The Dharma Master Chongsan of Won Buddhism

Chongsan, Bongkil Chung

Description

Won Buddhism emerged in early twentieth-century Korea after a long period of anti-Buddhist repression. It is a syncretic tradition, a form of Buddhism strongly influenced by the Chŏson dynasty's Neo-Confucian ethical heritage and by Daoism. Seeking to deliver sentient beings from suffering and to create a just and ethical world, Won Buddhism stresses practical application of the dharma and service. It offers a vision of people as one family, morally perfected.

This book provides the first English translations of the writings of Chŏngsan (1900–62), the second dharma master of Won Buddhism, who codified the new religion's central doctrines. The translations here include Chŏngsan's discussion of Buddha-nature, described as a mind-seal and symbolized by the Irwŏnsang (a unitary circle); his synthesis of Confucian moral and political programs with Buddhist notions of emancipation from birth and death; and his expositions on realizing the ideal of all people as one family.

Preface

Abbreviations and Conventions

Introduction
Background
The Life of Chŏngsan
The Central Doctrine of Won Buddhism
The Thought of Chŏngsan
Concluding Remarks

Translations

Part One: The Canon of the World (Sejŏn)

1. General Introduction

2. Education

3. Family

4. Religious Faith

5. Society

6. The Nation

7. The World

8. Rest

9. Nirvāņa

10. An Outline

Part Two: The Dharma Words (Pŏbŏ)

I. Aspiration and Planning

II. Taking Care of the Fundamentals

III. Fundamental Principles

IV. Exposition of Scriptures

V. Exhortations for the Practice of the Way

VI. Moral Culture

VII. On Being Diligent and Truthful

VIII. Edification in Response to Capacities

IX. Dharma Admonitions

X. The Destiny of the Way

XI. On the Korean National Destiny

XII. On Birth and Death

XIII. The Last Instructions

Part Three: Other Selected Writings

I. On Irwŏnsang

II. Truth, Faith, and Practice of Irwŏnsang

III. Ode to the Consummate Enlightenment

Notes
Chinese Character Glossary
Glossary of Terms
Selected Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Buddhism
• History of religions

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438440255
• Langue: English

Extrait

SUNY series in Korean Studies
-----
Sung Bae Park, editor
The Dharma Master Ch ngsan of Won Buddhism
Analects and Writings
Translated and with an Introduction by
Bongkil Chung
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
2012 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu
Production by Eileen Meehan Marketing by Michael Campochiaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Chongsan, 1900-1962.
[Selections. 2012]
The dharma master Chongsan of Won Buddhism : analects and writings /
Chongsan ; translated and with an introduction by Bongkil Chung.
p. cm. - (SUNY series in Korean studies)
Includes translations from Korean. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4384-4023-1 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Won Pulgyo (Sect)-Doctrines. I. Chung, Bongkil. II. Title.
BQ9229.C363E55 2012 294.3 42042-dc23 2011015559
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations and Conventions
Introduction
Background
The Life of Ch ngsan
The Central Doctrine of Won Buddhism
The Thought of Ch ngsan
Concluding Remarks
TRANSLATIONS
Part One: The Canon of the World ( Sej n )
Chapter One. General Introduction
Chapter Two. Education
Chapter Three. Family
Chapter Four. Religious Faith
Chapter Five. Society
Chapter Six. The Nation
Chapter Seven. The World
Chapter Eight. Rest
Chapter Nine. nirv a
Chapter Ten. An Outline
Part Two: The Dharma Words ( P b )
I.
Aspiration and Planning
II.
Taking Care of the Fundamentals
III.
Fundamental Principles
IV.
Exposition of Scriptures
V.
Exhortations for the Practice of the Way
VI.
Moral Culture
VII.
On Being Diligent and Truthful
VIII.
Edifcation in Response to Capacities
IX.
Dharma Admonitions
X.
Te Destiny of the Way
XI.
On the Korean National Destiny
XII.
On Birth and Death
XIII.
Te Last Instructions
Part Three: Other Selected Writings
I.
On Irw nsang
II.
Truth, Faith, and Practice of Irw nsang
III.
Ode to the Consummate Enlightenment
Notes
Chinese Character Glossary
Glossary of Terms
Selected Bibliography
Index
Preface
This book is an introduction to the teachings of Song Kyu (1900-1962; Ch ngsan ), whose lifetime aspiration and plan was to help realize in the New World one harmonious family under Heaven, with morality. Ch ngsan had begun to formulate this aspiration in childhood, when Korea lost its national identity under the Japanese occupation and the Korean people began to suffer much hardship. While wandering in search of a mentor, the young Ch ngsan encountered Pak Chungbin (1891-1943; Sot aesan ), who was in the process of establishing a new religious order following his spiritual awakening in 1916. Sot aesan ushered Ch ngsan into the new order as its chief codifier. As the order s chief codifier, Ch ngsan helped Sot aesan systematize the central doctrine of the new order until Sot aesan s death in 1943, when he succeeded Sot aesan as head dharma master of the order. This book includes Ch ngsan s analects and some of his writings before and after his inauguration as the second patriarch of the order of Won Buddhism.
The translations in this book consist mostly of moral and religious discourses that Ch ngsan delivered during his tenure as head dharma master. In 1972, ten years after Ch ngsan s death, the Ch ngsan chongsa p b (Dharma words of Master Ch ngsan) was published as one of the order s two sacred books. The book consists of Sej n (Canon of the world) and P b (Dharma words); the former is Ch ngsan s own writing, the latter a compilation of his analects. In 1982, a second collection of Ch ngsan s moral and religious discourses, the Hanuran hanich i e (With one truth within one fence), was published, which is an invaluable source for Ch ngsan s insights into the question of moral perfection.
In 2000, I translated the Ch ngsan chongsa p b as The Dharma Words of Master Ch ngsan for use within the Won Buddhist order. For this volume, I have redacted that canonized version to present Ch ngsan s moral, religious, and philosophical thought in ways more suited to a general readership. I deleted three chapters of the Dharma Words, moving some sections from those chapters into other, thematically appropriate chapters. I have inserted more than eighty sections from the Hanuran hanich i-e (With one truth within one fence) into the Dharma Words and added a new chapter, Moral Culture, which comprises sections from the Dharma Words and the Hanuran hanich i-e . This reordering of material better reflects Ch ngsan s teaching that moral culture is essential for the New World, a central theme that is scattered throughout Dharma Words . The provenance of each of these collected and rearranged sections is given in parentheses at the end of each section. The translation consists of three parts: Part One is the Canon of the World ( Sej n ) with no changes from the canonized version; Part Two, Dharma Words ( P b ), has been redacted as described above; and Part Three, Other Selected Writings, includes sections that can help understand Ch ngsan s central thought. Ch ngsan s Ode to the Consummate Enlightenment (1937) reveals his views of the ultimate principle of the universe, and the natural laws governing the vicissitude of life. The section On Irw nsang (1937) outlines the central doctrine of Won Buddhism systematized in the Pulgyo ch ngj n (Correct canon of Buddhism), as can be seen in the section Truth, Faith, and Practice of Irw nsang.
I had the rare fortune to be a student of Master Ch ngsan for seven years, from 1955 to 1962, at the headquarters of Won Buddhism in Iksan City, South Korea. It is my hope that this translation of his sayings and writings will serve to make his wisdom and insights better known to a general readership.
It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge my indebtedness to those who gave me such unstinting support for the publication of this work. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Professor Sung Bae Park for his initial examination of this project and decision to make this volume a part of SUNY series in Korean studies. I also thank Nancy Ellegate at SUNY Press for her help throughout the process of the publication of this book. My appreciation goes to the University of Hawai i Press for permitting me to reproduce two sections of The Scriptures of Won Buddhism , Section One: The Truth of Irw nsang and Section Three: The Practice of Irw nsang (pp. 120-122). Following the constructive criticism of the two anonymous readers for SUNY Press, I have done quite an extensive revision to the introduction; I express my sincere appreciation to them. I am grateful to Maura High, who has done a thorough copyediting of the manuscript for grammatical and stylistic improvement. I am grateful to the copyeditor for SUNY Press, who has made grammatical improvement to my work.
I thank Dr. Song Chun Eun, former president of Won Kwang University, for his numerous suggestions for the direction of the translation and several doctrinal issues in Ch ngsan s thought. I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Han Kidu, emeritus professor of Won Kwang University, for his clarification of numerous points in Ch ngsan s thought. However, I am responsible for any errors remaining in the book.
I should not forget to express my gratitude to Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg, provost and academic vice president of Florida International University (now president), and the Committee for Sabbatical Leave, for granting me one semester of leave, so I could write the introduction to the translation. I am grateful to the late Mrs. Kim Hy n gangok in Seoul, Rev. Chang Ky ngjin, Rev. Song Y ngbong, and Rev. Song Sunbong in the headquarters of Won Buddhism for providing me with the generous subvention for the publication of this book. And I owe a special debt of gratitude to my wife, Shinok (Y nt aw n Yi S nghun), for her unfailing support and to my two sons, Andrew and Daniel, for their sacrifices to help this book see the light of day.
Bongkil Chung
Abbreviations and Conventions
AGM James Legge, Confucius: Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean
C Chinese pronunciation
CN The Canon in The Scriptures of Won Buddhism
CCC Ch ngsan chongsa ch n (The biography of Master Ch ngsan)
CP Ch ngsan chongsa p b (The dharma words of Master Ch ngsan)
CPS Ch ngsan chongsa p ps l (Sermons of Master Ch ngsan)
CW Canon of the World in this book (Translations, Part One)
DW Dharma Words in this book (Translations, Part Two)
HC Han guk chonggyo (Korean religions)
HH Hanuran hanich i e (With one truth within one fence)
J Japanese pronunciation
K Korean pronunciation
KAZ Korean Approach to Zen, trans. Robert E. Buswell Jr.
PC Pulgyo ch ngj n (Correct canon of Buddhism; 1943)
S Sanskrit pronunciation
SS Scripture of Sot aesan in The Scriptures of Won Buddhism
SW The Scriptures of Won Buddhism, translation of by Bongkil Chung
T Taish shinsh daiz ky (The Taish tripitaka)
WBC W nbulgyo ch ns (Complete works of Won Buddhism)
WE Won Buddhist era
WK W nbulgyo kyosa (History of Won Buddhism)
WKC W nbulgyo kyogo ch onggan (Comprehensive publication of the earlier writings of Won Buddhism)
The Canon abbreviated as CN in this book refers to the Canon in SW ; it does not refer to either of the two Korean original 1943 or 1962 versions.
If a book has not been published in English, its