Korean Seon Buddhism

[Soka]

Please forgive my ignorance (and the long post).

I've been spending my day reading about Korean Seon Buddhism after being sparked onto the subject by one of my students. While there are a great many Japanese Zen and Chinese Chan texts translated into English, and there's some insight into modern Thiền Buddhism thanks to the popularity of Thích Nhất Hạnh, there doesn't seem to be the same wealth of discussion about Seon. I felt that other than knowing there was a form of Chan lineage Buddhism in Korea, that I knew nothing about it or how it differed from how we practice here at Treeleaf.

I was having a look around and I didn't come across as much online as I was expecting. There are some essays at http://www.koreanbuddhism.net/bbs/bo...?bo_table=1010

And a few interesting articles like this by A. Charles Muller.

http://www.acmuller.net/articles/ogahae-oxford.html

But I then expected to be able to find English Translations of the Oga Hae / Commentaries of Five Masters on the Diamond Sutra, which I couldn't. It seems that Korean Seon doesn't seem to be a popular area of Western study, and I am a little curious as to why. While I am quite happy working my way through my current pile of Zen books, is there anything anyone would recommend reading regarding Buddhism in Korea?

Gassho,
Sōka
sat

[Kokuu]

Hi Soka

If you want the inside track, the most notable teacher of Korean Zen in the 20th century was Seung Sahn (1927-2004). His books include The Compass of Zen, Only Don't Know, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, and Wanting Enlightenment is a Big Mistake. He founded the Kwan Um school in 1983 which has a number of practice centres in the US.

To the best of my knowledge, Seon has its roots in the Linji/Rinzai school of Zen so works with koans. Seung Sahn was known for asking his students to sit while asking the question 'what is this?'. Sadly, he admitted to having sexual relationships with several students which the Kwan Um school has dealt with by establishing a clear policy of ethics for all future students and teachers.

Kusan Sunim (1908-1983) was another notable Seon teacher, mostly known in the west because his students included Martine and Stephen Batchelor who studied with him at Songgwangsa. His teachings can be found in the book The Way of Korean Zen, which was translated by Martine and has an extensive forward and biography by Stephen.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Jundo]

Hi Soka,

Korean Son is primarily known in the west through the Kwan Um school of Master Seung Sahn, although he was quite a modernizer and reformer who did his own thing, so I would not call Kwan Um particularly traditional Korean Son. Son is almost completely a Rinzai tradition, and there is not much Soto in Korea (except what the Japanese brought during their occupation, and that is mostly gone now).

There are a few books that I can recommend to you about Korean Zen, modern and traditional (Kokuu mentions a couple of them):

The Zen Monastic Experience: Buddhist Practice in Contemporary Korea

One Korean's Approach to Buddhism

The Way of Korean Zen

Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism

Gassho, Jundo

STlah

[Soka]

Thank you Kokuu and Jundo,

Your answers have provided a few key names that have helped me grasp the overall picture of the relationships. I actually have a tab open from the Kwan Um website for something unrelated, but didn't make the connection .

The Way of Korean Zen is now on my reading list, so that I can see whether I should point the student towards it.

Gassho,
Sōka
sat

[Risho]

This is an interesting Seon take on Huangpo -> https://www.amazon.com/s?k=a+bird+in..._ts-doa-p_1_16

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

I think there are multiple Rinzai threads in Korea, but a notable one for readers of the poems of Shiwu (Stonehouse) is that a pilgrim from Korea came to stay with him for a few weeks, received transition from him, and returned to Korea to found one of the schools.

By Kou Dan, Zhu Min
In early July of 1347, the 46-year-old Korean Buddhist monk Puyu Taigu left the Daguan Temple in Dadu (today's Beijing), capital of the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368).

He trekked all the way to Xiawu Mountain in the northern Huzhou, Zhejiang province, for a visit to the 18th-generation Buddhist master of the Linji Sect. The master was Shiwu Qinggong (1272-1352). Taigu did an intensive study of Buddhism for 15 days under the direction of the master.

The Korean monk then went back home with a new insight into Buddhism. He also carried home a cassock and Buddhist cane from Shiwu Qinggong, important articles that served to prove his legitimate status as a disciple of Shiwu Qinggong.

The Korean monk's visit turned a new page in the cultural dialogue between China and the Korean Peninsula. Puyu Taigu returned to his home country in 1348 and became the first master of the Linji Sect in Korea. Later about 60 disciples from the Korean sect pilgrimaged in three batches to Xiawu Mountain for a visit to their religious roots.

gassho
d shonin sat and lah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

There is an excellent video on, I think, Amazon Prime, about a 90 day retreat in Korea. Trailer here: http://www.turtlepress.com/videos/ze...search-of-self

I think some Korean videos also are in my collection here (scroll down):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHRH3Ul6SJZ283PBHw-lwMtmc7R9q-E8n

gassho
ds sat and lah

[Tomás ESP]

One of the best zen books I've read is from a Korean master: "Tracing back the Radiance: Chinul's Korean Way of Zen" by Robert E. Buswell Jr.

Gassho, Tomás
Sat

[Soka]

I think some Korean videos also are in my collection here (scroll down):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHRH3Ul6SJZ283PBHw-lwMtmc7R9q-E8n

That is a wonderful playlist

And thank you all for the reading recommendations

Gassho,
Sōka
sat

[Heiso]

It occured to me recently I don't really know anything about Seon either. A friend gave me a copy of Dropping Ashes on the Buddha while back but I haven't read it yet.

There is an excellent video on, I think, Amazon Prime, about a 90 day retreat in Korea. Trailer here: http://www.turtlepress.com/videos/ze...search-of-self

I think some Korean videos also are in my collection here (scroll down):

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHRH3Ul6SJZ283PBHw-lwMtmc7R9q-E8n

gassho
ds sat and lah

These look interesting, thanks Shonin, I think I subscribed to your playlist a while back actually.

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

[Shoki]

Thunderous Silence by Dosung Yoo is an excellent Korean zen take on the Heart Sutra.

Gassho
STlah
Shoki

[Stewart]

One of the more interesting books I've read on practice was the 'Diary of a Korean Zen Monk' which I bought in Korea. The Ven. Jiheo, the author, was asked to keep a diary during the winter sesshin and this is the translation into English. It has a warts and all mundanity to it - monks sitting (of course) but also the cold, lack of food, health issues and slacking off by some attendees - no hint of romanticism.

Published by the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders, ISBN 978-89-7479-588-7, price 12,000 Won

Stewart, SAT