1967
VOLUME
1
NUMBER 10 KOREA
t18
119
WON BUDDHISM
Vol. I No.
l0
WON BUDDHISM
1967
Published by:
EDITORIAL
WON KWANG COLLEGE
lri
City Cholla Pukdo, Korea.
During summ,er vacation of each year two important regular me.etings are held at the headquarters of Won Buddhism. They are those of the Won Buddhist Youth Association and the Students Association.
The membership
of the former
Association
students and graduates from universities, and
CONTENTS 1
Golden Rules An Integral World established by both Spiritual culture and Material Civilization From the Supreme Scripture ol Won Buddhism,.. The Ontological Research of "Eun" or Obligation.
2
3
The Fundamental Concept of Won Buddhist Faith Prof. Byung Deok Yoo .
i
The Thought of Won in the East
P. K.
C.
Cultivation of Mind
S. C. H. The Way to Paradise on the Earth 10 Stephen Bela Renovich Notes on Our First Impression of Won Buddhism Sasse
11
As the malerial civilization makes rapid progress, cultivaie the spiritual civilization accordingly.
Al[
communications should be addressed
composed
of
college
high-school students. This year these meetings were more successful than ever, with double the preceding attendanoe. Interest in the pro-
Editorial
-
is
of the latter, middle and
to;-
The editor, Miss Pal Khn Chon Won Kwang College, Iri City Cholla Pukdo, Korea
found lectures on Buddhism was so high that hottest weather had no effect on the training schedule. It was a great pleasure, and encouraging, to see that the young people who are to be the treaders of our country in the next generation are turning their minds to the deeper probtrems of the world and of life, seeking for mor,e valuable and responsible things for people to do, rather than seeking for mere sensual-pleasures. Judging-froh the number of students registered for the training course this year, and from the sincerity they showed in trearning the doctrines of Won Buddhism and other Buddhist philosophies, ther,e should not be the strong pessimistic comm,ents made about the young people that have often been made in the past. Needless to say, the future of a nation rests upon the sloulders of its young people. The healthy growth of the ygung peop-le means the healthy growth of the nation. This is a proEl.- of today's modern education. The education of its youth has a direct bearing on a country's to,morrow. Thers are many effective ways of educating. However, it is not e.asy.t-o practioe the way of education that is suitable for cultivating tlr. ideal .personality through continuing intellectual pursuit. Also] the education suitable f9,r the progress of the social organization and for the various professions is ?pi to produce a mechanical type of man, rather than a well-rounded personality. In such a situation our eyes focus on religion, and upon education based upol the religious spirit which intends to develoir a good personality. -It is_too--much.to ,expect that the students will c6mpletely tlnderstand the Buddhist spirit and our Doctrine, or to be able to o^bserve all the Buddhist precepts, within a short period. In the beginning we should be content to observe their apprgaching to Buddha's ipirit, even in case they are brought-to the gate of Budd-hism by mer,e 6uriousity. Good leaders and educators are necessary for good education. ro lead these intelligent. Buddhist youths into- the -righteous path, all Buddhist leaders should give up_ the attitude of bein-g only spectators. The training of the young inteiligent Buddhists shou"ld not 6e left to themselves. They need proper guidance. It is also very important fol all 'senior Buddhists to reali ze that
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,50 WON
WON BUDDHISM
they should be responsible for the Buddhist training of the young
Culture and Material Civilization Golden Rules
The late Ven. Sotesan once said to his disciples at monastry
1) man can give others hope and comfort of despair and -anxiety ' A with even a word or a sentence. Therefore, one is not always a born a wicked man when he commits a sin. The ignorance of tho principle of sin and merit is the main reason for the sin
3)
4) 5)
DDHISM
An Integral World Established by both Spiritual
people.
2)
BU
unconciously committed. As no false- concepts are
in the mind of a true mind,ed man, his behaviours are all true. As a sage contains no conflict in his mind, all his activities are virtuoui. Therefore the true-minded man always keeps the mind innocent and a sage keeps his mind ser'ene with no anxieties. Ordinary men cherish a grudge against even a benefactor who did good foi him ten times but failed to glve him contentment only once. On the contrary, the enlightened feel gratitude for the man who has troubled him ten times but did him good only once. Hence the ordinary men usually make trouble and bring destruction, and the enlighten,ed only discover the beneficence even in the harms committed on him, bringing peace and merit to the world. True freedom comes from restraining self-indulgence. A big profit comes from giving up selfishness. Therefore, he who seeks after the true freedom follows the precepts and he who wishes to get big profit, first of all foster the public-spirited mind. He who searches for big truth, Tao, practices both meditation and wisdom, obtaining the true wisdom frorn meditation. He who engages in a big business holds both virtue and talent which rooted in the Virtue.
Cotinued from News Corner;12) On the 14th and l5th of October, there was held at the Headquarters of Won Buddhism a conference of six religions prevailing in Korea (Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Confucianism, Chon-Do Yyo Religion and Won Buddhism. Forty representatives from the six religions declared
that all religions should fulfill the original aims
of
them, understanding and cooperating one another to deliver the world. Among other colorful functions Rev. Kil Chin Park (Litt. D.) , the president of Won Kwang University delivered a lecture on the doctrine of Won Buddhism to the audiance of nearly 1,000 laymen including the representatives. 13 ) Mr. Hubert Durt, a Belgian scholar, visited the Headquarters of Won Buddhism and Won Kwang University on October 13, who is studying Buddhism and compiling a French dictionary of Buddhism in Japan.
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as
follows:
As all sorts of knowledge and technology have been improved by virtue of the development of material civilization, all facilitie-s of daily life have been made splendid, enchanting to the human eyes and minil with brilliant materials, while the human mind using the material objects has become extremely weak to be the slave of it. Such phenomena
world to be worried. No matter how nice the material objects may be, they may be abused if human mind is evil, and however profound and- extensive this knowledge may be, it can be harmful to human soci,ety if the mind is evil. Even the best environment sometimes helps one commit sins causes the
a.nd crimes.
.Although the superficial civilization has its flowery improvement, it is by.means of gsilg our own mind that we of pure and good mind
can utilize material objects to build a utopia; whilei the floweiy materi-
al civilization will be, to a thief.
if
given to the evil mind, like a sword given
. .Ary?k-. yourselves anew and be diligent to learn how to use the mind which is the q-r.aster of all principtei and be a pilot of such mind so that you may-utilize all thingi altruistically in all iituations good or bad. An integral world will be established both moral discipiine improved by spiritual culture and material civilization deveioped by sclence.
If we are inclined toward material civilization neglecting moral culture, we are il. ru9! danger as that.which happens "*heo "we give a sword to a child without sense. We can not be sure of when ind where to meet with a calamity. Such a world can be .o-pur.d to an insa-ne person whose body is healthy, while a world withdut material civilization, to that of a deformed peison with sound.mind. Peaceful and comfortable world will be realized only when both the material and spiritual civilization are coordinated harrironiousty. t4) Yoylg. wo_n Buddhists Association has begun to publish the. young won Buddhists Journal, which is a monthly newspaper covering irticles 6n"tt," ideas and movements of younger geneiation in'won nuaafism. -l5) on october l-9,, 1966._the.Inaugrlral ceremony of *oung won Buddhists t6)
Association of seoul District w-as held in the' main auaitorium of-S;;l -*.i" Urriversitv; spee_ches gn the ideals or won B;adhisI:,j:l"l ;il; professors tne from Won Kwang University. 9y Rev. Kong Ju- Rhee, the chief of tfre s-upervisory section, leaves for Hong Kong as an observation
trip on Decemb6r Zg,tieO.--
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r53 WON BUDDHISM
WON BUDDHISM
The Ontological Research of "Eun" or "Obligation" Fundamental Concept of Won Buddhist Faith-The by Prot. Yoo Byung Deuk Human beings generally desirous of a life of welfare, search foi worldly happiness and are eager for good luck. Very few, however, try to investigate the tause or the reison in order to attain that which is the object of their search. Indeed there should be some due cause or reason for one to have good that he attracts fortune and happy -envylife to the extent of o'thers. In o'ther words, he the praise and musi have some power within himself that directs him in this manner. This is not true only of individuals, but of communiti,es and nations as welI. If they pre to exist in peaceful harmony, then there should be some due goal or Prof . Byung Duk Yoo cause or reason which will enable them to achieve this basic object Needless to say it envolves the investigation of the natur,e of "Eun" tikewise. utc Therefore in the absorbed l-Il entirely aosorosu almost e,ntrrely day We we are almos[ after Oay Day alter "Obligation". ljay or "Ubllgatlon". Or what should onoe_ to pause and h-alt our the nature 0 we ought living, but pursuit of comfortable this basic -thoughts ihoushts in our mind whichwhich are dashing dashins forward with a botto,mless at- cause or be? tachment to our wordly life, in order to give our mind an opportunity reason cannot ithout which we cannot is that without ouestion: "What is upon the question: to reflect uDon live?" Herewith we begin to examine "that reliable other power" (iWJ). There is such self-confidence as for example: So long as it is "I", "I can live" or "at least I can live by myself well alone" or further such as: "at least I can exist by myself without reliance upon others". Is there anyone who can assure himself of such self-confidenoe when confronted by others? We must have an opportunity to examine and reflect on these points.
The reality that I exist by myself appears probable but never occurs. Deeply penetrating into the root of our existence, we finally come to realize tho amazing fact that the verv root of our existence is that principle without which we cannot live, and that we as a result find it outside our own selves. That very principle is called "Eun" (in Korean) i.e. "Obligation" or "Grace". In the chapter on the "Four Forms of Obligation" in the Won Buddhist Canon, the essential points of that "reliable other power" are described clearly. The relatiron between the Ego and "the indispensible princinle of one's existence" is well encompassed in the four categories "Heaven and Earth", "Parents", "Brethren" and "Dharma". The principle of "Obligation to Heaven and Earth" is described
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follows: "To Understand most clearly what our obligation to Heaven and Earth is, we must first reflect and consider if we could exist withas
out "Heaven and Earth" and thereupon no matter how foolish and idiotic we might be, we will have to admit that we cannot live without "Heaven and Earth". Where could we find a greater obligation than the one without which we cannot live? (Pages 26-8, Won Buddhist Canon). "Obligation to Parents" is described therein as follows: 'oTo understand m--ost clearly what we owe our parents, we should first reflect on the thought: "Could we come into this world without par'ents, or could our birth be fostered by o,urselves without parents?". No normal being could deny the impossibility of coming into existence without parents, and therefore where else ca,n we find a greater obligation. (Pages 3-7 Won Buddhist Canon) And concerning the "Obligation to Brethren" it is said: "To understand most easily what we own to our brethren, we should first reflect on the concept of living alone in a universe without people, animals or plants. Then no one can deny the impossibility of living without the help, support and assistance of brethren, so where else could we find a greater obligation than this". (Pages 34-ll. Won Buddhist Canon) And concerning "Obligation to Dharma" it is stated: "To understand most easily what we owe to Dharma, at first we should reflect on the thought of the possibility of living in a society in peaco and order, without the rules of moral training for individuals, the rules of a household, the. rules governing domestic life, and the laws for keeping order in society and for governing the country. Then no one can fail to admit the impossibility of peace and order without rules and laws, i.e. Dharma. So where else could we find a greater obligation than this? (Pages 38-10 of Won Buddhist Canon) of ..^. -.At times people have-such an ordinary conoept of the meaningnTo "Obligation" as: "Not to forget others frorn a fee-ling of pity, or slgIFI.:ympa!!V on_oth.ers uqfl thgy appear pleased'-'. Such a concept of "Obligation"-or "Eun" ( ,8. ) is cauied by the thought that ,,Eun,, is a necessjty for keeping society in order. To pursue the essential meaning of "Eun" however, we should not. be contented with such a
common concept.
. Jh. conoept. of "Fun" is fully treated in the Chapter on Faith in the Doctrine Section of the Won Buddhist Canon. From the universal category of."Eun" are derived its origination and the ontological foundation of "Eun". Philosophically speaking, Eun is the fou-ndation or all existence in the universe, the veiy principle of creation and life in the_universe, a remarkable discovery indeed. Rare is it in the history of Human culture. thal 1u9.h. a greai and new a thought has been presented to the World of Religion- and philosophy. I shall now briefly-.in some words explain the meaning of the ,,Four obligations" i.e. "obligation to Heaven and Earth, bbligation to 5
Is5
151 WON BUDDHISM
WON BUDDHISM
to Dhafma", which are Canon' It can Buddhist .*pt"i..O lht }{"q be said that til "Four Obligations" i.e. "Sa Eun" in Korean, are the piir.ipto of creation and a.-power which can coordinate the relationitrip Uetween all cr,eative activities in the universe. In a narrower sense, "Eiln" can be expr,essed as a concept which is concerned with our life without which we cannot live. Therefor,e one who is at all times aware of the conoept or principle whithout which we cannot live, is a man of such sincerity as ndt to be hurt no matter where he might go or with whom he may meet but who is to be trusted and praised by others. "Eun" therefo're may be called the power ttrat creat-es the being as exisJent:.it as the very root of all exisience. In this sense it may be said that "Eun" is a "P6wer of Harmonization" which allows the whotre universe to live on indefinitely so as to be co-existent and harmonious. The ':View of Fodr Obligations" of the Patriarch of Won Buddhism should be valued as a great- discovery which revealed a gt-eat power of life omnipresent in tlie universe. "The Four -Obligations" therefore, should be r^egarded as the creative power of the universe. If a man does not limit his own life but seeks to harmonize with the great power of the life in the universe, then such a man can already be called a sage. It is because such a man has not only grasped the essenoe of "Eui" in every day life, but has comprehended the fundamental principle of creation in'the Universe and-can become one with all i.e. all bxistent beings and the existence as a who'le. Therefore, "Eun" may be called the "Soul of Sages" I am confident that the Rev. Sotesan is amongst those great sages or knowers of Truth who have revealed this "Eun" to be omnipresent in the universe. Besides he symbolised "Eun", the great power of life in the universe anew by "O" namely: "Won" or Il Won Sang", the Circle. This "O" is the ontological symbol of "Eun". In front of "O" symbol in our Buddhist life of discipline we can directly reahze that 'tll Won Sang" or "Won" "Sa Eun" i.e. the whole of creation. of grudge but should fill the Peopl,e sliould not live with thoughts -contact with all people and ali mind with gratitude in coming into
Parents, Obligation to Brethren and Obtigation
in ihe Doctrine Section 9-f
things.
-This will become possible only when everyone can comprehend the existence of "Eun" and further when the spirit of "Eun" will actively pervade the whole of creation. The important practice in working with ihe spirit of "Eun" is to let people feel "ELtn" 'even though they be ignorant of the fact that their own existence depends on "Eun", to instruct people to realize the existence of "Eun" without effecting daily life, and to instruct them to practice with faith firm in, the "Eun" concept. -the number of people who can establish the principle of pracAs
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tical morality on the concept of "Eun" increases, the ideal prosperous .n<l harmonious rorl.iy *iti U. constructecl. We should be thoroughly universe, ii*ur. rhat "Eun';l;-i;'reality a power without bounds, inofth9individuals an<l that it is a prir.ipl; of't ut-ony amongst myriads
or
communities.
The Ven. Sotesan, having become self-enlightened by meals of this boundless and limitless power of life, founded the new rellglous order of Won guddhism. Thii means that he bestowed upon the human race hereafter a new concept of human moralitv' The Concept. of ut foliows: "The rel^ation "Eun" of Won guddtritrn rniy Ut .*p*tt.J -is with Truth". At any concerned eiistence U.t*een the Ego and other to kno_w the ;;;; ii .;,r-uu?.r"ribed as a concept which requires one or principle' conoept t!,+ practic. 1s, and order of existen.u u..ututely -expressed in the intensive motto nguin the concept of iE-rlt' can_ be oiWon guddhiJm: "Cultivate the sens^e of gratitude and do not fail to requite it".
The Thought of Won in the East hy P.
K.
C.
ln the universe there exists a Truth which exists through out the East and the West, from the ancient to the present, ceaselessly .creatins and developine something from moment to moment. It is the Truth beyond our intelligence and expressibl,e terms. Ch'an Mast4lrs in the Eurt, tirerefore, tuid thut this very Truth .oYld not be.exftained.Uy
terms but had been experiencecf anci understood by_themselves. Besides,
it is said that as the Truth is omnipresent in the universe, equally and
distributecl amongst people, that the whole creation has this truth ihat all beings arE rootei in the same source and are all equally existent beings.
Whefr realizing that truth we can say that we succeeded in "Seeing
itl the Buddhist training is practiced for the purunderstanding thll Truth. of ' The Nature of i-his Truth can be regarded as to be limitless, to have no beginning and no end, no recurrence of life and death, no tratreo and ilo lov"e in it, being perfect in itself with nothing wanting, noti,ing superfluous. If it is to be expressed in terms, we may call it as Wa! (Tao), Law, Reason, Life, Pbwer, etc., ?nq--tq-gxpress it in some fot*, we can only take the form of a circle (ll Won Sang, in Korean) to symbolize it. There are a lot of examples, therefore, of Ch'an Masters, being asked what is Truth, and answering to their questions by drawing a
true Nature" and pose
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WON BUDDHISM
WON BUDDHISM
or sometimes by erasing a circl'e. The thought of won exists in both East and the West. In the ancient, in India, they had Il Won lurg frym the period of A ( [r] ) leuer View Thought. A ( [r] ) Letter View means to view the beginning of the whole creations for the mental concentra_tion by the method of view that they write A ( FI )Letter in a Circl,e (Il Won Sang) and look into it. . ,Nagarjuna sa.id th_at the phase of t[e fullmoon is a symbol of all Buddha images. Aryadeva said that the mind-state in pralticing compl,ete meditation may be compared to the phase of full moon an? that, the term, "Buddha-Nature" implies limitless void and brightness. Ali his sayings mean that the Truih is complete and bright iike the full circl,e
moon.
In chinathe_tLgugh!_of won was made much more progress. The Third Patriarch of chan Tsung, Seng ts'an said that the woi of Truth is perfect, nothing wanting, ndthing iuperfluous. Jagak, one of ch,an masters said that even before the blrth of the ancient-Buddhas Won of Truth sererrely existed. when sakya Muni Buddha dared not to expres-q the Truth, then how Kasyapa.julq represent it?,, This phrase implies that it is diltricult to exprbss Truth in terms but it ii possible -.... to express it in a circle (I1 Won Sgng) The man described Il won sang actually in foNr was the most Ven. Hui Cheng who was a noted disciple under the Six patriarch Hui Neyg,_He-is the man who asserted the^Teaching of tr,.-,tn;un school and "Teachin-g School". He drew- ninety-seven"circles (Ii won Sang) and handed them down to Ch'an Mastei Tan won, und-Tun-won to Yang Shan. Finally Il Won Sang came to be most favoured method of representing Buddha Nature in-the Kuei-yang branch or ir,. ch,an
the ground before the Master he made
Il
a
deep bow. stand-igg
on
the
Won Sang. Master asked "Do you want to attain Buddhahood?" "Yes" the monk answered, "I did my best, but I am still far away from it". The master said "I am inferior to you". The monk gave no answer. In China Confucianism has also Won Thought. The chart of Tai Geuk ( ) drawn by Chu Ryum Ke who was regarded as the founder of Neo confucian Philosophy in Sung Dynasty of China, was ^ffi expressed in Il Won Sang. This chart symbolizes that, the all things in the universe are created by Five Elements ( fr:fr ) and that all these creations growing have Won Truth. It also denotes that the all creations have Tai Geuk Truth. They used I1 Won Sang in describing Tai Geuk Because nothing could symbolize it as well except Il Won Sang.
CULTIVATION OF MINI) by S. C. E.
)
School.
In Korea, during
the- Koryo.dynasty, the chief
Master Ryo o of Seo-woon Sa-lemple in-okwansin mountain,ch,an ,.tu.nea with Ir s?Tg. handed down^ from yan-Shan during rris' stay in tang Yol fo, his Buddhist stu_dy,
Patria..t oi r<uei-Vine School in are counti;r;-il.htd", ;i Il won ch'an Masters in chini. qive here some illustrarions. In the ,.Life of Tao Heum,,, Chapter four, p jun-Teung_Lok (the earliest ^"^_l^:hXll Ch,an hisffi extani;, it is recorded that one duv- tvtu Tsu drew -; .,ifw;;^"s;;t,, letter to Tao Heum, and iri return Tao Heum added a stroke in hi, on the drawing. In the "Life of Hui chung", chapter five of the book, we read the story that a certain monk came to see Hui chung, *rr"ri he dre* Sa_ng with his hand and in addition wiote in it ' ?.JI Yoq a letter . (the sun)- Seeing t^hg Il yon sqng, tt.,,ort did nor utter a word. In the "life of Ma Tsu" of ihe same-uoot another ii".v goes; A monk came to see the ch'an tvtast.., a.;irg;'ii^w";"shng on and became the
Korea. Besides, there !il!.-9vl_.stv, sang'- g1ve1 by past patriarchs and
8
A great
matter is to r,ealize one's own nature. That life will be blind and fales if one does Not see the original truth of the universe. No evil will be committed if you see All beings are included in Buddha nature. There is a tale told of a famous sculptor's work;At the time of Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroit, (1475-1574), sculptur,ed a shapeless mossy stone into. a godd,ess, which was so beautiful that everyone seeing it was struck with admiration. Even though the others were formerly indifferent to the mossy stone, Michelangelo was sure of its being marvel and sculptured it to such a beautiful goddess. Evereything as well as human beings is endowed with the virtue of Buddha nature; poor souls are blind because the Buddha nature is enclouded with worldly desires. The most important matter of one's life is to see this very original Buddha nature inwardly; the life might as well be called that of a blind man if the true nature is not realized. The r'eason we ar,e suffering in the present tormenting sea of injustice, struggle, rage, averice and hatred is that we do nbt know everyone comes from the oneness of Buddha-Nature oneness. If we shall really come to know all of us are Brethren endowed with Buddhanature, the hatr,ed, and egoistic averice will thaw, turning this world to a peaoeful and ideal one. We human beings might seem to be foui, but we shall become Boddhissattvas if we practice to recover our own Buddha natur,e; and the world with such persons will become the paradise.
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WON BU DDHISM
The purpose of our religious life of -taking re.fuge in.Buddha, is to do gooi urd to avoid doi-ng_ evil. A formal religious life can not U. u-pioper belief if we do noibecome enlightened to the truth or our Buddha nature. innate -ieaching the truth of Won which shows the original principle of the universe and the original nature of human beings, in Won Buddhism, we teach ourselves to become enlightened to the original nature of guddha, and to behave in accordance with the Buddha natur'e' As in believin-g i, Yg.n, practising to be p_roficient the laymen are required ^Won into use in their *ily lives they W;; ild putting ^the truth of will get eniighteied to the truth of Won if they Takg effort. it. C5mmitt,ee of Dharma Degree Investigation shows us that there are a great number of laymen wtio are practising the Won doctrine into daily lives quite successfully'
Facing the 55th anniversary, Favour-Requital-ceremony, not only the devoteJs but general laymen are required to endeavor to promot-e a moral,e of disciflining; and we should -establish a grand order which will produce numberless Buddha-sattvas.
The WaY to Paradise on The Earth by Stephen Bela Renovich
The realization of "Paradise on Earth" implies the realization of "True Nature" of alt things in this world and in the whoie universe the which is symbolized by "WOII". It further might imply the.attainment of that Supra-Mental Knowledge which is commonplace.with .all those who have'become Buddhas. Fowever, we should consider the interdependent origination of all existence, and then it will beco'me more obvious that tiuly "Paradise:' is not the property and concern of- only irdiriduul "truth'-re alization", but the property and concern of all existent beings in the universe! Therefore, tllg "Wuy. t9 Pgadise" cannot be found 6y he who seeks only "truth-realizationl' for his own self. In the"Avatanshaka Sutra, there is an extensive collection of sermons given by Sakyamnui Buddha on this matter. After explaining the interdependent origination of all existence, the Bu{{ft^a goe-s o^n.fo explain the "Ideal of a Bodhisattva". The methods of life to be followed by Bodhisattvas of the future are give therein, and are the Ways to Paradise on Earth." First, of all, we should never have the desire to become a Buddha, until all existing beings have beco'me ,enlightened. Secondly, we should strive to use our Supra-Mental Knowledge, to the extent ihat we might have attained some, to guide others in their quest
for enlightenment.
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The three ultimate steps in the Path towards "Truth-Realization" are; Dharana (Concentration), Samadhi, and Dhyana (Meditation). Dharana may be concentration of the mind on the object of worship while chanting a Dharani, as practioed in Vajrayana Buddhism, or more generally, as in Won Buddhism, concentration of the mind on "Won", the circle, as symbol of the "True Nature of all Existence" while reciting the Oath to Won". Samadhi, means calming of the mind, in preparation for meditation, in general, and in the case of highly enlightenment aspirants, a certain period of "At-oneness with the "True Nature of Existence" symbolized by "WON", Dhyana, (Chinese-Chan) means meditation as practiced in Won Buddhism and other "Chan Schools" of Buddhism. So much for the mental processes of "Truth-Realization." It is also essential to achieve light actions to overcome the effects of pre-existing "Karma." This can be best achieved by filial Piety, by Humbleness to the Truth of Nature, by genuine concern for our f-ello* existend beings__and by having gratitude and satisfaction and quietness of min_d regardless what the vicissitudes of life may be! The_ concept of "Paradise on Earth" is a majbr conoept in Buddhism! over 700 y,ears ago, a Buddhist Bodhisattva, in Japan, named Nichiren Shonin strove to teach his students that the "True Buddha Land" as explaind in the Saddhanna Pundarika, is coexistent with and imminent in the universe we Iive in. The true sutra meaning of the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha is the quiet_calm state of mindobtained by the meditations in the Sutra of Amitabha Buddha. So the "way to Paradise on Earth" is the "way to Bodhisattvahood." It is the yay to . r9alize the "True-Nature" symbolized by ':ryoN", while not losing slgh! of our true inter-relationship with every-
lhing and every existent being in the Universe! euietness <it n4inO whiie in harmony with all existence is indeed the threshold of the door to "Paradise on Earth"
Notes on Our first impression of IVon Buddhism by Werner
Sasse
NIy father-in-law, Dipl. Ing. Fritz Hohmann, who lives at Naju, Cholla Namdo, since 7 years and is a member of won Buddhism wrote often about his belief when we were still in Germany. It was by his
letters that we got to know this new religion. But as we nevef had the chance to read a book about it or talk to people that wer.e members, we actually met Won Buddhism first on our hearty welcome at Won Kwang university. we had entered Kor,ea only 4 weeks before, but we had travelled around and seen several places, so we could make comparisons of the Campus and Won Buddhist headquarters with what
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11
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Representatives lront
six religious universi-
ties to the Religious Festival which ryas held under the aus-
we had seen of the country. The flrst thing we recognized was a sort of fresh breeze of moderriity being combined with ihat certain smell of contemplation and concentration westerners do not know until they come to meet Buddhists. Coming from a dffierent part of the world one foels very glad about meeting Won Buddhist members, because
they do not 6niy try to walk a spiritual way _ of life, but do so in their normal life.- It is a way of being very modern if one does not $o to far off plaoes to fulfil ones own way of living but lives _a lifs in the community one is born in, helping others by dealing witlr education, welfare arid social works and living a spiritual life nevertheless. And step torward in- the history of Buddhism that Won it is I am sure a big*dep6ndent on gifts by other people Put earn their Buddhists are not living themselves. ellihis and the-fact that there is equality of marri'ed and [nmarried people very well shows the modernity of Won Buddhists. And I am sureihis modeinity to be seen in kind open faces surrounded by carefully looked after-every-day-things is a shining skylight of the Korea of the future. We don't know very much about the aims of the Won Buddhist philosophy yet and, western educated Christians that we are, we probablv ,eveh do not understand more than half of what we know. But we like and understand the "Won" as philosophical idea and a symbol of universal meaning because we know it through historical and religious studies as'a symbol that appears several times with the ancient Gr,eek, medieval phil,osophers or even back in the times of the rock scribings all over the world. Now we got to know a new meaning of the symbol and we are getting more and more familiar to it. But even without understanding Won Buddhism on the whotre we can state one thing. If one wants to get to know Won Buddhism one only should look at the way Won Buddhists live. One can guess that their life is highly influenced by their faith and one can clearly see that this influencing power is an outstanding one. Good for the Korean people where Won Buddhism comes from and who knows for how many others good it would be.
p_ices
ol Won Kx,qng
University.
le of the lr<tnt line: Rey kil Chin Park (Lirr. D) Lelt ro r i g lt t: Cutlnlit.ism, Buddhism, Conlucionisrrr, Won Buddhisnt, Chundokyo Religiott, Prote.sttinM idd
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t62
News Corner r)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
The 5lst Anniversary of the Founding of Won Buddhism.
On April 26th, at ten A.M., in the Enlightenment Hall at Headquarters, thb 51st Anniversary of the Founding of Won Buddhism was solemnly observed, beginning with the opening announcement of the presider. At
one P.M. an athleiic game for the promotion of mutual friendships was held on the grounds of Won Kwang University. In the evening all the members of Headquarters enjoyed various programs performed by the Buddhist Course students of Won Kwang University. Celebration of the Birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha. On April 8th, at the Headquarters of Won Buddhism, a ceremony.was held to commemorate the Birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha. About three hundred attendants were deeply moved by a sermon on the life of Sakyamuni Buddha, delivered by a chief Rev. of Won Buddhism. Activities of the Central Youth Association of Won Buddhism. Definite activities of the Won Buddhist Central Youth Association, which is composed of the Buddhist Course Students of Won Kwang University and the Youth of Tong San Cloister of Won Buddhism, have been commenced in preparation for the coming 55th Anniversary of the Founding of Won Buddhism. Won Kwang University has invited a German professor. Mr. Sasse, son-in-law of Mr. Hohmann, who is a German Won Buddhist menlber, has been invited as a professor of the Agriculture Course at Won Kwang University. He is expected to teach farm management, science of soil, history of agriculture, etc. His wife, Mrs. Maria Sasse, is also expected to teach German Language to students. The Grand Summer Memorial Ceremony.
The 23rd Grand Memorial Ceremony for the late Ven. Sotesan, the founder of Won Buddhism, was solemnly held on the lst of June, at ten A.M., at the Enlightenment Hall of Headquarters. The Regular Summer School of the Youth Association and the students Association.
The 4th regular S'ummer School for the Youth Association was held for six days at Headquarters, from the 26th to the 31st of Jtrly. Nearly three hundred students from each branch temple attended. The following six days, from the 1st to the 5th of August, the 6th regular Summer 7)
School for the Students Association was held. Religious Festival of Collegians.
From the 23rd
to the 25th of May the historical
Religious Festival of
Collegians was held at Won Kwang University and Headquarters of Won Buddhism under the auspices of Won Kwang University. Eighteen Collegians from six religions (Buddhism, Won Buddhism, Catholicism, Pro-
testantism, Confucianism, Chon-do-Kyo Religion) were invited. Of all the programs, the symposium on "The Problems to be Solved by Religious 8) e) 10)
ll)
Youth" was most notable. The New Hymn Book of Won Buddhism. The first volume of the new Won Buddhist Hymn Book has been composed. The second Volume is expected to be composed in the near future. On May 19, 1966 Mr. Hyo-sang Rhee, the Chairman of the National Assembly, visited the Headquarters of Won Buddhism and Won Kwang
University, delivering a speech in the Enlightenment Hall. Mr. Kyung-soon Chang, a Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly, visiting the Headquarters and Won Kwang University, delivered a speech on the constructive .phenomena of Isreal in the Auditorium on October 19, 1966 The fourteenth Annual Training Course for Won Buddhist missionaries was held at the Headquarters from September 20 to Otcober 18,1966. Over 500 members from all branch temples took part in the course, being emersed in the extasy of Dharma.