I Was Michelangelo in My Past Life

The crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations, Gandhara.

A place said to have been named by combining "Qand, Gand," meaning fragrance, and "Har," meaning land.

In 326 BCE.

Alexander the Great set out from Macedonia, conquering Greece, defeating Thrace and Illyria, seizing Tribalia and Media, stretching from the Hellespont to the Red Sea, taking all of Asia and creating a mythic era. It was during this time that Gandhara was conquered.

For 300 years, it was ruled by Greek kingdoms, influenced by Greek Hellenistic culture, and blossomed into a unique form of Buddhist art that fused Eastern and Western cultures.

It was here that Buddhist statues first began.

Centered around the ancient kingdom of Gandhara, the region including the eastern Taxila area, northern Swat area, and parts of western Afghanistan saw Gandhara art flourish from the 1st to the 5th century.

In the mid-5th century, the invasion of the Hephthalites ended this era of ancient art, which had flourished mainly in stone sculptures—its traces are still occasionally glimpsed.

The Buddha statues that began in Gandhara spread worldwide, and even today Buddhist statues vary widely in form and type. However, most follow Indian art traditions, making it hard to find the characteristic technical delicacy and realism of Gandhara art.

I sometimes imagine.

One day, suddenly, a highly skilled sculptor appears, not creating Buddha statues derived from Indian art, but ones embodying Gandhara's distinct features.

When I imagine this, I realize that although there are many types of statues, their forms have become quite limited.

Land of fragrance.

Earth of fragrance.

Faraway past, Gandhara.

Today again, I long for your climate and spirit.

—Excerpted from Yang Seon-gu's Lessons with a Sculptor—

Reddit.

The largest community social network service (SNS) in the United States, with over 400 million users visiting and using it every month.

In a subreddit called r/sculpturelover, a niche community mostly of enthusiasts, it was noisy early in the morning.

August 2nd, Wednesday. Around 9:07 AM US time, or 10:07 PM Korean time.

[r/sculpturelover]

[Have you guys seen the YouTuber "Kang Seok" live streaming while sculpting?]

[u/suspected_disease]

[Hi guys. I can't believe it, so I'm writing this. Check out the Korean YouTube site right now for the live stream of YouTuber "Kang Seok." He's just insane!!!!!]

ㄴ[Yeah, I handled stone before in college, and the stone he uses is clearly a totally different material than the dumb rocks I used to fumble with. He slices through that hard stuff like it's some cake my grandma made.]

ㄴ[LOL. You really believe that? When I checked, it looked like the video was sped up or something. The timing was off too. The sky was totally dark.]

ㄴ[Maybe your brain is jellyfish instead of a brain. Remember, it's Korea, so consider the time difference.]

ㄴ[It's not sped up. He stops the grinder in places and walks around at a relaxed pace. No speed shifts like in a sped-up video. I watched it multiple times. He just moves his hands fast and boldly. No laser weapons or anything.]

ㄴ[So, where can I buy that stone?]

ㄴ[Share the site.]

ㄴ[Give me the address.]

Last night, August 1st.

A well-known Reddit user happened to discover Kang Seok, sparking a heated discussion.

As you know, Reddit, with over 400 million users worldwide, is a community where countless people post and vanish like spewing out words.

For a discussion that started last night to still be ongoing is remarkable, even if it's not in a top-ranking subreddit.

Moreover, the controversy was not limited to Reddit.

Foreign community sites, especially among art professionals, spread the news of Kang Seok's live streaming on YouTube, Facebook, and others.

The reasons Kang Seok drew attention were many.

Bold hand movements as if he alone had the power of [Ctrl+Z].

Unmatched speed, naturally increasing with confidence.

Yet his skill was machine-like, and his good looks as striking as his sculptures.

Multiple cameras showing different views made the viewing a feast for the eyes.

Of course, the main hype was overseas.

But the fastest consumers of the "Kang Seok" content were naturally Koreans. They gathered in the live streaming chat without distractions.

Kang Seok simply carved stone, disappeared, reappeared, examined the stone, carved again, sat silently looking, and carved again.

The chat moderation naturally fell to the viewers.

[I woke up and my computer was off.]

[Back again, hi hi.]

[So, what is he carving now?]

When one person started typing rapidly in the chat, superchats poured in quickly.

[(₩1,000) Watermelon Juice-san. Warning 1 for spam, warning 1 for off-topic discussion, total 2 warnings. If you accumulate 4 warnings within 3 days, you'll be ignored for 3 days, so please be careful.]

[(₩1,000) Currently, 34 people are in invisible mode for having 4 warnings. Names include Naval, Kole, Ppikkappikka, FriendAi, Merong, Sweetcon12, Squirrel, …]

Though the chat was self-managed and imperfect, after more than ten days and nearly 20,000 live viewers, the rules were necessary and agreed upon by all:

No spamming (no more than 3 consecutive messages; long messages count as one).

No swearing.

Avoid unrelated topics.

When a debate starts, no topic changes for about 10 minutes.

After Watermelon Juice apologized, the discussion paused briefly then resumed slowly. Though approaching 20,000 viewers, the chat was slow but meaningful.

[(₩10,000) His face is gradually showing. If you look closely, his eyes appear slightly open. I found that Buddha in Sanskrit means 'the awakened one,' the one with open eyes. I think the statue he's carving is Buddha.]

The statue Kang Seok carved had notably narrow, partially open eyes.

Like someone said that the eyes contain the soul, looking into those narrow eyes made viewers keep looking, even though the statue wasn't finished.

Sacred.

Staring into those eyes was calming, even reverent.

Or maybe a better word is peaceful.

Watching Kang Seok carve brought many impressions.

At first glance, it seemed like looking at the largest tree in the forest, then like looking at a moon shining in the night sky, or from afar, like the sun shining in the clear sky. Approaching closely felt warm like a lantern, and bringing one's face near made one think of the vast ocean.

In short, it was holy.

Even though most of the limbs were still buried in stone, just one eyeball could evoke these emotions through a computer screen.

People watched the live stream with great anticipation to see the final result.

So many people were mesmerized by Kang Seok's carving. Some even said Korea's coin karaoke and mobile game sales dropped nationwide because of it.

[Who said this guy was a self-proclaimed genius again?]

[Right? LOL]

[(₩1,000) Bandage-san and Rami-san got warnings for off-topic mentions, one each. If you get 4 warnings in 3 days, you'll be ignored for 3 days, so be careful.]

The "self-proclaimed genius" label has long been out, and abroad some even jokingly said Kang Seok might be Korea's Michelangelo.

[(₩10,000) But I have a slightly different opinion. When I think of Buddha, I imagine the typical round face, curly hair like a bun, and a plump, generous expression. But the statue being carved now is nothing like that. Honestly, he just looks like a really handsome guy... Is this really a Buddha statue?]

[Oh? Found someone who agrees with me!]

[ㅠㅠㅠ Actually, I agree too.]

[Agreed, Abo-gam (Yes).]

[Right;;; Honestly, I like Buddha statues and visit temples a lot, but this one doesn't have that plump, kind uncle vibe.]

The chat was debating whether Kang Seok was carving a Buddha or not. Without Kang Seok speaking, no one knew.

[(₩10,000) But the statue is in a seated posture, so it seems like it is Buddha.]

No clear answer.

People watched as Kang Seok swung the grinder, almost ready to cut through the marble with impressive cloud patterns.

Among the countless viewers was Choi Yul-mook, the director of the sculpture academy "Land" in Seogyo-dong. He slowly typed on his keyboard with eagle-like fingers.

"Our Kang Seok is a lot… uh, here it is. Please do it."

He was using superchat, sitting in front of the academy computer, typing and moving the mouse. It was his small joy these days.

He had been sending superchats daily for almost ten days using his hidden emergency funds. It was amazing he hadn't been caught by his wife. If she found out, neither the academy computer nor his neck would be safe.

"Let me see, let me see… here it is."

Just as he was moving the mouse for the last step, Kang Seok suddenly crouched down on screen. Choi, watching on his phone placed in front of the computer screen, was startled and looked carefully.

"What's this?"

Suddenly Kang Seok swung the grinder like a drill, as if trying to break through the floor. Choi stretched his neck like a turtle to get closer to the screen.

"What is this!!!"

At this point, with the upper body still mostly uncarved and the stone not laid flat, working on the bottom part would topple the finely made Buddha statue.

He must know that…?

Choi's face turned pale as he pressed his face close to the screen.

The super chat spam continued, saying that it shouldn't be done even in the chatroom.

Most of the people were those who had tried carving before and were showing off in the streaming room.

Choi Yulmuk's desperate cries echoed.

"Ah, noooo!"

Of course, the screams couldn't be heard beyond the screen.

Despite the commotion, Kangseok calmly brought the grinder to the lower part of the stone.

Wheeeeeee!

The monstrous grinder, tuned thanks to Yang Seongu's introduction, mercilessly dug into the marble.

About four hours had passed since Kangseok started carving below.

It was midday in the US, and dawn in Korea.

Under lights brighter than the moon, Kangseok was wielding the grinder like a musical instrument.

Like a delicate needle, Kangseok poked and sculpted the stone precisely with the grinder.

[What am I even watching right now?]

[···Is this for real?]

[What is this?]

[?????????????????? Can this really be done?]

[OMG. Why isn't this falling down?]

[え, すごい!!! カンソクちゃんかっこいい (Wow, amazing!! Kangseok-chan is so cool!)]

In the end, Kangseok's sculpture didn't collapse and maintained its shape.

As befits white onyx, which has glass-like properties, even after being chipped once or twice, shaped like a spinning top with an arrow pointing downward, with a square top and triangular bottom, it had long since changed.

But Kangseok's sculpture stood as if it had always been that way, defying collapse, performing a stunt.

Yang Seongu, watching from the wooden floor of the hanok (traditional house), stroked his beard and smiled. His eyes were fixed on Kangseok's streaming chatroom.

"Heh heh."

The chat window was rapidly scrolling.

The rules they themselves set had long since collapsed.

[To put how amazing this is into perspective... it's like standing on one foot on a tightrope used in tightrope walking while carrying a 50kg sack of rice.]

[The above is right, but it's even more complicated. The tightrope is coated in sesame oil, and the foot standing on the rope is soaked in sweat. It's not surprising if they slip at any moment, but they are maintaining it.]

Weight.

Understanding the center of gravity is not something that can be grasped simply through sensory empathy.

But as if telling us not to try understanding, Kangseok moved the grinder.

[Could he be calculating the volume of the stone?]

[That can't be right. Seems like a matter of talent...]

[It never made sense from the start, since there was no sketch.]

It couldn't be explained with words.

Common sense had long become a meaningless echo.

There were many words to describe the inexplicable, but most viewers watching today thought of the same word.

Genius.

Not simply because he was fast.

Not just because he carved in a strange and fascinating way.

He had already far surpassed the bounds of an ordinary person.

A person accomplishing the impossible.

A viewer's chat message popped up.

[So this is what a genius is······.]

From that moment, the chat went suddenly quiet.

People were mesmerized, watching in awe the human walking toward a mysterious world they could never reach.

Super chats came up quietly like offerings, with brief words of support.

.

.

.

Another month passed.

Kangseok's live streaming viewer count increased and increased, eventually reaching 40,000. It was an enormous number. Even a packed auditorium wouldn't have such quality.

This happened in just a month and ten days.

By then, not only YouTube and domestic and international communities, but even news outlets started occasionally mentioning Kangseok. Nineteen years old.

Before he even started university entrance applications in his final year of high school, Kangseok had become a genius high school student recognized by Korea and the world.

"Hey!"

"Mr. Yang Seongu! Please open the door!"

"We know you're in here!"

"Please open the door!"

"Can we just have a quick interview?"

"We know you're inside!"

With the pounding on the door, Yang Seongu frowned.

He disliked this kind of attention and had built a hanok deep in the mountains, away from people, but now that it was known Kangseok was here, it had become noisier than any city.

'I should leave once Kangseok finishes the sculpture.'

Thinking of moving somewhere else near Seoul, Yang Seongu crossed his arms, staring straight ahead.

"Kangseok, can we have a quick interview?!"

"I'm Min-deok Oh from LBS News! Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Even though the people outside were knocking constantly, making his mind restless, Kangseok quietly kept his eyes on the sculpture.

Now he had set down the grinder and was chiseling by hand with a hammer and chisel. His hair was tied back with a bandana, and his glowing reddish-brown eyes stared at the sculpture.

His attitude, as if only the sculpture and himself existed in the world, truly moved people.

'It's beautiful.'

Yang Seongu looked at his back.

How blessed he was to see this in person, not through a camera. Remembering the countless white onyx pieces destroyed by Kangseok's hammer, Yang nodded, feeling it was worth it.

At that moment—

Through the misty fog, Kangseok carefully dropped the hammer and chisel from the sculpture. His iris was visible in his slightly open eyes.

Removing the chisel from his eyes that stared menacingly, Kangseok slowly, very slowly took a step backward.

With every step he took, the fog drifted past.

It was a truly exquisite moment.

Even viewers watching on the screen gasped at the beautiful scene. At this moment, more than the sculpture, all eyes were on the sculptor, whose face was filled with ecstasy.

When Kangseok took seven steps back and blocked one camera lens—

The sculpture was fully revealed.

Barefoot, with the lower body wrapped in a skirt, the upper body draped in a shoulder cloth (견의, a Buddhist robe), and over that, a large robe covering both shoulders, the statue was that of Buddha.

Behind sat the Buddha with a halo, performing the fearlessness mudra (시무외인), raising the right hand to shoulder height with all five fingers spread and palm facing outward, comforting sentient beings not to be afraid while preaching.

A moment of serene peace came naturally.

The clouds began to part as if a hole was torn in the sky, and light poured in—orange flames like waves. Kangseok regained his forgotten sense of time.

It was sunset.

Late afternoon.

Kangseok slowly turned his head. The sunset rained down, wetting the statue's shoulders.

The light covering the shoulders spread gradually.

The Buddha carved in marble absorbed the light.

Onyx.

Among natural marbles, onyx is unique in its light-transmitting property. The onyx absorbed the sunlight veiled by the mist.

This type of stone can be quarried in the ancient region of Gandhara—Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan—and among those, the rare white onyx had turned a mysterious amber, neither bright red nor yellow.

Like a lantern.

An old Buddha entering the twilight of life.

The stone Buddha's face showed vividly the suffering of enduring a severe illness during the rainy season in the Bamboo Forest Village.

Someone watching sighed in awe.

"Ah···."

His narrow eyes met the camera lens.

Those watching beyond the lens felt as if they made eye contact with a Buddha who became fire itself amid suffering.

Looking into those sharp eyes, they seemed to understand.

In those eyes lay the truth.