Buddhism in Korea


Buddhism spread in Korea in subsequent waves, during the period of the Three Kingdoms (57-668 AD). From 372 to around 600 many monks, like Kyomik who translated the basket of Vinaya, brought sutras from China and translated important texts from Sanscrit.

In 372 A.C. the Buddhist doctrine reached the Koguryo kingdom with the monk Sundo who had returned from North China, bringing with him images and scriptures which he then donated to king Sosurim.

In 384 Buddhism was introduced in the kingdom of Paekche with the Indian monk Malananda, received at the royal court from where the Dharma, accepted by the king, began to spread.

Whereas only in 527 king Pophung officially accepted Buddhism in the kingdom of Silla where the new religion found great resistance, disliked by the arisotcrats faithful to the ancient gods.

Buddhism diffused and rooted itself in Korean culture in the period of unification (668-935).

The Dharma spread then until 1392, when a long period of prosecution by the Confucian governors began, forcing the monks to hide in the mountains for more than 500 years.

Around 700 the 5 main schools were formed: Vinaya, Nirvana, Yogacara, nature-Dharma and Avatamsaka.

The last two, Popsong and Hwaom in Korean, respectively founded by the masters Wonhyo (617-686) and Uisang (625-702), had a particular importance for the development of Buddhism in Korea.

The third great school which influenced in a decisive and continuative way the Korean Buddhist orientation was the Son school (Chan or Zen).

The teaching of Bodhidharma was introduced in Korea for the first time in 630 by the monk Pomnang, disciple of the IV Patriarch Tao Shin (579-651) and master of Sinhaeng.

It was his fourth successor Tohon (842-82) who founded in 850 the monastery of Hiyang-san.

The second introduction was given by the monk Toui (died in 825) who learned the doctrine "outside of the scriptures" from Hsi-tang, from the lineage of the great Hui-Neng (638-713), considered the VI Patriarch of the school of the south.

His successor Ch'ejung founded in 862 the monastery of Kaji-san.

The historical nine sects of the mountain were then formed, eight of which descended from Ma-Tsu and one from Tung-shan, of the line of Shih-Tou (700-790).

Uich'on (1055-1101), of the school of Chont'ae (Tien-Tai), tried to unify the doctrinal schools (Kyo) with the ones which were more connected to meditation and direct transmission, from heart to heart (Son).

Chinul (1158-1210), who founded the existing monastery of Songgwng-sa on the mountain Chogye, did the same.

The unification was achieved by the great master T'aego Po-U (1301-1382) in 1356. Ordained in the school founded by Chinul, also heir of the Chinese lineage Lin-chi (died in 867), he named Chogye the current born from the harmonization of the nine Son sects, name of the main and most ancient Korean Buddhist school up to the present day.