Enlightenment or Salvation: Practices and Rituals of Korean Buddhism

4 points · University catalogue

In this course, we will explore basic doctrines and practices of Korean Buddhism. Since Buddhism was first introduced to Korea 1,600 years ago, it has attracted and inspired almost all classes of people in the peninsula with its diverse and sophisticated philosophy and rituals. Korean Buddhists not only transformed this imported tradition to meet their own religious needs, but also contributed to the development of pan-East Asian Buddhist traditions such as Huayan/ Hwaŏm/ Kegon Buddhism. In this course, we will explore Hwaŏm and Sŏn as well as Maitreya and Amitābha worships and death rituals in Korea. In particular, we will examine how Korean Buddhists integrated Hwaŏm and Sŏn traditions into a unified system; how they developed unique Sŏn theories of meditation; and how devotional/ worship practices interacted the indigenous traditions of Korea. Throughout the course, we will also pay careful attention to the close interactions between Korean and other East Asian Buddhist traditions.