Culture of Seon(zen) / Korean Buddhism has no future without their renovation - 2

Korean Buddhism is like a frog in the well?


 The collections of the Dharma teachings of "The 21st Century Buddha's Message"
written by Great Monk Jajae Manhyon, published by Hyonjisa, Hyonjigung that
I have met amid these doubts on Korean Buddhsim, was extraordinary.  I confess
that it approached me as a great shock.  It is because as I mentioned earlier, this
book has substantially given me a clue to my long lingering doubts.

 Indeed, these collections of the Dharma teachings are stirring up the old customary
heritage of the Korean Buddhist circle now.  It is truly unprecedented.  Dispassionately
speaking, this has been a challenge to the identity of Korean Buddhism, and no other
than a lion's roar demanding self-renovation. (Refer to the interview with Great Monk
Jajae Manhyon.)

 I am well aware that since Korean Buddhism has been affected by Seon (chan)
Buddhism over a thousand years, many Buddhists perception has been fixed to it.

 The Seon Sect and most of Mahayana Buddhist scholars translate the expression
of 'Mind is namely the Buddha.' as'If one enlightens one's mind, he becomes a
Buddha.' But I declare that enlightenment is only the beginning of practice and only
the starting point of a long journey to become a Buddha.  The teachings of Buddhism
in this country have been much distorted.  It is because there are problems in
studying Buddhist scriptures that form the basis of the teachings and practice."
(page 11~12)

 Great Monk Jajae Manhyon definitely said 'No' on the practice method of the
present Korean Buddhism that has one-sidedly been pursuing for investigation
of the Hwadu (head phrase), but in my point of view, these problems raised by
the Great Monk can be contrasted with the controversy of sudden enlightenment
and gradual enlightenment raised by Great Monk Seong-cheol, the then Master
Monk of the Jogye Order in 1981.  What is more, the power of Great Monk Jajae
Manhyon is far ahead of the latter.  The controversy over the sudden enlightenment
and gradual enlightenment twenty-seven years ago avoided the identity itself
of Korean Buddhism, but Great Monk Jajae Manhyon has raised far more
fundamental problems throughout his Dharma talks.

 As he is well aware of these points, he said clearly, "The problems that I have
raised areto mark an epoch for the development of scriptural study of Buddhism."
(page 14)

 He also made a remark, "His Dharma teachings corresponding to the Copernican
conversion will be evaluated in the distant future." (page 125) Anyhow, the words
of Great Monk Jajae Manhyon are "a noteworthy great event in terms of the
history of Buddhism" (page 187), and are a hot message to the present Korean
Buddhsim.  Among other things, his indication, that the present Korean Buddhism
is not orthodox Buddhism that has the perfect logical and theoretical system, but
has turned to the level of the religion of mind, stands out conspicuously.

 Why is that? People know but little of the study of scriptures because they do not
try to thoroughly read important Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism such as the Lotus
Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, etx.  This is because they consistently take ignorant
attitudes, disregarding the essential teachings including the view of birth and death
stated therein as a kind of skillful teachings.  Hence, these collections of his
teachings are a vital warning to 'Buddhism in a well.' He is also square in the
respect that he has concretely revealed the internal achievements that he has
experienced through his long time practice.

 "Today' Buddhism says that trying to find the Buddha outside of one's mind
is like boiling the sand to make boiled rice.

 They say that this mind is a Buddha; the

original nature of the mind is the Western

Pure Land.  As a result, people just search

for Hell and the Western Pure Land only

in their mind, and say, "Hell and the

Western Pure Land are not the real realms

that exist independently, but no more than

the product of our mind." Hence, they do

not recognize Hell, the Western Pure

Land, the Buddha, the Bodhisattva, etc.

that apparently exist outside of one's

mind."(page 45~46)

 They have taught only on the level that

Seon meditation is to break through true

nature of one's existence.  Thus, they see

Hell lightly as a product of our mind.

They also see the Western Pure Land as a

kind of original foundation of the

universal life.... This naive perception will

 

be connected to the logical leap that, when a justice society with freedom, equality
and peace comes true, that place is no other than the Western Paradise.  They say
that the word, Avalokiteshvara, Avalokiteshvara, is also what the universal life has
been humanized.  It is nothing more or nothing less." (summary of the pages 223~224)

 Great Monk Jajae Manhyon declares that the Dharma teachings like these are
the non-Buddhist's talks that profane the true Dharma.  For instance, Seon
Buddhism has interpreted fetters, venomous insects, ghosts, etc. appearing in the
Lotus Sutra as a metaphor and a symbol.  They understand these as a kind of device
of poetic imagination power for the public education.  As the situation is like this,
they inattentively read the great messages such as Chapter 11 "The vision of the
jeweled pagoda", Chapter 15 "Springing out of the earth", Chapter 16 "The
longevity of the Tathagata" and so on in the Lotus Sutra