Venerable Jeokmyeong was known as a prominent “meditation monk,” i.e., one who mostly meditates as his primary calling. He was greatly respected by Buddhists and non-Buddhists for his exceptional moral character and his dedicated practice. Although he was viewed as the most outstanding monk of meditation, he turned down the highest-ranking position of a great teacher at Bongam Temple, Korea, and sat alongside his junior monks during meditation. It grieved many people when he all of a sudden entered Nirvana during the winter meditation retreat on December 24, 2019.