Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Buddhist : Zen / Chan

Contemporary

Korea
(East Asia)

Ko Un

Timeline (1933 - )

Poems by Ko Un
Books - Links

Ko Un, Ko Un poetry, Buddhist, Buddhist poetry, Zen / Chan poetry, poetry, poetry

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Ko Un was a witness to the devastation of the Korean War. He volunteered for the People's Army, but was rejected because he was underweight.

He became a Zen Buddhist monk in the 1950s, and returned to secular life sometime in the 1960s.

Ko Un became an activist opposing the harsh and arbitrary rule of South Korea's president, President Park Chung-hee. His dissident activities led to several terms of imprisonment and torture.

The democratization of South Korea in the late 1980s finally gave Ko Un the freedom to travel to other countries, including a visit to the United States and a spiritual journey through India.

He married in 1985 and had one daughter.

Poems by Ko Un

	Arrows
	In a Temple's Main Hall
	Indangsu sea, shine dark blue,
	Sunlight
	Two beggars

Recommended Books

	Flowers of a Moment, by Ko Un / Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize Amazon.com
	Little Pilgrim: A Novel, by Ko Un / Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize Amazon.com
	Ten Thousand Lives, by Ko Un / Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize Amazon.com
	The Three Way Tavern: Selected Poems, by Ko Un / Translated by Clare You Amazon.com
	What?: 108 Zen Poems, by Ko Un Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Ko Un - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Un Very brief biography, but with some good links.
	Ko Un http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/koun.htm Another biography online.
	Ko Un http://www.koun.co.kr Ko Un's official web site, with biographical information, bibliography, photographs, and more.
	A Full Biography of Ko Un http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/KoUnFull.htm A fairly detailed biography by Ko Un's translator, Brother Anthony.
	Ko Un http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/klt/97april/koun.htm Several poems by Ko Un.
	Ko Un's Place in Modern Korean Poetry http://www.changbi.com/english/related/related3_1.asp An in depth article by Choi Won-shik
	Ko Un's Ten Thousand Lives http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/ManinboTen.htm A selection of poems from Ko Un's collection, Ten Thousand Lives/Maninbo
	Words Without Borders: Ko Un http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article.php?lab=KoUnMoon Several poems by Ko Un.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Ko Un

Daily Poem Email

Support the Poetry Chaikhana

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World