이 뭣고

Korean

Alternative forms

이 뭐꼬 (i mwokko)

Etymology

Literally "What is this?", a calque of Chinese 是甚麽／是甚么 (shì shénme, “What is it?”), from Chinese Buddhist literature. The conventional pronunciation in modern South Korean Buddhism is in the Gyeongsang dialect due to the influence of the Zen master Seongcheol (1912—1993), who spoke this dialect.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [i mwʌ̹t̚k͈o̞]
Phonetic hangul: [이 뭗꼬]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	i mwotgo
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	i mwosgo
McCune–Reischauer^?	i mwŏtko
Yale Romanization^?	i mwesko

Phrase

이 뭣 고 • (i mwot-go)

(Zen Buddhism) "What is this?"; one of the most popular questions (or koans) meditated on in contemporary Korean Buddhism
Synonym: 시심마(是甚麼)
- 2004, “이 뭣고 30년... 이 생 다하기 전 끝낼 것 [i mwotgo 30nyeon... i saeng dahagi jeon kkeunnael geot]”, in Beopbo Sinmun‎^[1]:
  이 뭣고 30년 입 니다. 이 생 다하기 전 에 는 끝내야지 요.
  I mwotgo samsimnyeonimnida. I saeng dahagi jeoneneun kkeunnaeyajiyo.
  It's been thirty years of [meditating on the question,] "What is this?" I should complete it before this life comes to an end.
- 2005, “'이 뭣고'는 화두 아니다 [i mwotgo neun hwadu anida, "'What is this?' is not a koan"]”, in Bulgyo Sinmun‎^[2]:
  화두 가운데 하나 로 많은 수좌 들 이 참구하는 '이 뭣고'는 화두 가 아니라는 주장 이 제기돼 논란 이 예상된다.
  Hwadu gaunde hana-ro maneun sujwa-deur-i chamguhaneun i mwotgo -neun hwadu-ga aniraneun jujang-i jegidwae nollan-i yesangdoenda.
  Controversy is expected after the argument has been raised that "What is this?", one of the koans which are meditated on by many monks, is not actually a koan.
- 2011, “비행기 잘못 타서 한국 왔다가 비구니로… 서구 수행자도 '이뭣고' 화두 좋아하데요 [bihaenggi jalmot taseo han'guk watdaga biguniro… seogu suhaengjado imwotgo hwadu joahadeyo]”, in Chosun Ilbo‎^[3]:
  처음 내게 '이뭣고' 화두 를, 그 뒤 엔 조주 스님 의 '무(無)'자 화두 를 주셨다.
  Cheo'eum naege imwotgo hwadureul, geu dwien Joju seunim-ui mu ja hwadu-reul jusyeotda.
  He first gave me the koan of "What is this?", and after that, the koan of Mu by Master Zhaozhou.
(Gyeongsang, literally) What's this?