The Material Culture of Buddhist Propagation: Reinstating Buddhism in Early Colonial Seoul (original) (raw)
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Buddhism and Modernity in Korea
Buddhist encounters with modernity in Korean can be described with three characteristics: (1) Buddhist reform movements; (2) revival of Zen Buddhism; (3) Buddhist encounter with intellectualism. An introduction to the edited volume, Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism, this article offers a contours of Korean Buddhism when it encounters the West and modernity from the late nineteenth to the mid twentieth centuries.
Hoedang and Jingakjong: Esoteric Buddhism in Contemporary Korea
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This article discusses the emergence, transformation, and transmission of an esoteric Buddhist movement that Hoedang (孫珪祥, Kyu-shang Sohn [or Sohn, Gyu-sang], 1902–1963) began in the 1940s and 1950s. Starting in the middle of the eighth century, the history of Korean Esoteric Buddhism indicates that the tradition continued to exist (albeit marginally) until the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). However, this case study, which focuses on the new religious sect of Jingak, explorers Jingak’s reformist characteristics and its efforts toward the renewal of Korean Buddhism in contemporary society. The article argues that the founder was intellectually receptive to other teachings, including the performance of esoteric healing, the prosocial characters of Pragmatic Buddhism, the doctrine of Japanese Shingon, and permitting priests to marry. This article additionally attempts to identify the innovative philosophy (including Simin, 心印, original sinless self) of Korean Esoteric Buddhism, in the com...
Korea's First Museum and the Categorization of "Buddhist Statues"
Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies 21-1, 2021
The establishment of a museum in the precinct of Ch’anggyŏnggung Palace in 1909 marked an important moment in the historiography of Korean art. Although recent studies have examined the founding, organization, and financing of the first Korean museum, the formation of its Buddhist art collection and its historical implications remain unexamined. Given that not a single Buddhist temple was allowed to exist within the capital city, the entry of these objects into the palace demonstrates a radical paradigm shift in the royal court’s relation to Buddhist icons. The museum’s Buddhist art collection reveals what was available in the art market of the time and what was considered worthy of being collected in a royal museum. Through close examination of Korea’s first museum and its collection, this study traces the recontextualization of religious icons into art objects and the historical implications behind the category of “Buddhist statues.”
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Concise introduction to different types of Korean Buddhist visual culture including temple architecture, pagodas, reliquaries, sculpture, and painting. Reference Works A large number of visual resources, most of them in Korean, provide excellent material for the study of Korean Buddhist styles and variations in composition and iconography. While a few publications, such as Chang 2010, contain Buddhist works from North Korean collections, the majority of the resources provide data about Buddhist paintings, sculptures, rock-carved Buddhas, and pokchang from collections in South Korea, Europe, and North America. Chang Kyŏng-hŭi. Pukhan ŭi pangmulgwan. Seoul: Yemaek, 2010. Mostly recording secular works of art and crafts such as ceramics, the book also includes a few rare Silla and Koryŏ Buddhist sculptures, as well as late Chosŏn period Buddhist paintings in North Korean museum collections.
Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism (2010)
2010
The first book in English devoted exclusively to modern Korean Buddhism, this work provides a comprehensive exploration for scholars, students, and serious readers. Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism focuses on three key areas: Buddhist reform, Zen revival, and the interrelationship of religion, history, and politics. In Korea, the modern period in Buddhism begins in earnest in the late nineteenth century, during the closing years of the Choson dynasty, which was characterized by a repressive brand of neo-Confucianism. Buddhist reformers arose to seek change in both Buddhism and Korean society at large. The work begins with a look at five of these reformers and their thought and work. The Zen revival that began at the end of the nineteenth century is covered from that period to contemporary times through an exploration of the life and thought of important Zen masters. The influence of Japanese Buddhist missionaries, the emergence of Korean engaged Buddhism, known as Minjung Buddhism, and the formation of modern Buddhist scholarship in Korea are discussed as well.
Religions
The revival of Buddhism in Korea began in the 20th century as the nation suffered a downfall from the colonization of the Japanese Imperialists. In this chaotic time of social turmoil, transformation into a modern nation resulted not from a natural flow of events but rather from an articulation through a series of discourses on Korean identity. The modernization process in Korea was precipitated by the Japanese colonialism, thereby adding to the complexity during the time of social transformation. In this paper, we have reviewed the three major discourses of Korean Buddhism in the wake of modernization. The following discourses were attempts to deal with the problems faced by the Buddhist community during modernization: the discourse on secularity and social participation, the discourse on modernity centering on the issue of modifying precepts, and the discourse on identity contemplating the originality of Korean Buddhism. The fact that the old controversies concerning precepts cont...