1. International Seon Center
Unification of Korean Buddhism by Master Ji-nul Bojo Guksa, the Tripitaka Koreana Scriptures, and the Three Treasures Temples
a Dharma-Talk for the
International Seon Center
of Dongguk University, Seoul
September 12th, 2015
By Professor David A. Mason
Department of Public Service, Chung-Ang University

2. Korean Religious History
4000 years ago ~ Today: NE Asian Shamanism
1700 years ago ~ Today: Mahayana Buddhism
1300 years ago ~ Today: Chinese Daoism
600 years ago ~ Today: Neo-Confucianism
250 years ago ~ Today: Catholic Christianity
130 years ago ~ Today: Protestant Christianity

3. Four “Golden Ages” 600 – 800 Late 3-Kingdoms, Early Unified Shilla
0950 – Early Goryeo Dynasty
1392 – Early Joseon Dynasty
1988 – ???? Modern South Korea

4. Two of the most important events of Korea's Buddhist cultural history happened in the early 1200s. They have both left profound legacies that exemplify the character and practice of Korean Buddhism today.

5. Right at the beginning of that century Ji-nul Bojo was appointed National Master, so as to implement his harmonious combination in theory and practice of the Scriptural and Meditational types of Buddhism, until then sharply divisive rivals.

6. This led to the creation of today’s dominant-mainstream Jogye Order, the unified national school of 800 years. Korea is the only such nation.

7. Just a few decades later, in response to Mongol Invasion grave national emergency, all known Buddhist scriptures were carved on wooden printing-blocks, creating one of Korea’s very greatest treasures.

8. These accomplishments led to the system of the Sambo-Sachal or “Three Treasures Temples”, also unique to Korea. Understanding the profound ideas behind this designation can deeply enrich our own practice towards enlightenment.

9. Hwaeom-jong 華嚴宗 based upon the Hwaeom-gyeong 華嚴經,
Avatamsaka, Huayan, Kegon or Flower Garland School
based upon the Hwaeom-gyeong 華嚴經,
the Avatamsaka or Flower Garland Sutra

10. Hwaeom-jong 華嚴宗 Uisang Josa Master Ui-sang 의상 義湘 조사 祖師
Brought to Korea and Founded by
Master Ui-sang 의상 義湘
Therefore he is known as
Uisang Josa
조사 祖師
Patriarch; Founder of a Buddhist School

12. the Buddha of Cosmic Light and Source of all Buddhas & Bodhisattvas
Birojana-bul
毘盧遮那佛 Vairocana
the Buddha of Cosmic Light and Source of all Buddhas & Bodhisattvas

13. Hwaeom-jong Legacy Master Gyunyeo worked hard
and employed his Commentary
to reunify and reorganize the Hwaeom-jong
that had been intimidated by other schools
since the late Silla period,
and by the 900s Goryeo Dynasty
had become divided into the
South-mountain Sect 南山岳 at Jiri-san Hwaeom-sa
and the
North-mountain Sect 北山岳 at Gaya-san Haein-sa

14. the Hwa-eom Sipchal 華嚴十刹 화엄십찰 Ten Great Monasteries of the Avatamsaka or Flower-Garland Sect founded by Master Uisang and his Disciples Taebaek-san Buseok-sa 鳳凰山 浮石寺 Toham-san Bulguk-sa 吐含山 佛國寺 Gaya-san Haein-sa 伽倻山 海印寺 Jiri-san Hwaeom-sa 地理山 華嚴寺 Gyeryong-san Gap-sa 鷄龍山 甲寺 Geumjeong-san Beomeo-sa 金井山 梵魚寺 Yeonhwa-san Okcheon-sa 蓮花山 玉泉寺 Hakka-san Bongjeong-sa 학가산 鳳停寺 Palgong-san Miri-sa 팔공산 美理寺 Naepo Gaya-san Bowon-sa 내포 伽倻山 普願寺

15. Cheontae-jong 天台宗 Heavenly-Platform, Tiantai or Tendai School
based upon the Beophwa-gyeong
法華經 Lotus-Flower Sutra
Main Buddha is Sakyamuni
Today, Korea’s third-largest
currently-operating traditional order

16. 선불교 Seon-bulgyo Korean Zen Buddhism or Meditational Buddhism

17. 구산선문 九山禪門 the Gusan-Seonmun Korea’s 9 Original Zen Temples at the Seonjong Gusan 9 Holy Zen-sect Mountains

18. Jiri-san  Shilsang-sa          North Jeolla Province, Namwon City Gaji-san  Borim-sa   South Jeolla Province, Jangheung County Sagul-san  Gulsan-saji     Gangwon Province, Gangneung City Dongri-san  Tae-an-sa South Jeolla Province, Gokseong County Seongju-san  Seongju-saji South Chungcheong Province, Boryeong City Saja-san  Heungnyeong-saji  -- now  Beobheung-sa    Jeokmyeol-bogung site;   Gangwon Province, Yeongwol County Huiyang-san  Bongam-sa North Gyeongsang Province, Mungyeong City Bongrim-san  Bongrim-saji South Gyeongsang Province, Changwon City Sumi-san  Gwangjo-saji Hwanghae Province (DPRK), Haeju City

19. Jiri-san  Shilsang-sa

20. Scholastic Buddhist Schools (Hwaeom, Cheontae, etc) – Gyo
Rivalry between
Scholastic Buddhist Schools
(Hwaeom, Cheontae, etc) – Gyo
and Seon Buddhism
and also Devotional Sects
disturbed national harmony

21. Seeking Harmony Between and Unification of Buddhist Schools

22. Uicheon Daegak-guksa 의천 義天 대각국사 大覺國師 1055-1101
의천 義天
대각국사 大覺國師
Prince, became National Master
Traveled in China, collected Buddhist books;
created large Royal Library of Scriptures

23. Unification of Korean Buddhism
Uicheon Daegak-guksa
attempted the
Unification of Korean Buddhism
using Cheontae
It fell apart again after his early death.

24. National Master Bojo Ji-nul 보조 지눌 국사 普照 知訥 國師 Jinul Bojo-guksa, 1158-1210

25. Ji-nul entered the Buddhist order at a time when it was in a state of crisis, in both its operations and in issues of doctrine. He took no one master, but studied on his own and traveled to many temples for lectures & practice. Deeply disturbed at the degree of corruption that had crept into the Buddhist monastic system, and the deep division between Seon and Gyo, he sought to establish a new movement and community of disciplined, pure-minded practitioners deep in the mountains.

26. Ji-nul founded the Jeonghye Gyeolsa 정혜결사 定慧結社
Ji-nul founded the Jeonghye Gyeolsa 정혜결사 定慧結社 Concentration and Wisdom Community In Sanskrit, the Samadhi and Prajna Community in the late 12th century A historically important association; one of the roots of today’s Jogye Order 曹溪宗

27. Ji-nul traveled around studying and meditating, attained enlightenment three times! Mt. Hakka-san Bomun-sa Mt. Jiri-san Sang-Muju-am Mt. Songgwang-san Gilsang-sa 吉詳寺

28. Ji-nul brought his Jeonghye doban brothers there to Songgwang-san Gilsang-sa and renamed them as Mt. Jogye-san Songgwang-sa Monastery 曹溪山 松廣寺 He was appointed National Master [Guksa] in 1200, establishing the nationally unified Jogye Order

29. Jogye-san   조계산 曹溪山 Huineng's Mountain in Korea     884m In the northern tip of Suncheon City, Jeonnam

30. Songgwang-sa 송광사 松廣寺

33. National Master Bojo Ji-nul
became the unifier of Korean Buddhism
in theory and practice;
He heavily cited Uisang’s Hwaeom works;
and
also used Uicheon’s Cheontae
and incorporated some devotional practices
such as devotion to Bodhisattvas and Mireuk-bul

34. Mireuk-bul Future Buddha

35. Bodhisattvas and their Artworks
Munsu-bosal Manjusri the Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Gwanse-eum-bosal Avalokitesvara the Bodhisattva of Compassion
Bohyeon-bosal Samantabhadra the Bodhisattva of Benevolent Action
Jijang-bosal Ksitigarbha the Bodhisattva of Salvation from Suffering
Mireuk-bosal Maitreya the Bodhisattva of Future Buddha-manifestation

36. Gwanse-eum-bosal Compassion

37. Munsu-bosal Wisdom

38. Seokgul-am 石窟庵 (or Seokkuram, etc)

39. Sakyamuni Buddha, Amita or Vairocana?
Or all three? the “Buddha of all Buddhas”…?

41. The Jeonghye Gyeolsa was the model for the crucially important Bongam-sa Gyeolsa 鳳巖寺結社 Phoenix Rock Temple Association

42. monastic ORDERS Jogye Order 조계종 Taego Order 태고종 Cheontae Order 천태종 the most important orders or schools of Korean Buddhism

43. Unified National Buddhism based on Seon – but still divided
Bojo Jinul:
step-by-step
Taego Bo-u:
sudden, once

44. The Mongols invaded Korea beginning in 1232, and the original Goryeo-gyojang (高麗敎藏, Goryeo Canon) set of woodblocks was destroyed by fire. The entire Goryeo government and its supporters fled to the fortress-island Ganghwa Island (江華島), and heroically staved-off three decades of attacks from Genghis Khan’s armies before being forced to surrender.

45. Ganghwa-do
강화도

46. Fortunately, they brought the contents of Master Uicheon Daegak’s royal Buddhist library along with them to the island, as one of their most precious treasures to be preserved at all costs. In order to once again implore divine assistance for defense, King Gojong ordered the editing of the entire Tripitaka and carving of it onto wooden printing blocks.

47. This became the Goryeo Palman-daejang-gyeong 고려팔만대장경 高麗八萬大藏經
This became the Goryeo Palman-daejang-gyeong 고려팔만대장경 高麗八萬大藏經 Goryeo Dynasty Tripitaka Koreana and its printing-woodblocks

48. Tripitaka Koreana  /  Palman-daejang-gyeong one of Korea's Greatest Treasures: more than 81,000 printing-blocks!

49. Tripitaka Koreana   /   Palman-daejang-gyeong 52,000,000 characters and no mistakes!!

50. Hapcheon County's Gaya-san 가야산

51. Hapcheon County's Gaya-san 가야산

52. Haein-sa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks (1995)

53. Tripitaka Koreana  /  Palman-daejang-gyeong and its storage buildings are Korea's National Treasure #52, and on UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995

54. the Sambo Sachal 三寶寺刹 삼보사찰 Temples of the “Three Treasures ”: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha 佛寶 불보 法寶 법보 僧寶 승보 Yeongchwi-san Tongdo-sa = Buddha Gaya-san Haein-sa = Dharma Jogye-san Songgwang-sa = Sangha

55. Yeongchwi-san Tongdo-sa
Monastery of the Buddha

56. Monastery of the Dharma
Gaya-san Haein-sa
Monastery of the Dharma

57. Jogye-san Songgwang-sa
Monastery of the Sangha

58. Concluding Note: Further Information: