Monk Woncheol’s Phone Photos and Two-Line Haiku: Finding Humor and Meaning in Everyday Life
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Woncheol, a Buddhist monk known for his writing, has published a new book, Mansun-euro Barameul Umkyeojida (맨손으로 바람을 움켜쥐다), collecting photos he took with his Galaxy phone paired with brief, haiku-like lines. Each spread pairs a single image with a two-line reflection that often finds gentle humor and deeper meaning in small moments — for example, a pump station sign playfully called haeu-so (해우소) reinterpreted as a place to “wash away worries,” a frozen temple water basin that looks like a bowl of shaved ice, and a construction banner reading “Young Goryeong!” that becomes an ironic wordplay on the town’s name. Woncheol draws on deep knowledge of Buddhist texts and everyday observation, posting weekly “photo plus two lines” on social media despite modest online response, and uses the practice to stay present and reach broader readers. The book’s tone is warm, witty, and reflective, inviting readers to smile and find small solace in ordinary scenes.
