Woo Myung is a Writer of Truth
Woo Myung, a renowned author, has been actively involved in literary and artistic fields since he achieved enlightenment. He is a songwriter, a calligraphist, and the author of ten books, with genres varying from poetry to prose. His creative works are fundamentally tied together in one purpose – to teach people about truth.
Woo Myung Became Enlightened and Started to Write about Truth
Woo Myung reached the state of enlightenment in early 1996. He realized that he was destined to teach truth to people and the first means he chose to spread truth was by writing. Since then, other than the time he spent for giving lectures and meditation guidance, he occupied himself with writing; he stayed up many nights merely to write and write more about truth. He said:
“In the past there was nothing I knew. After I became enlightened, I could see and hear heaven and all the questions I had had, vanished.”
From then on, Woo Myung has been wholly focused on how to help the people of the world also achieve enlightenment, in the hope that they can also live as truth in everlasting happiness in the true world. The hours-long lectures and meditation guidance he gave people during the daytime were not enough for him. Therefore, he wrote books so that people could learn about truth through reading, too.
Woo Myung not only wrote books about truth, but also wrote many poems on enlightenment. A selection of poems became lyrics, which was set to music he composed. He sang them himself, so people could gain enlightenment by listening or singing the songs. As another means of teaching truth, he wrote more poems in calligraphy.
Each of his writings, books, poems, calligraphy and songs were written in one sitting. He does not write a ‘first’ draft which he later edits; the completed work is his first draft. He has never mulled over how to phrase his poems poetically or which literary devices to incorporate. His style, which permeates all of his work, is extremely simple and clear because he writes books, composes poems and songs, and produces calligraphy for the same reason, that is, to teach truth and help people become truth in the easiest possible way. He wrote:
Woo Myung, a Songwriter and a Calligrapher, is highly recognized
Woo Myung has made significant achievements in those fields of calligraphy and music. The most outstanding feature of his calligraphies is that it begins and ends with one continuous brush-stroke. Though Woo Myung has written more than 500 copies of calligraphies, no two copies are duplicates. The profound meaning conveyed in every piece helps people understand more about Truth.
Calligraphy collectors, enthusiasts and experts have praised his work. Some wonder about his font as it does not come from any existing scripts, while others have commented that his style possesses strength and a uniqueness that is inimitable.
He has written a total of 22 songs, which are available in the CD, The Songs of Heaven. Written all in one day, the succinct, clear lyrics and comfortable melodies serve to rouse people’s inner true minds and awaken their consciousness.
Woo Myung is a Bestselling Author
Woo Myung has written 10 books about Truth, enlightenment and human completion. His simple and straightforward manner is conveyed throughout his books, which helps people easily understand the world’s most difficult subject – Truth and how to become complete. Through his books, many people actually started their journey to find their original nature, truth, and practiced the method suggested in the books; and many have already reached human completion.
Woo Myung’s books have become bestsellers, often maintaining its best-selling ranking for many weeks. His books have been translated into English, Spanish, Japanese and French and are in the process of being translated into five other languages. Since an English copy of his latest book, Stop Living in this Land Go to the Everlasting World of Happiness Live There Forever, was published in late 2012, it soon started to gain awareness from the general public in the world and recorded the top bestseller in 10 categories on Amazon.com (a leading worldwide online bookstore): to name a few categories, Self-Help, Mental Health, Philosophy, and Meditation. As of November 2012, the book recorded the top on the weekly bestseller list of the same bookstore; Woo Myung was the first South Korean author to make such records on a global basis.
In addition, Woo Myung was ranked first on the best author list in many categories, including Health, Self-Help and Spirituality, and ranked the 24th on the overall Author Rank; his record was outstanding, higher than world prominent authors like J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter, Paulo Coelho of The Alchemist, Rhonda Byrne of The Secret, and many others. Its constant recognition and sales led the book to be listed on as the 87th on Top 100 Bestsellers of 2012 on Amazon.com.
His True Passion Lies in the People Becoming Truth
Although he has been receiving high recognition and positive feedback not only from the general public but also from critics, Woo Myung believes that the recognition he receives has meaning for him only when they help the people of the world to become free from suffering and achieve completion; ultimately above all else, he is a person of truth, who wishes for all people to become the same.
Woo Myung’s anxious heart that hopes for people to become true is revealed throughout his books. He wrote in Stop Living in this Land Go to the Everlasting World of Happiness Live There Forever:
May this be a lesson to people –
so ignorant of the tragedy of disappearing –
who disappear after persisting with their selves,
instead of trying to be like the world.
only he who knows is distressed,
but no one knows nor understands his anxious heart,
while his heart burns.The medicine to awaken from the dream has arrived –
eliminating the dream is to wake from it.
Then, it is a new world and a true one.
Take the medicine, take it,
please take the medicine.
Only he who has awoken is toiling,
Anxiously waking those who are dreaming.
People still do not know anything,
but in the hopes that if there are many people
Who take the medicine and reap the benefits,
many more will take it,
my only thought is to give out the medicine
and wake people from their dream.-Woo Myung
Reference
The Eyes and Ears of Heaven (later published as The Book of Wisdom)
<Do Not Dream> Stop Living in this Land Go to the Everlasting World of Happiness Live There Forever