• SUVANNABHUMI
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.33-49
• /
• 2012

This article uncovers the beginning of the Sudhamma Buddhist order tracing its background history. After ascending the throne, being interested in trying to bring back Buddhism to its ancient strength and prosperity, King Mindon paid fully attention in all the religious affairs like King Asoka. Therefore, the different Sangha associations had emerged in his time. It had grown wider and wider and that brought about many adverse effects. During the time of King Thibaw, to reorganize the Sangha associations, he appointed two Supreme Leaders; one for Sudhamma and one for the Rhwekyan Buddhist Order of Monks. Thus the rise of the term of Sudhamma Buddhist Order of Monks became the most popular among the Theravada Buddhist monks. This article, tracing its history, will answer the question that what about any difference between the Sudhamma Buddhist Order and others especially?

• Acta Via Serica
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.61-77
• /
• 2019

Following the introduction of Buddhism to China by Xuanzang (玄奘 602-664), the visual tradition of an itinerant monk became a popular subject. This theme developed into a Buddhist figure with an accompanying tiger, especially in Korea where tigers were an object of worship and ritual. This paper examines Korean examples of post-itinerant monk Buddhist figures accompanied by tigers, in particular the portrayal of itinerant monks as arhats and sansins. The supernatural powers of arhats were diverse, and they often tamed the tigers who then accompanied them on their journeys. The arhat, who was introduced during the Unified Silla period and gained popularity during the Goryeo period, was loved by the general public during the Joseon Dynasty as a familiar presence that brought good fortune. Special portraits of monks accompanied by a tiger, known as sansindo (山神圖), form a unique Korean genre. Sansin religious beliefs formed through a fusion of the newly introduced Buddhism and the age-old indigenous worship of sacred mountains and tigers. Most Buddhist temples include a sansin shrine containing on altar with sansin statues and portraits. Tigers in the portraits of itinerant monks and the stories of Buddhist monks who tamed tigers became famous and widely accepted in Korea, a nation already rich in tiger lore. Folklore and indigenous shamanism contributed to the establishment of Buddhism in Korea, and tigers played a central role in this.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.78-117
• /
• 2017

Buddhism, which was subject to repression all over the early Joseon Dynasty, received a certain recognition from the state, because Buddhist monks had participated in the war of the Japanese invasion in 1592. On the other hand, however, one of the results was the destruction of many temples. In the late Joseon Dynasty, the Buddhist monks themselves acted as players of Pungmul(people's percussive band music) for the rebuilding of Buddhist temples. These so-called "the Buddhist monks' Pungmul" is the imitation of former clowns' Pungmul and farmers' one that sometimes request money or rice at houses of villages. In the late Joseon Dynasty, the activities of the Buddhist monks' Pungmul were held all over the country. Today, there are "Bitnae Nongak(farmers'percussive band music)" in Kyeongsangbuk-do, "Beokku-noli(the drum play) in the areas of Yeosu and Gangjin in Jeollanam-do, the song of the Buddhist monks' Pungmul for the people's house spirits in the Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do and Chungcheong-do, and Namsadang-pae(the nomadic entertaining groups composed of only men), as clear pictures of it. In these things related to Nongak or Nongak relevant affairs, the shapes of the Buddhist monks' Pungmul in the late Joseon Dynasty remain clear. On the other hand, today the Namsadang-pae, which was formed as a result of Buddhist monks' Pungmul in the late Joseon Dynasty, was left only in the Chungcheong-do and Gyeonggi-do, because the temple construction in the Gyeonggi-do was made especially many in the late Joseon Dynasty. During the late Joseon Dynasty, the Buddhist monks' Pungmul, which had long-lived and had taken place throughout the nation, had a great impact on Pungmul. There are the Buddhist elements, such as Gokkal(the Buddhist monk's peaked hat), paper flowers, the color band, the small drum, and Bara(small cymbals) are often found in the Pungmul of Korea. In the late period of the Joseon Dynasty, it is obviously important place in the Pungmul history of Korea. Research and studies on this subject should be made more in the future.

• SUVANNABHUMI
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2012

In 2010, nearly thirteen hundred Buddhist monks from all over the world converged on to the small Indonesian resort town of Berastagi to celebrate the inauguration of the Taman AlamLumbini, a replica of Myanmar's most iconic Theravada Buddhist temple, the ShwedagonPaya. Nestled on Christian lands within a predominantly Muslim country, the building of the Taman AlamLumbini marked several years of negotiation amongst various religious communities, local government mediators, and patrons. This study makes a preliminary assessment of the ways in which cultural and historical discourses were used by participants to evoke a sense of transnational connectedness outside the realm of formal bilateral diplomacy. Through particular Buddhist ceremonies, rituals, and imagery, Myanmar sponsors and Indonesian patrons promoted a sense of broad pan-Asianism that linked monks, state officials, and local lay practitioners into a single community. A brief examination of the key speeches during the opening ceremony reveals that national interest and identity were still very much in play.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2000

This paper is on the Kasaya that reveals conspicuously the religious meaning among the Korean Buddhist costumes. The Kasaya has the most special meaning among Korean costume culture. It has the most important historical value, for Buddhism is the oldest religion that begins at 4th century A.D.. It has the most unordinary shape that we could not find any other costume culture. It has very important meaning to study on the Kasaya in the religious and cultural history of Korean costume. We have to study Korean Kasaya from surveying Indian Buddhist Kasaya diachronicaly. Buddha establishes himself the rules of weaving, coloring and wearing Kasaya. Bunso costume(분소의)is the first shape of Kasaya that he has worn during his ascetic practice. Bunso costume was a kind of shari. It is made with diapers those clean ordure of baby It symbolizes the life of ascetic practice. However Buddha could not stick to it as the only costume of monks. From his age Buddhist devotees have thought Buddha and monks as sacred beings. So they eagerly want to Provide the sacred beings with foods. clothes and other things that samgha(승가) need to live and accomplish their duties. At that time there are many kings, aristocracies and rich merchants among the devotees. They often offered them the luxurious silk Kasaya. that the ascetic monks could not wear. to express their deep faith. So the rules of the samgha has been distorted. The samgha has enlarged day by day as a great huge religious association. There are many different shapes of Kasaya. The Buddhist samgha need to establish a minute and rigid rules of Kasaya to order living of monks and to teach the moral and educational life to ordinary people. That book of rule is Vinaya pitaka(율장) . There are many kinds of Vinaya pitaka. This paper surveys the rules of Kasaya from Southern Vinaya pitaka(남전율장). This study will be the basic ground to research the Korean Buddhist Kasaya.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
• /
• v.36
• /
• pp.227-266
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this paper is to review the representative Buddhist policies enforced during the reign of Gwanghaegun (光海君), the 15th king of the Joseon Dynasty, and the aspects of the Buddhist community affected by them. Through this, the influence and dynamism of Buddhism during the reign of Gwanghaegun will be revealed. Some of the findings will run contrary to what is popularly known about Joseon Buddhism and the policy of Sungyueokbul (崇儒抑佛), 'Revering Confucianism and Supressing Buddhism.' During the Joseon Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism was taken as an ideological background, and consequently, Buddhism was ostracized by the ruling class who advocated the exclusion of heretical views. This also characterized King Gwanghaegun's reign during the Mid-Joseon Dynasty. In reality though, the ruling class held mixed opinions about Buddhism, and this influenced the Buddhist community in the Gwanghaegun Period. The military might of Japan demonstrated during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, led the ruling class to recognize Buddhism, and as a result, the status of Buddhism rose to a certain extent. Based on its elevated status and the aftermath of the Japanese Invasion of Korea, the Buddhist community engaged in social welfare activities inspired by the notion of requiting favors, and the Buddhist community gained recognition for providing relief services. As a result, the number of monks increased, and the economic situation improved as land ownership was granted to temples and monks. This is the means by which the Japanese Invasion of Korea influenced the Buddhist policies of the Gwanghaegun Period and changed the religious topography of Buddhism. During the reign of King Gwanghaegun, the ruling class regarded Buddhism as heretical, but offered posthumous titles to monks who engaged in meritorious services during the Japanese invasions of 1592~1598. Favorable and/or preferential treatment was also granted to some Buddhist monks. In addition, monks began to perform labor projects that demanded organizational and physical strength, such as those which related to national defense and architecture. However, throughout the Gwanghaegun Period, the monks were paid a certain amount of compensation for their labor, and the monks' responsibility for labor increased. This can be understood as a partial reconciliation with Buddhism or an acceptance of Buddhism rather than the suppression of Buddhism often presented by historians. As for policies which affected Buddhism, the Buddhist community showed signs of cooperation with the ruling class, the creation and reconstruction of temples, and the production of Buddhist art. Through close ties with the ruling class, Buddhism during the Gwanghaegun Period saw the Buddhist community actively responded policies that impacted Buddhism, and this allowed their religious orders to be maintained. In this way, it was also confirmed that the monk, Buhyu Seonsu (浮休 善修) and his disciple Byeogam Gakseong (碧巖 覺性), took up leadership roles in their Buddhist community. The Buddhist-aimed policies of Gwanghaegun were implemented against the backdrop of the Buddhist community, wherein the ruling class held mixed opinions regarding Buddhism. As such, both improvements and set backs for Buddhism could be observed during that time period. The ruling class actively utilized the organizational power of Buddhism for national defense and civil engineering after the Japanese invasions of 1592~1598. Out of gratitude, they implemented appropriate compensation for the Buddhists involved. The Buddhist community also responded to policies that affected them through exchanges with the ruling class. They succeeded in securing funds and support to repair and produce Buddhist temples and artworks. A thoughtful inspection of the policies towards and responses to Buddhism during the Gwanghaegun Period, shows that Buddhism actually enjoyed considerable organizational power and influence. This flies in the face of the general description of Joseon Buddhism as "Sungyueokbul (revering Confucianism and supressing Buddhism)."

• Journal of architectural history
• /
• v.4 no.2 s.8
• /
• pp.9-24
• /
• 1995

Near the Capital Seoul in 19th century, a special architectural form was created by the Buddhist monks who were related with Royal families. Their temples, so called 'won-dang', were constructed as supplicating places for their patrons' happiness and heavenly bliss. Among buildings of a Won-dang temple, 'Great Hall', which was accepted as a new building type, was the most important, the earliest constructed, and the biggest one. This boiling type contained the complex functions of small chaples, living rooms of monks, kitchen and dining, and pilotied pavillions. This Great Hall was located at the front of Won-dang temples, the main worship halls were at the behind. The type of Won-dang was needed for the high female who were its powerful patrons, and was oliginated from the small Buddhist temples in rural areas. And the type was able to be domiciled itself at the Capital areas because of the existing architectural fondness of the regional architects and the patrons in high class.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.387-400
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This study was designed to find out factors that are needed to be improved for the Buddhist training environment of Sramanera Sramanerika monks, who have been newly adapted for their life style after becoming a monk, and to provide basic data for the development of the standard diet in Buddhist temples. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 365 Sramanera Sramanerika monks at 11 Buddhist monk universities. The questionnaire was designed to investigate their dietary habits, dietary evaluation, satisfaction of food service, and food preferences. Results: The study population consisted of 52.6% men, and 47.4% women. The subjects who had a vegetarian diet before joining the Buddhist priesthood were 27.7% women, and 13.5% men (p<0.01). 42.2% of the total subjects felt that they are healthy now and 19.4% felt weak. The most difficulty of dieting adaptation as soon as entering the priesthood was the strict diet rules (42.9%). The subjects considered health or nutrition (40.0%) highly when having meals. 94.8% women, 84.1% men ate breakfast every day (p<0.001). Women (55.4%) frequently ate snacks more than men (26.6%) (p<0.001). The results of the dietary evaluation indicated that the intake of milk, soy milk or dairy products and beans or tofu received lower than 3 points and women had lower point result than men (p<0.001). Foods with higher preference were grilled mushrooms, grilled laver, miso stew, sweet and sour mushrooms, steamed tofu with seasoning. Conclusions: Women were more interested in their health than men but they also required to improve the nutritional eating habits. It appeared that the lower intake rates of the calcium containing food (milk and dairy), and proteins (beans and tofu) could result in nutritional imbalance. Therefore, it is necessary to offer food based on the standard menu plan with consideration given to their food preferences in order to maintain their health and desirable dietary habits.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.27-40
• /
• 2018

Sauna, or hanjeung (汗蒸) is a physical sweating method that uses external heat to forcibly raise body temperature to treat cold damage disorders (傷寒) in traditional Korean medicine. This study focuses on the fact that the sauna was recorded as a healing and bathing method on the Vinaya Pitaka (律藏), and investigates the records of folk sauna therapy of Joseon Dynasty from the perspective of Buddhist medicine which played a significant role in ancient medicine history in Korea. Although the word 'hanjeung (汗蒸)' first appeared in "The Veritable Records of King Sejong (世宗實錄)" in the Korean literature, this study aims to confirm the possibility that the tradition of Buddhist sauna bathing has already existed since the Three Kingdoms period in Korea, based on the fact that sauna bathing was recorded in the Vinaya Pitaka and that the ancient Buddhist bathing culture was introduced in ancient Japan. In addition, the succession of the Buddhist sauna tradition by Goryeo will be traced back through the records of 1920s urban saunas in Gaesung (개성) which was the old capital of Goryeo and had a strong tendency to adhere to traditional Goryeo customs. Finally, the study tries to identify the elements of the Buddhist sauna bathing on the records of folk sauna therapy in the Joseon Dynasty. As a result, this study examines how the Buddhist sauna bathing culture in ancient Korea, which was led by medical monks, spread in the general public and influenced the folk sauna therapy in the Joseon Dynasty.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
• /
• v.43
• /
• pp.179-209
• /
• 2022

In order to show the achievements of eminent monks who made great contributions to the spread and establishment of Buddhism in China, Huijiao (慧皎) compiled the Gaosengzhuan (高僧傳, Biographies of Eminent Monks) and set up ten subjects, the Shike (十科); meaning the ten rules for translating. The ten subjects served as an important framework for the Gaosengzhuan and its significance as a general history of Buddhism. This significance was further confirmed by the Xu-Gaosengzhuan (續高僧傳 The Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks), the Song-Gaosengzhuan (宋高僧傳 The Song Dynasty Biographies of Eminent Monks), and the Daming-Gaosengzhuan (大明高僧傳 The Great Ming Dynasty Biographies of Eminent Monks) which were compiled successively after the Gaosengzhuan. The ten subjects of the Gaosengzhuan underwent change in terms of the subject titles and their meanings in the subsequent versions of the Gaosengzhuan. In the Xu-Gaosengzhuan, Daoxuan (道宣) changed the titles of some subjects and added a new subject, and in the Song-Gaosengzhuan, Zanning (贊寧) gave new meanings to each subject without changing the ten subjects as they appeared in the earlier Xu-Gaosengzhuan. In the Daming-Gaosengzhuan, Ruxing (如惺) retained three of the subjects but removed seven. This evolution of formation and meaning in the ten subjects was the result of the author's deep recognition and also reflections on major changes and transitions in Buddhist history. Edification was emphasized in the Gaosengzhuan, self-discipline in the Xu-Gaosengzhuan, and wisdom and enlightenment were stressed in the Song-Gaosengzhuan. Ruxing showed that the collapse of the ten subjects reflected the decline of Buddhism. The fact that the ten subjects from each Gaosengzhuan were given different meanings demonstrates that these authors recognized Buddhist history differently. Therefore, it can be argued that the processing of Chinese Buddhist history has been reflected through each of their lens. But it is necessary to analyze and compare various aspects of each version of the Gaosengzhuan.