of a reverend.

My sister and I left home to become a Buddhist priest as my mother's wish was.

The Korean War broke out when I went into middle school. Korea was in confusion and the economy was poor. At that period of time, we sisters graduated Cheonju Girl's Highschool. It was of my mother's belief; to make us Buddhist priests.

From my childhood till high school years, I especially wore beautiful clothes.

My mother often told me, "You will remain single forever. So you're wearing such beautiful dresses in advance, while others do only after their marriage".

Whenever I came home for the vacation, mother taught me how to saw and cook in earnest. Therefore I could have chances to saw each and every cloth including man's topcoat.

In addition, I learned how to make traditional Korean cakes like fried glutinous rice cake and fried honey cake. I even boiled down all through the night grains into taffy in a huge kettle.

Mother always said to me, "You will not make this kind of food in the future. However you should at least know how hard people work to make this".

In my high school years, I fortunately knew I would become a Buddha's disciple.

I went to my mother's in my school uniform after the graduation of highschool in 1956. Something was different from before when I got there. A black traditional Korean dress was hanging on the wall. I felt solemn when I saw the dress. I knew I had to wear that dress to become a reverend.

< I received a message from the headquarters to send you there.> My mother said these words with happiness as if her big wish came true. The moment I saw the black dress my mother had made for me, my thought of leaving home to become a Buddhist priest was getting stronger. 20 days after highschool graduation, on a windy spring day, I left to become a Buddhist priest.