- Contents
PART ONE: THE FOUNDATION OF A NEW RELIGIOUS ORDER
I A Brief Historical Sketch ............................. 1
1.1 Sot’aesan’s Enlightenment and the Founding Motive ...... 1
1.2 Sot’aesan’s Affinity with Buddhism .................. 2
1.3 Embankment and Dharma Authentication ............. 3
1.4 Drafting the Doctrine at Pongnae ................. 4
1.5 Construction of the General Headquarters .......... 6
1.6 Publication of the Canon ........................ 6
1.7 Growing to be a World Religion .................. 7
II Four General Platforms and Four Essentials for Social Reform
Four General Platforms ............................... 8
2.1 Right Enlightenment and Right Conduct ............ 8
2.2 Awareness of Beneficence and Its Recompense ....... 9
2.3 Practical Application of the Buddha Dharma ....... 9
2.4 Selfless Service for the Public Well-being ........ 10
Four Essentials for Social Reform ....................... 11
2.5 Cultivation of Independence .................... 11
2.6 The Wise One as the Standard .................. 11
2.7 The Education of the Children of Others .......... 12
2.8 Veneration for Those Dedicated to the Public Well-being ............ 12
PART TWO: RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE ......................... 14
III Dharmakāya Buddha: Irwŏn-sang [Unitary Circular Symbol] 14
3.1 The Truth of Irwŏn-sang ...................... 14
3.2 Practice of Irwŏn-sang ...................... 16
IV The Way of Faith: The Fourfold Beneficence (Ŭn) ....... 19
4.0 Fourfold Beneficence (Saŭn) ................ 19
4.1 Beneficence of Heaven and Earth [Ch’ŏnji-ŭn] .... 20
4.2 Beneficence of Parents (Pumo-ŭn) ............ 21
4.3 Beneficence of Brethren (Tongp'o-ŭn) ........... 22
4.4 Beneficence of Law (Pŏmnyur-ŭn) ............. 22
4.5 Recompense of Beneficence as an Offering to the Buddha ............................ 23
V The Way of Discipline: Threefold Practice (Samhak) ...... 24
5.0 Triple Discipline in Buddhism and Won Buddhism .......... 24
5.1 Cultivation of Spirit (Chŏngsin suyǎng) ............. 25
5.2 Inquiry into Facts and Principles (Sari yŏn'gu) ......... 27
5.3 Mindful Karma Creation (Chagŏp Ch'wisa) ........ 29
PART THREE: PRACTICE ................................. 30
VI Moral Training ................................... 30
6.1 The Fixed Term Training ....................... 31
6.2 Daily Training ............................. 34
APPENDIX ......................................... 36
VII Selections from The Scriptures of Won Buddhism
7.1 The Essentials of Daily Cultivation ............... 36
7.2 The Vow to the Truth of Irwŏn-sang .......... 37
7.3 Silent Confession and Prayer .................. 38
7.4 How to Make an Offering to the Buddha .......... 39
7.5 Sitting in Meditation ......................... 40
7.6 Repetition of the Name of a Buddha .............. 45
7.7 Timeless Sŏn/Zen ......................... 48
7.8 The Precepts ................................ 51
7.9 Discourse on Repentance ...................... 53
7.10 Dharma Stages and Qualifications .............. 56
VIII Selections from Buddhist Scriptures
8.1 The Heart Sutra [Prajñā-pāramitā-Hrdaya-Sūtra] ......... 59
8.2 Hsü-hsiu An Discourse on Tso-ch’an ............ 60
8.3 Essential Test Cases for Ŭidu ................... 62
Glossary ......................................... 66
Bibliography ...................................... 70
An Introduction to WON BUDDHISM (Wŏnbulgyo)
Author
Bongkil Chung
About the Author
Rev. Bongkil Chung is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Florida International University. He was ordained in the Won Buddhist Order in Korea. His books include The Scriptures of Won Buddhism: A Translation of the Wŏnbulgyo Kyojŏn with Introduction and An Introduction to Won Buddhism.
Publisher
Won Buddhist PressPublication Date
1994
Pages
70
Bookbinding
Paperback
Product Dimensions
6.90(W) X8.90(H) X 0.30(D) inches
ISBN
978-8-9807-0000-8
Language
English
Preface to the Revised Version
This introduction is to answer the question: What is Won Buddhism? In this preface is given an outline of the doctrine.
Won Buddhism is a new religion founded in Korea by Pak Chungbin (1891-1943), better known by his style Sot’aesan, upon his great enlightenment in 1916. He was aware of the world entering a new era of material civilization, to the formidable power of which humankind was about to be enslaved. It was necessary to strengthen the spiritual power lest humankind should suffer in the bitter seas of misery caused by the unfolding material power. The only way to strengthen the spiritual power was by faith in a truthful religion and training in sound morality. Thus Sot’aesan founded Won Buddhism as a means to deliver sentient beings suffering in the bitter seas of misery to a limitless paradise.
The term `Won Buddhism’ is an English rendering of the Korean Wŏn Pulgyo. Wŏn means circle and Pulgyo means Buddhism. Since Buddhism is a religion of enlightenment, Won Buddhism means a religion which teaches how to be enlightened to Irwŏn (unitary circle), the circle without circumference. It is called T’ai-chi in Confucianism, Tao in Taoism, and Dharmakāya Buddha in Buddhism. In Won Buddhism, Irwŏn is none other than Dharmakāya Buddha and Irwŏn-sang (unitary circular form) is used as its sign just as a finger can be used to point at the moon.
Irwŏn-sang is enshrined as the symbol of Dharmakāya Buddha, Irwŏn, which is the fundamental source of all beings of the universe and the original nature of all buddhas and sentient beings. Dharmakāya Buddha, Irwŏn, can be approached through two gateways: one is through religious faith, the other through religious practice. Irwŏn or Dharmakāya Buddha is worshiped as the fundamental source of the Fourfold Beneficence (sa-ŭn), namely, Heaven and Earth, Parents, Brethren and Law without which one cannot exist. Thus the religious faith lies in one’s being aware of and recompensing for the Fourfold Beneficence which ultimately originates in Dharmakāya Buddha, Irwŏn. The religious practice lies in modeling oneself after Dharmakāya Buddha, Irwŏn so that one can realize Buddhahood by awakening to, nourishing and following the Buddha nature, Irwŏn, of one's mind. The way to attain this goal lies in the Threefold Practice (samhak), namely, Enquiry into Facts and Principles, Cultivation of Spirit, and Mindful Karma Creation. All the subjects of Won Buddhist religious practice are the ways for Threefold Training through which one is to realize Buddhahood.
A brief historical sketch is provided in PART I of this introduction in order to help one understand the relationship to and difference from the traditional Buddhism. An attempt is made to explain the central tenets of the doctrine of Won Buddhism in PART II. In PART III, I have listed the subjects for Fixed Term Training and Daily Training with little explanation. For those who may learn the subjects for practice in detail, I have appended in APPENDIX those subjects from Part Three of Wŏnbulgyo kyojŏn [Scriptures of Won Buddhism].
The first edition was published with some errors uncorrected; I am again grateful to Rev. Ha-jŏng Lee for giving me the opportunity to correct them and revise part of the original text.
Wŏnbulgyo Ch’ongbu/Miami
Bongkil Chung
January, 1994
A note to the third edition: Little revision has been made except a few changes for a more accurate translation of some technical terms. I would like to express my gratitude to Rev. Su-un Song for his careful reading of the second edition and for detecting some awkward expressions in the text, which have been corrected for the better.
February, 1996
