• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.142
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• pp.99-119
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• 2017

Buddhism tends to be accepted as an institutional religion. This is probably due to the historical background in which Buddhism has been accepted as a representative institutional religion along with Christianity since the mid-20th century. In particular, Buddhism is accepted as an institutional religion based on tradition. Buddhism is also accepted as philosophy. Even if the western philosophical background is embraced that defines philosophy as the pursuit of intellectual clarity and wisdom in life, Buddhism is deemed to be classified as a philosophy that allows for the possibility of philosophical criticism without unconditionally believing the truth that Gautama Buddha discovered. The possibility of Buddhism as philosophy like this is directly linked to the possibility of Buddhism for doing philosophy. Doing philosophy in Buddhism can be presented in three processes: keeping a distance from daily life, the observation and concentration based on the distance, and the formation of a new world-view. Doing philosophy is rooted in the same way as meditation in the lives of people tired from post-capitalist everyday life. Nonetheless, Buddhism clearly has the characteristics of religion, thus posing a challenge of establishing a new relationship between religion and philosophy. The tradition of a strict separation between the religion and philosophy in Christian civilization is still working as a factor that keeps Buddhism from being classified as philosophy. In cases where the pursuit of intellectual clarity and practical wisdom in life is incorporated into the purpose of philosophy, Buddhism can be categorized into having the distinctive function of religion "spiritual peace", and sharing the common function of philosophy and religion "enlightenment." In that sense, it can also be an important task to seek a new perspective on the relationship between religion and philosophy.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.130
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• pp.161-186
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• 2014

Recently, the social concerns on well dying come to the fore as important discourse on dignity of human death, which detonation by the problem of euthanasia. Well dying means 'good death' the meaning of a word, and it means 'prepared death', 'decented death' 'beautiful death' by extention of sematic context like this as a general rule. In this paper the writter have considered that how the view of Buddhism's death contribute to the discourse on well dying, which regarding death as the starting point, death conquest as the finishing point of the theory. The Buddhism's discourse on the attitude interpretation conquest process of death contributed to formation of abundant discourse on well dying, especially the view of Buddhism is able to contribute to conquest of death anxiety and death education, that death conquest interpret to spiritual psychological phenomenon not physical physiological eternal life (or immortality) and conquer death through enlightenment on reality of things by spiritual psychological change.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.38
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• pp.163-187
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• 2013

In this paper, Han Yong-un's view point of Buddhism was examined in the traditional Zen Buddhism. He emphasized the essence of calm and awakened Zen in Wonhyo's theory of Jigwanssangun and Jinul's theory of Jeonghyessangsu. He criticized the behaviors of Zen priests at that time who turned their back on common people, secluded themselves in mountains and tried to stay calm in their places, and ideologically stressed that calm and awakened Zen should be realized in disciplinants' daily lives while enlightening the public. On the other hand, he had consistently stuck to Imjeseonpung(臨濟禪風) based on the spirit of saving the world, rather than depending on Jodongowi(曹洞 五位), when glossing "Sip-hyun-dam" with the traditional $S{\bar{o}}t{\bar{o}}$ Zen(曹洞宗) after Kim Si-seup Compared with Jodongowi, Siphyeondamjuhae(十玄談註解) emphasized Pyeonjungjeong (偏中正) where the right position(正位) of a true man(眞人) is founded in the middle of common people's partiality(偏位). In Siphyeondamjuhae, he intended to rebuke Japanese $S{\bar{o}}t{\bar{o}}$ Zen priests' brutality of trying to annihilate even the spirit of Zen Buddhism through Treaty of Alliance of Korea-Japan Buddhism(朝日佛敎同盟條約). Considering Han Yong-un's view point of Buddhism, it has the characteristic of patriotism and love of the people in the traditional Zen Buddhism.

• Journal of Science of Art and Design
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.61-86
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• 2008

Buddhism and Buddhist art originated in India, but when they were introduced to different countries, they created an international environment. Buddhism was introduced as cultural package, with written texts, visual images, rituals, and the organization of monasteries. Buddhist art originated in India during the reign of King Asoka and then was developed under the political, intellectual, artistic, religious, social and natural environments of the regions. The stupa and the chaitya halls create monastic environment. The natural environment of the trade routes and caravans in the Central Asian deserts preserved brilliant-colored murals and helped spread tram India to China. When Buddhism and Buddhist art were introduced to China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism became a part of government institution and social organization. Gigantic statues were carved in caves in mountains for political purposes. The Chinese transformed the stupa into a square pillar and created pagodas with tiled roofs in tower forms. Koreans not only transmitted the Buddhist art from China to Japan, but it also changed it with originality in the iconography of the pensive bodhisattva images and in the architecture of Seoggulam. The official ideology of Neo Confucian philosophy brought the rise of Chan Buddhism. Zen monasteries in Japan created unique environments by establishing the Zen Buddhist garden. to prompt believers to meditate. An important development in Buddhist art is the Esoteric Buddhist art in China and Tibet. This category belongs to the intellectual, religious as well as artistic environments. The Tibetan deities with consorts in their embrace symbolize the union of the god and the devotees. Buddhist art created a unique environment that was spread out to many nations and changed greatly over time.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.50
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• pp.171-200
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• 2016

The full-scaled study of Joseon conducted by Japan in the 1910s was part of its colonial policy, while the native Joseon studies against it contained political aspiration to recover the national rights and independence. Accordingly, the conceptual meaning of 'Joseon' varied according to its subject of speech. The establishment of modern nation-state failed along with the extinction of Korean Empire, but 'Joseon' was newly discovered within national ideology. It became a historical concept in which the experience of the past and the expectation toward the future could be united. The so-called 'Joseon Studies' was only limited to intellectuals in the academic circle, but 'Joseon' embraced the articulations from more various social agents. Furthermore, it is only natural that 'Joseon Studies' should be interpreted within the historical semantics of 'Joseon', considering the connection between concept and discourse. In his The History of Joseon Civilization, An Hwak encompassed the history from the times of ancient mythology to the contemporary times under the banner of 'Joseon'. Opposing Japanese distortion of history carried out in the name of historical positivism, he idealized Joseon history as comparable to that of the Western democracy. He extended the study of 'Joseon' into culture at large, foreshadowing a kind of Joseon philosophy. In his An Overview of Joseon Philosophical Ideas, the first description of 'Joseon philosophy' as an independent field, he proposed philosophy as one of three sources of pride in Joseon and asserted its uniqueness and originality compared to the West. It was an attempt to grasp the peculiarity of Joseon ideas from a perspective of the history of universal human civilization. He considered 'Jong'(倧) as an ideological foundation held from the ancient to the modern times, and the acceptance of Buddhism and Confucianism as beneficial to 'Joseon philosophy'. The birth of 'Joseon philosophy', the modern transformation of the traditional knowledge system, was an intellectual experiment to apply traditional knowledge to the modern disciplinary classification system.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.123
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• pp.347-377
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• 2012

We have numerous terms representing mind. We can understand them largely as the relationship of 'Discernible Mind' and 'Indiscernible Mind.' Because, our understanding mind is formed by linguistic discernment. When any discernment arise from our mind, we recognize the mind shown by discernment[Discernible Mind]. At the same time, we can think orignal mind[Indiscernible Mind] outside that discernment. Buddhism, generally, has understood mind in the relation with everything. That is to say, they have understood it from the perspective of dependent co-arising. In the early Buddhism and the abhidharma Buddhism, approaches to mind were mainly made by the discerning method. They explained arising and vanishing of 'Discernible Mind' by the law of dependent arising. Co-arisen 'Discernible Mind' is impermanent and temporary. But they never be denied on 'Discernible Mind' as an vainness. In $Mah{\bar{a}}y{\bar{a}}na$ Buddhism, $N{\bar{a}}garjuna$ understood the essence of dependent arising as the ${\acute{s}}{\bar{u}}nyata$ (emptiness) and the law of dependent arising as simultaneous dependence, not gradual dependences. $N{\bar{a}}garjuna$ criticized on vainness of Discernible Mind through ${\acute{s}}{\bar{u}}nyata$, and made possible to directly perceive Indiscernible Mind, before Discernment. Undiscriminating Mind can not be explained for being stayed beyond the state linguistic discernment(false discrimination), however, had been approached from various other names to potential consciousness or original nature. While ${\acute{s}}{\bar{u}}nata$ thought focused on criticizing vainness of discernment, Hwaeum thought suggested aspect of Indiscernible mind from the aspect of $ekay{\bar{a}}na$ dependant co-arising that everything has been co-arisen, the truth of discrimination. Furthermore, it opened the path to affirm the both indiscernible mind and discernible mind by illuminating that everything is manifestation of original nature itself, i.e. nature-arising. Hwaeum thought focused on perfect understanding by explicating the relation both indiscernible mind and discernible mind from the view point of non-abiding, rather than clarifying 'Discernible Mind' and 'Indiscernible Mind', itself. That is to say, from the aspect of dependant co-arising, Hwaeum thought plays a role that enters the indiscernible world from discernible world, and also, another role, from the aspect of nature-arising that is manifesting discernible world from indiscernible world. These aspects are important for righteous understanding on mind, and also simultaneously, very effective for healing disease of obsession, a kind of metal disease.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.56
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• pp.9-46
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• 2018

Seongdeokdaewang-Shinjong, the 29th National Treasure, is highly valuable as a study material in various aspects including the histories of ideology, Buddhism, politics, art-craft, Chinese character study, calligraphy, epigraphy and so on of the mid-time of Shinra. Compared with the people's interest in the Shinjong, however, the studies on the words carved on it have not been yet deepened. Such studies have not been yet overcoming the phase of decoding and translation of the words. Today, it is required to analyze and study the words systematically. This article starts with such critical mind. That is why the subtitle of this article is Research on the Background of Thoughts considering that this study must be followed by its 2nd study. This study has totally reviewed the decoding and annotation works that have been done so far. Byeonryeomun (騈儷文: a writing style of Chinese character) has been also studied on its written patterns. As a result, approximately 20 problems have been found and corrected. Especially, such key phrases as '工匠?模' and '日月?暉' have been translated in a new way to spotlight the importance of translation of the carved words. The words carved on the Shinjong are highly valuable to study in the aspect of ideology history. The words fully show not only Buddhist thoughts, Confucian thoughts and Taoist thoughts but also Korea's own unique thoughts, which are all melted in the words without any obstacle to each other. In general, they are highly philosophical words. The words are unique especially in the aspect: They give a meaning to the Shinjong based on the keyword Won-Gong (圓空: circle and empty) and suggest the key point of Buddhist thoughts and governing philosophy altogether. That is, they imply that King Seongdeok's political ideology and governing principle are connected to Pungryudo (風流道), Korea's own unique philosophy. This implication is key evidence that makes it possible to trace the context of transmission of Pungryudo. You should not miss also the phrases implying that there was a big argument between reform group based on Confucian thoughts and conservative group based on Korea's own unique thoughts.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.35
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• pp.165-188
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine the historical consciousness and view of the three religions (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) of Won Cheon Seok who lived a period of historical transition from the end of the Goryeo Dynasty to the early Joseon Dynasty. Actively speaking for the public in his time and having the same attitude as the Neo-Confucian scholars in the end of Goryeo Dynasty, he kept criticizing the abuse of the power by powerful families who made the people fall into a state of distress and misery. He believed the dispatch of troops to conquer the Yodong region as a great opportunity to boost the valiant spirit of his country; however, the reality was quite opposite to his expectation as Lee Seong Gye had withdrawn the army troops at the Wihwado causing a great risk to his country. He took a very hard line stance against what Lee Seong Gye did. Although he was a Confucian scholar, he did not ignore Buddhism and Taoism and understood that after all the three religions were based on the same principle. His deep understanding of Buddhism and Taoism as well as Confucianism helped him to make sense of Confucianism even further. He was able to sublimate the worldly anguish coming from the Confucian thinking system by indulging himself deeply into the world view of Buddhism and Taoism. In the end, his view on the three religions was based on the idea that they taught the same principle. His view of the three religions with transactional features has a huge implication for the contemporary society in which various values and multiple cultures coexist and have more common grounds.

• The Journal of Korean Philosophical History
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• no.56
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• pp.239-264
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• 2018

Chosun regime, when it replaced the predecessor of Koryo, had to create political ideological system for new integration of the people. The new system, based on Confucianism, replaced religious values of Buddhism with educational ones. In this educational-ideological system, educational objects were mostly limited in character education's. Its goal was 'restoration of good nature'. For the principal agent of educational process, teacher had the initiative. These traits of educational system can be understood as an 'nature-unfolding perspective' or 'formal discipline perspective'. Moreover, the idea of 'teacher shall be served like prince' seems to be ground of political authoritarianism. In this respects, political traits of traditional education system can be restraining elements for developing independent individuality and free citizenship among Korean people. However, traditional teacher was not only authoritarian trainer. As 'a follower of truth and good', he was equal to his disciples. Teacher learned by teaching them. Students could be colleagues of their teacher. And the main traits of traditional education, focusing character development and community consciousness, are still important, in particular, to modern Korean educational and societal environment wanting in humane and participating citizenship.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.50
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• pp.89-120
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• 2013

The concept of virtue seems to be one of the rare cases where the European and the Chinese traditions coincide. The meaning of the Latin word virtus and of Greek $aret{\acute{e}}$ seems to be similar to the Chinese $d{\acute{e}}$德. Most striking in virtue is that it is a capacity for self-realisation through action which is unique to man. On the other hand, there is something physical about it. It is the strength to do something. This strength overcomes the resistance of what is naturally given, it transforms the world, turns the natural world into a human one. In the Chinese tradition, $d{\acute{e}}$ 德, i.e. virtue, is therefore always connected with $da{\grave{o}}$ 道, the totality of natural forces. In the Chinese tradition, as opposed to the European one, virtue is itself considered to be a natural force that is present in man. This force sustains man's connectedness, unity and harmony with the surrounding world. Things exist through the unity of principle理 and ether氣. But the knowledge of this unity is due to principle. Moral and legal norms are shifted totally to the sphere of principle. Therefore their have found the final dissolution from a heroic models. Above all the classical Confucians, but also the other schools, would reply to this that there is nothing more precise than a concrete successful action. Its result fits the world perfectly. The difference is due to the differing interest of ethical thought. In the case of the Confucians the path is more direct. The actor establishes a precise pattern for other actions. Education therefore lies in detailed knowledge about forms of behaviour, not so much in conceptual differentiation. It is quite possible that generalisation may be a methodical prerequisite for success in this endeavour. That problem, too, is discussed. But the success of conceptualisation lies in the successful performance of individual actions, not in shaping actions in accordance with normative concepts.