Jang Ilsoon's Socio-Religious Thought and Its Relevance

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Jang Ilsoon's Socio-Religious Thought and Its Relevance JANG ILSOON’S SOCIO-RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AND ITS RELEVANCE FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA BY HYOMIN BAEK A thesis is submitted to the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Lancaster University 2017 I, ____________________________, declare that this thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where states otherwise by reference or acknowledgment, the work presented is entirely my own. Signed: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________________________ ABSTRACT Religious individuals and communities have been at the heart of civil society and played a crucial role in the social and historical sphere of twentieth-century Korea. In particular, the Catholic Church in Korea had been widely credited for its dedication to justice for the weak and to democracy. However, it is undeniable that the Catholic Church in South Korea has lost its social influence. Indeed, over the past decade there has been a significant drop in the number of Catholics and the Church, once a pillar of civil society, has continuously lost its social position. While there are various possible explanations for this circumstance, a satisfactory one can be found in its recent past history. During the 1970s and 1980s the Church was the symbol of social and political resistance, and there was a lay leader and activist, who played a significant background role. Admittedly, Jang Ilsoon (1924-1994) is a little-known figure and thinker within Christian communities in contemporary Korea, but his teachings are far more influential among non-believers than Catholics regardless of their faith and political stance. The rationale is that he has been known to be a social activist or thinker rather than a Catholic lay leader. This is the first study to identify him as a Catholic activist and religious thinker. It aims to make an original contribution to growing interest in him and his ideological contributions to modern Korean. To scrutinise his socio-religious thought and life, this study grapples with his biographical facts and ideas, focusing on his interaction with the Catholic Church in twentieth-century Korea. As an introduction to his religious thought, this study focuses its religious background to explain how his thinking is shaped by three distinct religious ideas: Donghak, Seon Buddhism and Catholic teachings, and examines the influence of these religious ideas to grasp his thought and to understand his socio-political action. This study also discusses the way in which his religious idea can contribute to the recent pastoral realities of the Church. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply grateful to my parents and parents-in-law for their prayers and financial help. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Anderson Jeremiah, for his insight, generosity and patience. He has shepherded me towards this goal. I could have never reached here without his pastoral sensitivity. I am indebted to Revd Choi Byeongyong, Professor Hwang Dogeun, Professor Jang Dongcheon, Jang Hwasoon, Kim Yeongju, Lee Gyeongguk, Jeong Injae, Kim Yongu, Baek Sumin for their heartfelt help and steady encouragement. I would like to thank my viva examiners, Dr Hiroko Kawanami and Dr Elizabeth Koepping for their positive and helpful suggestions. I also thank the Faculty of Arts and Social Science for its generous scholarship. Lastly I am extremely grateful to my wife, Hyeonju, for coping with the English weather over five years, and to my boys, Eunchan and Eunjun, for their smiles all the time. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Chapter 1. The Background: Jang Ilsoon’s Life and Socio-Political Context 19 1.1. The Legacy of Japanese Colonial Rule 20 1.2. The Shadow of Developmental Dictatorship 27 1.3. Radical Tendencies in the 1980s 38 1.4. Conclusion 41 Chapter 2. Modern Catholic Social Thought 44 2.1. The Beginning of a New Path: Rerum Novarum 45 2.2. A Discernible Shift: Gaudium et Spes 52 2.3. Conclusion 63 Chapter 3. Donghak in Jang Ilsoon: Focusing on Haewol’s Philosophy 66 3.1. A Brief Biographical Portrait of Haewol 70 3.2. Revolutionary Aspects of Haewol’s Philosophy 72 3.2.1. Sicheonju and Yangcheonju 74 3.2.2. Radicalness of Bap 82 3.2.3. Hyangaseolwi as Resistance 85 3.3. Haewol in Jang Ilsoon 90 3.3.1. The Setting 90 3.3.2. Beyond Resistance 93 3.3.3. The Possibility of Social Spirituality 97 3.4. Haewol’s Influence on Jang Ilsoon’s Last Years 101 3.5. Conclusion 105 v Chapter 4. Seon Buddhism in Jang Ilsoon 107 4.1. Buddha-nature: Pervasiveness of Ontological Possibility 110 4.1.1. Tathagatagarbha and Its Doctrinal Significance 111 4.1.2. Conceptual Transformation of Buddha-nature in East Asia 113 4.2. Seon as Social Spirituality 121 4.2.1. An Overview of Korean Seon 121 4.2.2. Seon Master Hyujeong: Practical Meaning of Enlightenment 126 4.3. Jang Ilsoon’s Understanding of Seon 130 4.3.1. The Metaphor of Buddha-nature 130 4.3.2. Seon and Historicality 132 Chapter 5. The Socio-Religious Thought of Jang Ilsoon: A Development in the Catholic Church in Korea 137 5.1. Exploring the Catholic Nature of Jang Ilsoon, 1950-1965 138 5.2. Catholic Resistance, 1965-1980 144 5.2.1. The Influence of Bishop Ji Haksoon on Jang Ilsoon, 1965-1974 145 5.2.2. The Occurrence of Catholic Resistance, 1974-1980 150 5.3. Conclusion 158 Chapter 6. Jang Ilsoon’s Socio-Religious Thought and the Catholic Church in Korea 161 6.1. The Religious Implications of Jang Ilsoon’s Thought 162 6.2. The Pastoral Implications of the Ordinariness 167 6.3. Jang Ilsoon’s Understanding of minjung and Its Implications for the Church 171 Conclusion 177 Bibliography 183 Appendix 205 vi List of Abbreviations BMP Bulletin of Muwidang People CA Centesimus Annus (1991) EG Evangelii Gaudium (2013) GS Gaudium et Spes (1965) HWSB Haewol Sinsa Beopseol LE Laborem Exercens (1981) NHM Nonhakmun OA Octogesima Adveniens (1971) QA Quadragesimo Anno (1931) RH Redemptor Hominis (1979) RMG Remembering Muwidang Gathering RN Rerum Novarum (1891) SRS Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1987) vii INTRODUCTION The Catholic Church in the Korean context Since Catholicism first came to Korea in 1784, the Catholic Church had been a defiant and reformist religious minority by 1970s (Grayson 1989, 208). Since its inception, it was generally called Seohak (Western learning) or considered as heresy, and its adherents were mainly from the powerless sections of society. For instance, early Catholicism in Korea disagreed with Confucianism in relation to Jesa (ancestral rites), which was the moral and social basis of the state. Consequently, the Church was branded as an anti-establishment religion, and those who followed heretic Seohak became severely oppressed. Indeed, the authorities depicted Catholics who were interrogated as ‘ones who wanted a upheaval’ (Park I. 2011, 337). Thus, in Korea the beginning of the Church can be explained by its intention of revolting against the state or changing society radically. In this respect, the Catholic Church began with the laity since its inception and had adhered socio-politically to the appropriateness of social reform through sporadic persecution. This has been an important historical identity of the Catholic Church in Korea. However, the social intention and attitude of the Church turned quickly as Korea was coerced to open a port in the mid-nineteenth century. As noted above, during the first half of the nineteenth century state oppression of Catholics reached its height. In fact, there can be found the official statistics, showing that it lost almost 1 half of the followers (Park C. 1996, 234). Due to the opening of the port in 1876 and the France-Korea treaty of 1886, the Church obtained the right of evangelical mission; in turn its influence was gradually extended in social and ecclesial terms. In addition, the missionaries, mostly from France, with extraterritorial rights could also increase their influence. Specifically, in rural communities the Church attained higher social status and the missionaries also benefited from a privilege. This led the empowered Church into a confrontation with the existing social order. As noted earlier, it was reformative and resistant under state oppression. Yet it chose adaptation rather than resistance later, for its influence strengthened in the late nineteenth century. Like this, the social characteristic of the Church became after-life oriented as it was protected by governmental power, in fact it was due to diplomatic or military pressure, and was confronted with the existing social order. In a way, this change is related to mission policy or theological intention of the churches in Western Europe. As an example, la Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, which first sent missionaries to Korea, had both imperialist attitudes of the French government and the reactionary character of the Church (Hong S. 1987, 36-59). Therefore, missionaries produced tension at different levels because of ignorance and prejudice about Korean culture and people. They believed that the social inequality and class was granted by God, thus the Church has an unfavourable opinion with the underlying social ambition, not with the existing social order. This pastoral and theological overall tendency had become a dominant characteristic of the Church during the twentieth century. However, there existed an exception. Indeed, it is important to reassess the Sankt Ottilien Benedictine order’s missional ministries and its significance. The congregation came to Korea in 1909 when Japan’s illegal annexation was at hand. This Benedictine order that was established in Germany in 1884 confronted French 2 missionaries with a struggle for independence in political terms, and provided a religious basis for education and social engagement to Catholics (Park I.
Recommended publications
  • The Path to Bodhidharma
    The Path to Bodhidharma The teachings of Shodo Harada Roshi 1 Table of Contents Preface................................................................................................ 3 Bodhidharma’s Outline of Practice ..................................................... 5 Zazen ................................................................................................ 52 Hakuin and His Song of Zazen ......................................................... 71 Sesshin ........................................................................................... 100 Enlightenment ................................................................................. 115 Work and Society ............................................................................ 125 Kobe, January 1995 ........................................................................ 139 Questions and Answers ................................................................... 148 Glossary .......................................................................................... 174 2 Preface Shodo Harada, the abbot of Sogenji, a three-hundred-year-old Rinzai Zen Temple in Okayama, Japan, is the Dharma heir of Yamada Mumon Roshi (1890-1988), one of the great Rinzai masters of the twentieth century. Harada Roshi offers his teachings to everyone, ordained monks and laypeople, men and women, young and old, from all parts of the world. His students have begun more than a dozen affiliated Zen groups, known as One Drop Zendos, in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The material
    [Show full text]
  • Kobun's Talks on the Heart Sutra
    KOBUN CHINO OTOGAWA KOBUN’S TALKS ON THE HEART SUTRA EDITED BY ANGIE BOISSEVAIN AND JUDY COSGROVE Calligraphy by Hathaway Barry Cover image by Gerow Reece Typesetting by Russell Cosgrove using tufte-latex First printing, December 2015 Second printing, October 2016 5 Editor’s Note In the early 70’s Kobun taught a class on Monday mornings, at various people’s houses, where he talked about three im- portant Buddhist sutras. Perhaps the most well-known of these is the Heart Sutra. Angie Boissevain wrote down Kobun’s discussions, at first from listening to his slow speaking, and later from tape record- ings. The version of the sutra which Kobun introduced at Haiku Zendo is included here. Sanskrit words are explained. When somewhat unfamiliar Japanese terms and Sanskrit words are included in the dis- cussion, these are presented in quotes or italics. Two very personal stories from Kobun’s life are also included, in the belief that they help us put these teachings into practice in our own personal lives. Judy Cosgrove Contents The Heart Sutra 11 Introduction to Heart Sutra 13 On Chanting 17 The First Lines 21 “. form does not differ from emptiness” 25 8 “. all dharmas are marked with emptiness ...” 29 “. do not appear nor disappear . ” 35 “Therefore in emptiness, no form, no feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness;” 41 “No ignorance and also no extinction of it, ...” 45 “No suff’ring, no origination, no stopping, no path; . ” 49 “The Bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita and his mind is no hindrance. he dwells in Nirvana.” 53 Karma 57 9 Prajna Paramita 61 Annutara-samyaksambodhi 63 Buddha Nature 69 “Gate - gate - paragate - parasamgate! Bodhi! Svaha!” 71 The Heart Sutra THE MAHA PRAJNA PARAMITA HRIDAYA SUTRA Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva When practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita Perceived that all five skandhas are empty And was saved from all suff’ring and distress.
    [Show full text]
  • Resource62314 0.Pdf
    Daesoon Jinrihoe A New Religion Emerging from Traditional East Asian Philosophy Copyright ⓒ The Daesoon Academy of Sciences 2016 All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of The Daesoon Academy of Sciences. First Paperback printing June 30, 2016 Daesoonjinrihoe Press 875, Gangcheon-ro, Gangcheon-myeon Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, 12616 A CIP catalogue record of the National Library of Korea for this book is available at the homepage of CIP(http://seoji.nl.go.kr) and Korean Library Information System Network(http://www.nl.go.kr/kolisnet). CIP Control No. : CIP2016015603 Find The Daesoon Academy of Sciences here : Homepage : http://www.daos.or.kr E-mail : [email protected] ISBN 978-89-954862-7-6 Contents Preface 1 Daesoon Sasang: A quintessential Korean philosophy 1 Don Baker 2 Kang Jeungsan: Trials and Triumphs of a Visionary Pacifist/Nationalist, 1894-1909 17 Key Ray Chong 3 The Correlative Cosmology of Daesoon and Ecology 59 Young Woon Ko 4 Daesoonjinrihoe’s Religious Thought: From a Confucian and Comparative Perspective 85 Edward Chung 5 Truth and Spatial Imagination: Buddhist Thought and Daesoonjinrihoe 113 Jin Y. Park 6 Hoo‐cheon‐gae‐byeok as a Korean Idea of Eschaton: 135 A Comparative Study of Eschatology between Christianity and Daesoon Thought Hiheon Kim 7 Investigating Daesoon Thought: A Korean New Reiligion’s Approach to 157 Identifying and Creatively Sublimating the Values of Korea’s Traditional Religions Gyungwon Lee 8 Kang Jeungsan’s Taoistic Tendency and the Taoism Elements of Mugeukdo 187 Namsik Ko 9 The History and Theology of Daesoonjinrihoe 199 Daesoon Institute of Religion and Culture Preface ⅰ Preface Daesoon thought is a comprehensive system of truth representing the Great Dao of ‘resolution of grievances into mutual beneficence’.
    [Show full text]
  • Just This Is It: Dongshan and the Practice of Suchness / Taigen Dan Leighton
    “What a delight to have this thorough, wise, and deep work on the teaching of Zen Master Dongshan from the pen of Taigen Dan Leighton! As always, he relates his discussion of traditional Zen materials to contemporary social, ecological, and political issues, bringing up, among many others, Jack London, Lewis Carroll, echinoderms, and, of course, his beloved Bob Dylan. This is a must-have book for all serious students of Zen. It is an education in itself.” —Norman Fischer, author of Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong “A masterful exposition of the life and teachings of Chinese Chan master Dongshan, the ninth century founder of the Caodong school, later transmitted by Dōgen to Japan as the Sōtō sect. Leighton carefully examines in ways that are true to the traditional sources yet have a distinctively contemporary flavor a variety of material attributed to Dongshan. Leighton is masterful in weaving together specific approaches evoked through stories about and sayings by Dongshan to create a powerful and inspiring religious vision that is useful for students and researchers as well as practitioners of Zen. Through his thoughtful reflections, Leighton brings to light the panoramic approach to kōans characteristic of this lineage, including the works of Dōgen. This book also serves as a significant contribution to Dōgen studies, brilliantly explicating his views throughout.” —Steven Heine, author of Did Dōgen Go to China? What He Wrote and When He Wrote It “In his wonderful new book, Just This Is It, Buddhist scholar and teacher Taigen Dan Leighton launches a fresh inquiry into the Zen teachings of Dongshan, drawing new relevance from these ancient tales.
    [Show full text]
  • Fall 1969 Wind Bell
    PUBLICATION OF ZEN •CENTER Volume Vilt Nos. 1-2 Fall 1969 This fellow was a son of Nobusuke Goemon Ichenose of Takahama, the province of Wakasa. His nature was stupid and tough. When he was young, none of his relatives liked him. When he was twelve years old, he was or<Llined as a monk by Ekkei, Abbot of Myo-shin Monastery. Afterwards, he studied literature under Shungai of Kennin Monastery for three years, and gained nothing. Then he went to Mii-dera and studied Tendai philosophy under Tai-ho for. a summer, and gained nothing. After this, he went to Bizen and studied Zen under the old teacher Gisan for one year, and attained nothing. He then went to the East, to Kamakura, and studied under the Zen master Ko-sen in the Engaku Monastery for six years, and added nothing to the aforesaid nothingness. He was in charge of a little temple, Butsu-nichi, one of the temples in Engaku Cathedral, for one year and from there he went to Tokyo to attend Kei-o College for one year and a half, making himself the worst student there; and forgot the nothingness that he had gained. Then he created for himself new delusions, and came to Ceylon in the spring of 1887; and now, under the Ceylon monk, he is studying the Pali Language and Hinayana Buddhism. Such a wandering mendicant! He ought to <repay the twenty years of debts to those who fed him in the name of Buddhism. July 1888, Ceylon. Soyen Shaku c.--....- Ocean Wind Zendo THE KOSEN ANO HARADA LINEAOES IN AMF.RICAN 7.llN A surname in CAI':> andl(:attt a Uhatma heir• .l.incagea not aignilleant to Zen in Amttka arc not gi•cn.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    No. 2 ~ 2006 Table of Contents The Americanization of Zen ~ Gael Hodgkins and Bill Devall Heart Song ~ Mitch Trachtenberg In the Lineage of Good Company ~ Lynda McDevitt Skip the car! ~ Barry Evans Dharma Gates Are Boundless: A Sangha Column ~ edited by Michael Quam Buddhist Peace Fellowship: In the News In the following essay, The Americanization of Zen, Gael Hodgkins and Bill Devall present a The AZG welcomes provocative set of issues and questions people who regarding the Americanization of Zen. In want to learn future issues of Rin Shin-ji Voices we will about and reserve space for creative and lively practice Soto Zen responses (notice we didn't say reactions) on Buddhism. We this general topic. So, please send us your have daily and own thoughts, and please, for editorial weekly sitting schedules in reasons, keep your responses under 1000 Arcata as well words. We look forward to a long as conversation, rich and deep, in the pages of introductory this journal. classes in zen meditation (The Editors) and philosophy. The AZG also sponsors sittings in Eureka and Westhaven. Arcata Zen Group 740 Park Ave., Arcata CA 95521 707-826-1701 www.arcatazengroup.org The Americanization of Zen Gael Hodgkins and Bill Devall “The Americanization of Zen” is the topic we were asked to address by the editorial board of Rin Shin-ji Voices. Further, it was suggested that the article be an introductory one, laying out some of the broader issues this topic inspires and serving as a “launching point for an ongoing dialogue for future newsletters.” Overarching this thought-provoking subject is Shakyamuni Buddha’s reasons for teaching the dharma.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Food, Great Stories from Korea
    GREAT FOOD, GREAT STORIE FOOD, GREAT GREAT A Tableau of a Diamond Wedding Anniversary GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS This is a picture of an older couple from the 18th century repeating their wedding ceremony in celebration of their 60th anniversary. REGISTRATION NUMBER This painting vividly depicts a tableau in which their children offer up 11-1541000-001295-01 a cup of drink, wishing them health and longevity. The authorship of the painting is unknown, and the painting is currently housed in the National Museum of Korea. Designed to help foreigners understand Korean cuisine more easily and with greater accuracy, our <Korean Menu Guide> contains information on 154 Korean dishes in 10 languages. S <Korean Restaurant Guide 2011-Tokyo> introduces 34 excellent F Korean restaurants in the Greater Tokyo Area. ROM KOREA GREAT FOOD, GREAT STORIES FROM KOREA The Korean Food Foundation is a specialized GREAT FOOD, GREAT STORIES private organization that searches for new This book tells the many stories of Korean food, the rich flavors that have evolved generation dishes and conducts research on Korean cuisine after generation, meal after meal, for over several millennia on the Korean peninsula. in order to introduce Korean food and culinary A single dish usually leads to the creation of another through the expansion of time and space, FROM KOREA culture to the world, and support related making it impossible to count the exact number of dishes in the Korean cuisine. So, for this content development and marketing. <Korean Restaurant Guide 2011-Western Europe> (5 volumes in total) book, we have only included a selection of a hundred or so of the most representative.
    [Show full text]
  • Politics, Feasts, Festivals SZEGEDI VALLÁSI NÉPRAJZI KÖNYVTÁR BIBLIOTHECA RELIGIONIS POPULARIS SZEGEDIENSIS 36
    POLITICS, FEASTS, FESTIVALS SZEGEDI VALLÁSI NÉPRAJZI KÖNYVTÁR BIBLIOTHECA RELIGIONIS POPULARIS SZEGEDIENSIS 36. SZERKESZTI/REDIGIT: BARNA, GÁBOR MTA-SZTE RESEARCH GROUP FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGIOUS CULTURE A VALLÁSI KULTÚRAKUTATÁS KÖNYVEI 4. YEARBOOK OF THE SIEF WORKING GROUP ON THE RITUAL YEAR 9. MTA-SZTEMTA-SZTE VALLÁSIRESEARCH GROUP KULTÚRAKUTATÓ FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGIOUS CSOPORT CULTURE POLITICS, FEASTS, FESTIVALS YEARBOOK OF THE SIEF WORKING GROUP ON THE RITUAL YEAR Edited by Gábor BARNA and István POVEDÁK Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology Szeged, 2014 Published with the support of the Hungarian National Research Fund (OTKA) Grant Nk 81502 in co-operation with the MTA-SZTE Research Group for the Study of Religious Culture. Cover: Painting by István Demeter All the language proofreading were made by Cozette Griffin-Kremer, Nancy Cassel McEntire and David Stanley ISBN 978-963-306-254-8 ISSN 1419-1288 (Szegedi Vallási Néprajzi Könyvtár) ISSN 2064-4825 (A Vallási Kultúrakutatás Könyvei ) ISSN 2228-1347 (Yearbook of the SIEF Working Group on the Ritual Year) © The Authors © The Editors All rights reserved Printed in Hungary Innovariant Nyomdaipari Kft., Algyő General manager: György Drágán www.innovariant.hu https://www.facebook.com/Innovariant CONTENTS Foreword .......................................................................................................................... 7 POLITICS AND THE REMEMBraNCE OF THE Past Emily Lyle Modifications to the Festival Calendar in 1600 and 1605 during the Reign of James VI and
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Bibio
    Recommended Books Revised March 30, 2013 The books listed below represent a small selection of some of the key texts in each category. The name(s) provided below each title designate either the primary author, editor, or translator. Introductions Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown Taking the Path of Zen !!!!!!!! Robert Aitken Everyday Zen !!!!!!!!! Charlotte Joko Beck Start Where You Are !!!!!!!! Pema Chodron The Eight Gates of Zen !!!!!!!! John Daido Loori Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind !!!!!!! Shunryu Suzuki Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening ! Stephen Batchelor The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation!!!!!!!!! Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism For Beginners !!!!!!! Thubten Chodron The Buddha and His Teachings !!!!!! Sherab Chödzin Kohn and Samuel Bercholz The Spirit of the Buddha !!!!!!! Martine Batchelor 1 Meditation and Zen Practice Mindfulness in Plain English ! ! ! ! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English !!! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Change Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation ! Paramananda Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice !!!! Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of Buddhist Meditation !!!!!! Thera Nyanaponika Meditation for Beginners !!!!!!! Jack Kornfield Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path !! Ayya Khema The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Meditation in Plain English !!!!!!! John Daishin Buksbazen and Peter
    [Show full text]
  • Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit Name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit Dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist Influences (C
    7/11/2014 Zen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism[note 1] that Zen developed in China during the 6th century as Chán. From China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and Chinese name east to Japan.[2] Simplified Chinese 禅 Traditional Chinese 禪 The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (dʑjen) (pinyin: Chán), which in Transcriptions turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna,[3] which can Mandarin be approximately translated as "absorption" or "meditative Hanyu Pinyin Chán state".[4] Cantonese Zen emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature and the personal Jyutping Sim4 expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit Middle Chinese [5][6] of others. As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of Middle Chinese dʑjen sutras and doctrine[7][8] and favors direct understanding Vietnamese name through zazen and interaction with an accomplished Vietnamese Thiền teacher.[9] Korean name The teachings of Zen include various sources of Mahāyāna Hangul 선 thought, especially Yogācāra, the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras and Huayan, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, Hanja 禪 and the Bodhisattva-ideal.[10][11] The Prajñāpāramitā Transcriptions literature[12] and, to a lesser extent, Madhyamaka have also Revised Romanization Seon been influential. Japanese name Kanji 禅 Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist influences (c. 200- 500) 1.3 Legendary or Proto-Chán - Six Patriarchs (c. 500-600) 1.4 Early Chán - Tang Dynasty (c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Zen Koan; Its History and Use in Rinzai
    NUNC COCNOSCO EX PARTE TRENT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/zenkoanitshistorOOOOmiur THE ZEN KOAN THE ZEN KOAN ITS HISTORY AND USE IN RINZAI ZEN ISSHU MIURA RUTH FULLER SASAKI With Reproductions of Ten Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku A HELEN AND KURT WOLFF BOOK HARCOURT, BRACE & WORLD, INC., NEW YORK V ArS) ' Copyright © 1965 by Ruth Fuller Sasaki All rights reserved First edition Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 65-19104 Printed in Japan CONTENTS f Foreword . PART ONE The History of the Koan in Rinzai (Un-chi) Zen by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Koan in Chinese Zen. 3 II. The Koan in Japanese Zen. 17 PART TWO Koan Study in Rinzai Zen by Isshu Miura Roshi, translated from the Japanese by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Four Vows. 35 II. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (i) . 37 vii 8S988 III. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (2) . 41 IV. The Hosshin and Kikan Koans. 46 V. The Gonsen Koans . 52 VI. The Nanto Koans. 57 VII. The Goi Koans. 62 VIII. The Commandments. 73 PART THREE Selections from A Zen Phrase Anthology translated by Ruth F. Sasaki. 79 Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku.123 Index.147 viii FOREWORD The First Zen Institute of America, founded in New York City in 1930 by the late Sasaki Sokei-an Roshi for the purpose of instructing American students of Zen in the traditional manner, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary on February 15, 1955. To commemorate that event it invited Miura Isshu Roshi of the Koon-ji, a monastery belonging to the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen and situated not far from Tokyo, to come to New York and give a series of talks at the Institute on the subject of koan study, the study which is basic for monks and laymen in traditional, transmitted Rinzai Zen.
    [Show full text]
  • Seon Dialogues 禪語錄禪語錄 Seonseon Dialoguesdialogues John Jorgensen
    8 COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM 8 SEON DIALOGUES 禪語錄禪語錄 SEONSEON DIALOGUESDIALOGUES JOHN JORGENSEN COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM VOLUME 8 禪語錄 SEON DIALOGUES Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 8 Seon Dialogues Edited and Translated by John Jorgensen Published by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Distributed by the Compilation Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought 45 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-170, Korea / T. 82-2-725-0364 / F. 82-2-725-0365 First printed on June 25, 2012 Designed by ahn graphics ltd. Printed by Chun-il Munhwasa, Paju, Korea © 2012 by the Compilation Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism This project has been supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea. ISBN: 978-89-94117-12-6 ISBN: 978-89-94117-17-1 (Set) Printed in Korea COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM VOLUME 8 禪語錄 SEON DIALOGUES EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY JOHN JORGENSEN i Preface to The Collected Works of Korean Buddhism At the start of the twenty-first century, humanity looked with hope on the dawning of a new millennium. A decade later, however, the global village still faces the continued reality of suffering, whether it is the slaughter of innocents in politically volatile regions, the ongoing economic crisis that currently roils the world financial system, or repeated natural disasters. Buddhism has always taught that the world is inherently unstable and its teachings are rooted in the perception of the three marks that govern all conditioned existence: impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Indeed, the veracity of the Buddhist worldview continues to be borne out by our collective experience today.
    [Show full text]