Buddhism in Korea Past and Present

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Buddhism in KoreaPast and Present

• Don Baker
• University of British Columbia

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Basic Assumptions of Buddhism

• Real means unchanging and uncaused.
• Yet Buddhists realize that human beings
  experience the unreal world every moment of
  every day.
• Therefore the purpose of Buddhism is to escape
  the inevitable disappointments constant changes
  bring, either by rising above the realm of change
  or by working to make sure that change moves in
  positive rather than a negative direction.

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What is Buddhism in Korea?

• Buddhism of Practice anthropocentric
• Meditative Buddhism-- dissolving belief in
  individual identity by stilling the mind
• The wisdom of the sutras-the sacred teachings of
  the Buddha himself grant salvation through
  understanding.
• Buddhism of Faith
• The ritual power of monks, and the monastic
  community
• Pure Land Buddhism-chanting and faith in Amitabha
  Buddha--theocentric Buddhism
• esoteric Buddhism--mantras and rituals because
  words and understanding are inadequate.

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Buddhist Priests
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Temple Rituals
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Philosophy or Religion?

• If religion requires belief in God, then
  meditative Buddhism is a philosophy rather than
  religion. The same might be said of sutra-based
  Buddhism. However, the role of ritual in even
  philosophical Buddhism leads us to give it the
  religion label
• Popular Buddhism, the Buddhism of chanting and
  prayer is theistic, some would even say
  polytheistic. That form of Buddhism, therefore,
  easily meets the criteria for being classified as
  a religion.

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History of Buddhism in Korea

• Reached Korea via China and Central Asia in the
  late 4th century (Paekche and Koguryo). Wasnt
  accepted in Silla until the martyrdom of Ichadon
  in the 6th century.
• Most famous Silla monk is Wonhyo (617-686). Said
  to have brought both Pure Land chanting and
  Flower Garland Sutra-based Buddhism (the
  interconnectedness of everything) to Korea. Known
  for reaching enlightenment without having to
  leave Korea for China.
• Another famous Silla monk is Chajang, who brought
  Buddhist relics back from China. Founded
  Tongdo-sa.

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Pulguksa and Sokkuram
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Buddhism and the state

• In the Three Kingdoms, Mature Silla, and Koryo,
  Buddhism was supported by the state. Buddhism was
  valued for its ritual power, the ability it was
  believed to have to protect the throne.
• Government-run clerical exams in Koryo, divided
  into sutra-based and meditative.
• Government-promoted printing of Buddhist texts
• First book ever printed with movable metal type
  was a Koryo Buddhist text.
• Koryo Tripitaka is the pre-modern worlds most
  complete collection of Mahayana texts (over
  81,000 woodblocks)

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Paekche royal temple to Maitreya
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Chinul (1158-1210)

• Rejected state-supported Buddhism
• Insisted on the need for gradual cultivation
  after sudden enlightenment.
• Introduced the use of the Koan to Korea
• Said the purpose of meditation was to trace the
  radiance back to the mind
• Seen as the founder of the largest Korean order
  today.

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Koryo Buddhism

• Chinul The woodblocks of the
  Tripitaka

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Haein-sa
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Buddhism in Choson Korea

• Persecution--an end to significant state
  support
• Kiwa argues for compatibility with Confucianism
• retreats to the mountains
• number of denominations reduced significantly
• becomes a larger part of the folk religion
• monks used as a defense force. 71-year-old Monk
  Hyujong was a military commander against Japanese
  invaders.

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Buddhism in Modern Korea

• Japanese restored many temples, and protected
  temples and their art as national cultural
  treasures.
• Japanese encouraged monks to marry and eat meat.
• post-1945 Purification Movement
• Buddhism has had to respond to the challenge of
  Christian proselytizing
• Has now overcome its image as a religion for
  village women and ignorant monks.

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Denominational Fragmentation

• Chogye--most visible. Says it is a Son (Zen)
  order but also has rooms in temples for chanting,
  prayer, sutra study, etc.
• Taego---like Chogye, except with married monks
• Pomun---like Taego and Chogye but run by nuns,
  not monks.
• Chontae and Chingak --esoteric
  (mantra-based)
• Hanmaum sonwon (affiliated with Chogye)
• Won Buddhism
• Maum Meditation

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Objects of the Buddhistspiritual gaze

• Sakyamuni Sokkamoni-bul)
• Vairocona (Pirojana-bul)
• Amitabha (Amita-bul)
• Maitreya (Miruk-bul)
• The Healing Buddha (Yaksayorae)
• The Boddhisatva Guan Yin (Kwanum Posal)

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Sakyamuni,the historic Buddha
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Amitabha
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Vairocona
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Maitreya
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The Boddhisatva Kwanseum
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Healing Buddha
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Chijang Posal (Bodhisattva)
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Temple Guardians
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Creating Buddhist art
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What Buddhists do today

• Meditate
• Chant, usually the name of a Buddha but sometimes
  a mantra or a short sutra
• Engage in study of the sutras
• Go on a pilgrimage to sacred sites in Korea
• Perform rituals (bowing 108 times, etc.)
• Place little rocks around outdoor Buddhist
  statues.
• Perform other rituals.

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Rocks and Buddhist Temples
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Traditional Buddhist chanting
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Buddhist ritual music and dance
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Folk gods in Korean temples

• The hermit sage

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Big Dipper god and Mountain god
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Buddhism and death

• 49 days between death and reincarnation
• Mourners can go to a temple and pray that the
  departed will not be judged too harshly but
  instead will be reborn in a better state than
  their behavior in their past life would qualify
  them for.
• Large temples usually have a separate building
  for praying for the recently departed. There are
  often framed photos of the dead in those halls.

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Praying for the dead
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Buddhism and Fengshui

• Sites for many Buddhist temples are chosen
  according to geomantic principles (Fengshui)
• Sometimes the placement of temple buildings and
  stupas is used to remedy geomantic deficiencies
• Temples can also be used to collect geomantic
  energy (as in the case of Silsang-sa)
• The late Silla monk Toson is said to have
  introduced fengshui to Korea.

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Buddhism and Shamanism

• A shamans shrine

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Shamanism as Buddhism

• Shamans in Korea often call what they do
  Buddhism
• Among the many gods they interact with are
  Buddhist deities, particularly the Healing
  Buddha.
• There are some buildings in Korea that identify
  themselves (by their name and by the reverse
  swastika symbol) as a Buddhist temple but are
  actually a shaman shrine.

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Modern types of Buddhism

• Nungin Sonwon in southern Seoul

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Meditating atNungin Sonwon
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Hanmaum Sonwon

• Founded by a charismatic nun with almost no
  formal education
• Originally provided Buddhism for
  housewives--services were at 10 am, after the
  husband and kids had left the house for the day.
  
• Uses colloquial rather than technical language to
  teach Buddhism.
• Focuses on Sakyamuni only.
• Is now affiliated with the Chogye order.

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The nun Daehaengand her main temple
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Maum Meditation
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Won Buddhism

• A new religion with Buddhist roots

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Won Buddhisms founder

• Park Chungbin (1891-1943)

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Unique features

• Founder, often referred to as Sotaesan, was a
  Korean who was active in Korea in the first half
  of 20th century.
• Won Buddhism doesnt worship him or any other
  personality, human or divine.
• Won Buddhism has its own scriptures, its own
  rituals, and its own clerical costumes and
  clerical discipline. It also has a distinctive
  object of its spiritual gaze--- a circle
  (Ilwonsang)
• It calls itself a new religion for a new age. Yet
  it also says many of its teachings are the same
  as those of Buddhism.

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Buddhist elements

• Won Buddhism accepts the mainstream Buddhist
  notions of karma and reincarnation.
• Won Buddhism, like meditative Buddhism, is
  anthropocentric, teaching that we can save
  ourselves through our own efforts and dont need
  to rely on supernatural assistance. (It also
  promotes meditation.)
• Won Buddhism, like mainstream Buddhism, teaches
  that suffering arises from the way we use our
  minds, and that if we change the way we think, we
  can eliminate our suffering.

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A Won Buddhist sunday service
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Buddhism and Korean Culture

• About 24 of South Koreans call themselves
  Buddhists today
• Temple stay vacations are becoming popular with
  both Koreans and foreigners. So is temple food.
• Koreans talk about karmic connections more than
  Westerners do. Meditation is not seen as
  exotic.
• Many Koreans who arent Buddhists believe in
  reincarnation, and go to temples to pray.
• Buddhism seen as an integral part of traditional
  culture.