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Il-yeon

1206 – 1289

Silla Buddhist monk

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About Il-yeon

Lived 1206 – 1289 (aged 82–83). Il-yeon was a Korean buddhist monk, writer and historian.

Il-yeon (; 1206–1289), also spelled Iryeon, was a Korean Buddhist monk and All-Enlightened National Preceptor during the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. His birth name was either Kim Gyeong-myeong or Jeon Gyeon-myeong , and his courtesy name was Hoe-yeon .

He became a monk at the temple Muryangsa at the age of nine and passed the Seon national examination at 22. At 54, he was given the rank of Great Teacher. When he was 78, King Chungnyeol offered him a position of rank and tried to make him National Preceptor, but Il-yeon declined. The king again appointed him National Preceptor, and Il-yeon came down to the capital Kaesong (then Gaegyeong) but soon returned to the mountains on the pretext that his aged mother was sick. On the eighth day of the seventh month in 1289, he held a conference with various monks and then died.

Il-yeon is known as a prolific writer, and according to the inscription on his tombstone, he wrote around 80 volumes on Buddhist topics. Today only one book of his survives: Samguk yusa, which is not mentioned in the inscription formally.

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Important facts

Born
1206, Gyeongsan
Birth century
Died
1289, Gunwi County
Nationality
Also known as
Iryeon

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Il-yeon's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Il-yeon?

Silla Buddhist monk

When was Il-yeon born?

Il-yeon was born in 1206 in Gyeongsan.

When did Il-yeon die?

Il-yeon died in 1289 in Gunwi County.

What was Il-yeon's occupation?

Il-yeon was a buddhist monk, writer and historian.

What nationality was Il-yeon?

Il-yeon was Korean.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Il-yeon

· Wikidata: Q484286

· DBpedia: Il-yeon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Il-yeon. https://biography.guide/il-yeon/

MLA: "Il-yeon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/il-yeon/.

Chicago: "Il-yeon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/il-yeon/.

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