Michael Deck
3/3/15
W’International Korea
Buddhism in Korea
Shamanism
Before Buddhism, the main religion in Korea was Shamanism which is still practiced by many in Korea. Shamanism beliefs are that human beings as well as natural forces and objects all possess spirits which must be appeased to. Even educated and young Buddhist Koreans have a belief in spirits and regularly visit the Shaman for ritual.
Since Shamanism was not seen to be in conflict with Buddhism, the two religions blended to form a different type of Buddhism that is uniquely practiced in Korea. Buddhism first arrived in Korea 372 A.D. when a monk arrived from China bringing Chinese texts and statues. It was just the start of Buddhism that he taught, consisting of the teaching
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It was in Koguryo that Buddhism was first established. Buddhism flourished during the Goryo Dynasty, but the arrival of the Joseon Dynasty resulted in a sort of extinction of Buddhist monks and believers as it was replaced by Neo-Confucian ideas. In 1388, a general named Yi ordered his military in rule and eventually he established himself as the first ruler of the Dynasty with the support of his Neo-Confucian movement. The number of Buddhist temples was reduced, and Buddhist monks were literally chased away from their homes and temples and were not allowed to come to the Confucian socety. So they proceeded to move their temples and Buddhism fell into decline. Buddhists kept a low profile, however, until the end of the dynasty. During the new Japanese period, some of remaining restrictions were lifted. Japanese Buddhists demanded the right to live and practice their religious beliefs in the cities, lifting the five-hundred year ban on monks entering cities. The formation of new Buddhist sects, such as Won Buddhism, and the presence of Christian missionaries during this period led to further uproar in traditional Korean Buddhism. Japanese Buddhism allowed priests to marry, and the Japanese authorities encouraged this practice in Korea. From 1910 to 1945, Buddhism was again tolerated. Today, Korea, which was once a leading Buddhist country, boasts only 50% of the …show more content…
Like these principles, Buddhist values are also important in Korean Art. From the art of making paper lanterns for the Buddha's Birthday to building a temple, most Buddhist arts combine such values as patience, perseverance and perfection. As a young Buddhist, you are learned to build everything by hand to further your knowledge in Buddhism. For, he is not only learning the art or craft but he is also practicing Buddhism as he studies. Now that these traditional values are declining, however, monks are reviving many ancient Buddhist arts and craft, such as paper-making, bookbinding and the traditional tea ceremonies. All Buddhist Art also delivers a philosophical message. The Buddha, usually depicted in teaching or meditating pose, represent the potential human perfection within all of us. They represent either a spiritual being to turn to in times of crisis or the ability in all of us to aid others in times of distress. The temple in general, represents a place of peace, tranquility and perfection, a source of inspiration on our spiritual
-Nara’s Buddhist temples were another result of cultural diffusion, Buddhist began in India in 500s B.C.E. about 1,000 years later, it came to Japan from China by way of Korea.
The principles, elements and structures of Buddhism have been practiced for hundreds of years. Artistic renditions of Buddha have also been portrayed in many different ways. Drawings, sculptures and statues are just a few of the many types of art forms created since the beginning of Buddhism. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has many different stylistic artworks that are exceptionally intriguing. In particular, I have chosen two pieces of artwork I consider to be most interesting.
The lotus flowers surround Buddha and he also is sitting on a giant one. They are symbols that the Buddha is awakened almost as a sign of rebirth. The lotus flowers meaning in Buddhism means rising above everything and achieve enlightenment. There are lotus flowers that are not yet open representing that not all are yet enlightened and the lotuses that are fully bloomed representing full-enlightenment and self-awareness. Buddha sits in front of the Bodhi tree which literally means awakening or enlightenment. Behind the tree is a full moon and in Buddhism has a great significance. The Buddha was born on a full moon day and his enlightenment was also during a full moon. The Buddha also has earth touching mudra. Mudra is the religious hand gestures and earth touching is “calling the earth to witness”. These concepts go back to the Four Noble Truths. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. The fist noble truth is represented by the temptresses and the flaming arrows sent from Mara. After the temptresses did not seduce Buddha Mara sent flaming arrows from all directions towards the Buddha representing that all of life’s sufferings. This artwork shows the second noble truth by Buddha avoiding the temptresses that Mara sent and in this way Buddha avoided having cravings or desires. By not submitting to those desires and cravings Buddha realized that this is the ending all suffering is to remove all desire, ill will and ignorance therefore completing the third noble truth. The fourth noble truth is represented by the weight of the Buddha in the artwork showing Buddha not overweight and not starving but in the middle showing him living The Middle Path. When artists get to work responding and expressing, whether or not also to urge a point,
After the Han dynasty collapsed in 220 CE, China faced a period of political disunity, during that time Buddhism gained popularity with the Chinese people. Both foreign and Chinese monks were actively involved in establishing monasteries and lecturing on the Buddhist teachings. Many Chinese people accepted Buddhism and advocated its principles such as the philosophy and promise of afterlife over the Confucian ideals, but the truth was that Chinese people turned to Buddhism for its promises of eternal enlightenment during times of struggle. However, lots of people rejected the concept of Buddhism because it was a foreign influence, as well as a belief that it lowered the status of upper-class people. Nonetheless, many people converted to Buddhism because it allowed them to break out of the rigid hierarchy that Confucianism imposed, which is why it was common among the lower classes. Document 2, written by Zhi Dun, illustrates the reasons for the initial compatibility of Buddhism with the time period. Zhi is scholar who clearly admires Buddhism, who sees its value in correct observances in face of uncontrolled passion. Zhi Dun wrote how in times of upheaval, Buddhism presents a comforting worldview for Chinese scholars and aristocrats.
Compare And Analysis The Japanese Buddhism And Indo Buddhism Buddhism is a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama in northeast India during the period from the late 6th century to the early 4th century BC. Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, Buddhism has played an influential role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of much of the Eastern world. It is the prevailing religious force in most of Asia (India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet). ‘Buddhism’ is reformulated and re-expressed in different cultures and at different times, adopting and redefining aspects of the cultures in which it has taken root. Today, there are about 300 million followers. (Yamplosky) The Indian religion Buddhism, founded in the sixth century BC, is one of the common features of Asian civilization, and Buddhist institutions and believers are found all over East, South, and Southeast Asia. While Buddhism is now just a minority belief in the country of it’s founding, it remains a significant religious and cultural force in Japan today. Buddhism started in India and made its way to China and Korea. From there, it ended up in Japan. Buddhism went through several different periods before it became Japan's national religion. In indo Buddhism, the temple is the main sanctuary, in which services, both public and private, are performed but Japanese Buddhism is mainly hub of individual activities and services. Similarly to Japanese Buddhism, in Indo Buddhism the monastery is a complex of buildings, located usually in a spot chosen for its beauty and seclusion. Its function is to house the activities of the monks. Images are important features of temples, monasteries, and shrines in both Indo a...
Buddhism spread to and throughout China because at the time of the introduction of Buddhism to China, China was suffering from the Period of Disunion. The Chinese needed something to unify them and bring them together. Buddhism came at exactly the right time and its teachings appealed to the Chinese. In 514, nearing the end of the Period of Disunion, there were 2 million Buddhists monks in China teaching Buddhism which helped unite China after the anarchy. Many books were translated to Chinese, temples were set up, and the emperor proclaimed Buddhism the main religion of China. Beautiful temples were built where Buddhism was taught and worshipped and Buddhism in China reached its height during the Sui and Tang dynasties.
During the early years of Buddhisms creation and spread to China, the Religon seemed to be more publicly accepted. In the course of the
After the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 C.E., China faced a time period of political disunity, when various economic and social factors began to break down the Chinese complex bureaucracy. During this time, Buddhism, which has already reached China in the first century C.E, suddenly became popular among the Chinese people as a refuge for political and social problems after each dynastic cycle. However, after 570 C.E., when the imperial structure and social order were restored, there were mixed responses to the spread of Buddhism in China, which contain neutral, positive and negative undertones.
Originally from Japan, Soyen Shaku was the first Zen master to arrive in America. His followers urged him not to come to a nation that was so ill-mannered and uncultivated and that the Japanese were facing extreme discrimination. Shaku’s countrymen Hirai Ryuge Kinzo “offered pointed examples: the barring of a Japanese student from a university on the basis of his race; the exclusion of Japanese children from the San Francisco public schools; the processions of American citizens bearing placards saying ‘Japs Must Go!’” (Eck 185). After several decades, there was a Zen boom of the 1950s and that was how Buddhism affected western culture, especially in regards to entertainment. “‘Zen’ is “the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character "chan," which is in turn the Chinese translation from the Indian Sanskrit term "dhyana," which means meditation’” (Lin).
Overtime many significant events have shaped history, from natural disasters, wars and the never ending feud of politics they have all played a significant role in history. But there is one that has had the most influential effect of all, religion. Throughout time there has been an abundance of different religions and practices formed over the years, from Christianity to Judaism, each of them having their own impacts on culture and society, one of the major religions that formed was Buddhism. Today we will discuss how Buddhism was founded, the practices of it, and how it has changed as it has entered a new area and interacted with a new people.
Chinese artwork is a form that contains and demonstrates many different meanings and morals that can be linked back to not only religion, but the overall meaning of life. This paper will discuss the sculpture titled Seated Buddha and how it represents peace, enlightenment, and the overall importance of how these two components influence the mindset of the people involved in the Buddhist religion. The Seated Buddha was created between the 5th and 6th century in China. The artist of this piece is unknown, but this does not hinder us at all from seeing what the artist was trying to portray through the different aspects that they included in the Seated Buddha sculpture. This piece is crafted from stone and a chisel was then used to create the
At first, Buddhism was transmitted to the different East Asian countries via the Silk Road, but as its domination grew, many people began to interpret their own meaning of the Buddhist doctrines that had been translated from Indian to Chinese. “By the fourth century AD a much greater number of sutras were available in both north and south China, and the Chinese were beginning to realize the immensity of Buddhist literature.” Buddhism did not reach Japan, however, until October 13th, 538, from the Korean kingdom of Paekche.
Man has always found pleasure in expressing himself by creating art. Through the centuries, man’s art has left behind clues and insight that enables the generations of today to understand their ancestors. In particular, historians and artist alike can see what certain Asian sculptures reflect of the culture and religious beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is the parent religion to Buddhism; much like Judaism is to Christianity. Despite Buddhism and Hinduism sharing similar philosophies and various idealisms, their respective sculptures also show their differences. There are two important characteristic of the sculptures of these religions. The first is motion versus rest, and second the subject matter. It is these two types of characteristics historians and artist can help use to decipher Hindu and Buddhist sculptures.
The most fascinating aspect in Korean history prior to the 1500’s is the introduction and influence of Buddhism. Although Buddhism was introduced into the Korean society in early years, it was not accepted until many years later. After acceptance, Korean Buddhism began to grow, develop and spread throughout the country. With Buddhism, came many distinctive aspects. These very distinctive Buddhist characteristics have influenced Korean culture throughout the different time periods in many ways such as art, architecture, spiritual civilization, and Korean society as a whole.
Chinese Buddhism entered China a few centuries after the passing away of the Buddha, at a time when Confucianism and Taoism were the predominant religions in a country that was as a big as a continent and rivaled India in historical antiquity and cultural pluralism. In the early phases of its entry, Buddhism did not find many adherents in China.