I 992
VOLUME
IBI,
NUMBER KOREA
TV
9
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CONTENTS
Editorial Who is Sotaesan
1
Taejongsa?
Religious Ethics in a Multi-religious Society by Prof. Yi Hum
Yoon
Meeting between Western and Eastern Religions by Prof. Wi Jo Kang Gradation ol Dharma
News
Ranks
Corner
A Notice f rom Chairferson of WCRP/ACRP Women's Wing
WON BUDDI{|SIU| Published by Research lnstitute for Overseas Missions Wonkwang University lri Gity, Chonpuk The Republic of Korea
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"t187 WON BUDDHISM
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Mo.9
WON BUDDHISM
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1992
EDITORIAL
There have long been a number of religions on our globe. They may be different from each other according to their age, location or tribe, among other things, but they all have one object in common. The goal of each is to relieve the pained soul of all humanity; to deliver all suffering people to paradise. We have witnessed to our regret. however, so many troubles and conflicts between believers of various faiths which atl too often have finally led to serious'wars. lt seems a perverse historical truth that the most miserable of wars often appear rooted in religious differences. lf the meaning of the existence of religion lies in its mission to secure peace or to seek for the spiritual comfort of the faithful. then the misery these religion-based wars inflict is most ridiculous, incongruous and unacceptable. Exclusiveness in a religion can thus never be regarded in a positive way We eat f ood everyday. Not all people like or dislike the same foods. According to generations. areas and nations, people prefer one food to another, and dislike this or that. However the common objective of eating food is to give health and help the growth of our body by distributing nutriments throughout. Nobody should be forced to eat food they are not willing to accept. Nor should anyone be illtreated or excluded from any group because he or she eats different food. Likewise, no one of different faith should either be mistreated as a heretic or pushed aside. Believers in every religion should try to understand and help each other so that each of them may acquire peace of mind through a faithful religious life, which will help to result in world peace.
The root of every religion is one and the same; sages and saints adapted different ways to teach their religions according to nations, areas, ages, etc. This is why all religious people are regarded as brothers coordinated with one truth. and as members working in the same workshop for one object of delivering all suffering human beings. Won Buddhism presents the catchphrase, "fhe truth is one. the world is
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one, The human race is one family, in one workshop. Let us establish one happy and peaceful world. " This thought of oneness advocates and leads Won Buddhism to the movement for a United Religions (UR). Politically. the massive wall that for so long. separated east and west Germany has been broken down and the ideology of the Cold War has bedn put to an end. Why shouldn't religious people take a'leading role in bringing down the high walls between religions. Without understand;ng and cooperation between religions, wortd peace cannot be expected. The world has the United Nations. which mainly undertakes political matters. it is incredible to expect the construction world peace through the UN alone. The UN is like a rigid father in a home. As a perfect home needs a cooperative father and mother, so does the peaceful world need the UN and the United Religions, the latter to fulfill the mother's role. The UN and the UH can also be likened to the two wings of a bird. or the two wheels of a cart. Beyond these, I should not iail to insist that a peaceful and harmonized world means one where spiritual civilization and material civilization go side by side.
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of the disciples asked the Great Master, "what may we il f; .. 9n" great call the Way?" X t Great master replied, "The way which ail people can t il followThe is called the universal great way, and the way which il $ people can follow is called the narrow way. The fun- 0 only few a ; damental teachings of ll-won, the Four Graces and the Four Es- * fr X sentials, and the Threefold Learnings and the Eight Articles of $ our order are to be taught to and can be practiced by all people. t Theref ore, these teachings are called the great Way. " fr * Xy From "On Doctroine"of * fr t The Scripture of Won Auaaiiim X
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BUDDHISM 3
Who is Sotaesan Taejongsa? Pak chung-bin. the founder of won Buddhism, was born on May 5, 1891 as a son to a peasant family in an obscure village of Yong-ch' on, located in Ydngkwang County. Chdlla-nam Province, Korea. He \ /as born the third son to his father. Pak S6ng-sam and mother. Yu Ch 6ng-ch'6n, who had four sons and a daughter. His infant name was Chin-s6p and his youth name was Ch'6hwa. Chung-bin was the name listed in tne sensus record. Sot'aesan' is his nom de plume and 'Taejongsa' [Great Master] was the title which his followers used to address him after his great enlightenment and the establishment of Won Buddhism as a new religion. Sotaesan, though he was born a commoner to a peasant family in an impoverished mountain valley, started showing extraordinariness from childhood. His childhood personality was marked by carefulness. spirited mien, magnanimity and fortitude; When Sotaesan was four years old, two events occurred which showed signs of the great figure he would eventually become. On a late spring day of that year, he was having breakfast with his father at the same table. Finishing up his rice. he took some rice from the father's bowl and ate it. His father scolded him for being ill-mannered and threatened to thrash him. The child, then, warned that, if his father would thrash him, he would knock his father's hat off before the sunset. ln the afternoon, his father returned home from work in the field and was lying on the floor for a short rest. the child suddenly cried out, "There are Tonghak Rebel Army on the Norumok road / " the father. startled and flustered, went over the rear fence and hid himself in a bamboo bush. After a while he recalled his son s warning at the table and thought much of his child's extraordinariness. At that time, the Tonghak revolution, which arose at the town of Kobu. in Chdlla-puk Province, rampaged through its outskirts and Y6 ngkwang County. The Tonghak revolution was a pure peasant movement which tried to put an end to the despotic government and repel foreign intervention around the time of the end of Yi dynasty. However. those peasants who could not stand poverty became riotous under the disguise of Tonghak revolutionary army and made frequent appearances in different districts, harassing good citizens. . On an early summer day not long after this incident, the child was playing together with other children from the village on the bank of a
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brook in the front of the village. Then, a huge serpent came creeping out of a crevice of the rock embankment. Adults and children were all afraid of it and about to run away. However, the young Sot'aesan, instead of running away, stood firmly in front of the serpent and scolded it for recklessly making man horrified. The serpent, startled by the child's scolding, crept away. The village people who watched this scene wondered at the birth of a great figure in their village. Sotaesan's search for truth started at age seven and lasted for two decades. On a spring day of his seventh year, he climbed Mt. Ongnyo-bong behind his house in order to take hold of the rising clouds. Looking at them from the yard of his house, he thought he could touch them from the top of mountain. When he reached the mountain top. however, the clouds were floating much higher and the sky looked much higher than he had thought. "How high and wide is the sky? Why is it so clear and sereneT How and why do black clouds and storms come out of such a sky?" ln addition to these initial wonders. he began to lose himself in contemplation concerning such natural phenomena as rotation of the four seasons. the movement of heavenly bodies, change of night and day, ftowers blooming, and birds' singing. Around age nine, he began to be deeply concerned with myriad complicated and delicate human affairs in addition to the wonders of natural phenomena. ln his mind arose questions concerning the relationship of parents and children, the problem of birth, aging, lilness, and death. happiness and misery, and good and evil. Thus, doubts concerning the universe and man were the starting point of young Sot'aesan s search for truth. From this time on, he was looking for a teacher in his mind, and strong desire to know all principles was burning in his heart. Around age ten, he attended a village school to learn Chinese classics due to his parents' educational plan; however, he had little interest in learning what was offered at school, but lost himself in investigating abstruse principles.
ln the autumn of his eleventh yeat, he followed his father to participate in the yearly rite performed in October before the grace of distant ancestors of his clan. There he learned of the numinous mountain spirit, which he thought could resolve all of his doubts. He made up his mind to offer sincere prayer to the mountain spirit so that he could meet it. Returning home, he started offering'prayers at a flat rock floor (Yard Rock) of Sambat Peak which was uninhabited and deserted. He continued climbing the mountain once a day for five years.
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Though his prayer was utterly sincere, the mountain spirit did not appear to answer his questions. At fifteen, he married Yang Ha-un by the arrangement of their parents; his wife contributed substantially to the establishment of the new religious order he later opened. They had three sons and one daughter. fhe second son died while a student. The remaining children contributed greatly to the works left by Sot'aesan. When he was sixteen, he went to the house of his wife's parents to pay the New Year's greeting in accordance with custom. There, villagers were reading an ancient storybook, where the hero solves all his problems by meeting a Taoist guru. Young Sot'aesan came to think of finding a guru, and he began to Search around for one. When he met a beggar in rags or any strange looking mendicant, he invited them to his house and treated them with heart-warming hospitality, sometimes staying up all night in conversation to see if the guest was a Taoist guru. As was the case with the mountain spirit, however, he could not find an enlightened teacher. When Sotaesan reached the age of twenty. his father passed away. Young Sotaesan had to assume the responsibility of household head. His elder brother had been adopted into the family of a relative; the second brother had died earlier, and his younger brother was still a child. Thus, he had to take care of his mother. younger brother, his wife and children. As his mind was filled with the desire to find a teacher and to be enlightened to the principles of the universe and the meaning of life. his household was becoming destitute. At age twenty-two, he was gradually giving up his wish to find a guru. He lamented, "My desire to meet a mountain spirit and a guru has turned out to be nothing but an idle thought. Ten years of my time has come to nothing. What should I do with this matter?" From this time on, he was gradually going of f the normal track of daily lif e. Sometimes he chanted a spell which by chance came to his mind; sometimes he pleaded for help to the numinous spirit of heaven and earth when he was frustrated by the illusory feelng of almost grasping the meaning of all that had bothered him for so long. At twenty-four, he devoted himself to ascetic concentration at Ydnhwabong (Lotus Peak), a mountain in Koch'ang County, Chdlla-puk Province for several months. He once spent a whole day standing with a vacant face at Sdnjinp'o ferry point, thinking nothing. From this tirne on, anxiety over the question, "What shall I do with this matter" was forgotten. He was not aware of what he was doing, what he
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was saying, what he was eating. To make matters worse, his body was covered with blotches, and he suffered from persistent coughing. Villagers reagarded him as good as dead and felt leery about coming close to him, while he was thus efltering the realm of absorption (samadhi).
on April 28, 1916, at age twenty-five, Sot'aesan was sitting in at early dawn, as usual, in his worn-out house at the village of Norumok. Suddenly his spirit began to brighten with the first gray of dawn. lt was the light of truth beginning to shine at last in his spirit. The fundamental principles pertaining to natural phenomena and man Samadhi
appeared clearly in his state of intuitive insight. He was overwhelmed with physical and spiritual freshness. lt was the great enlightenment that he attained at last./ Eighteen years had passed since he began to raise questions on natura! phenomena at the age of seven. He had become enlightened to the profound truth of the universe and man by his own effort and without any teacher's guidance. He expressed the realm of truth to which he was enlightened: All beinge are of one Reality and all things and principles originate from one source, where the Truth of No Birth and No Death and the Principle of cause and Effect operate as a perfect organ on a universal basis. He also expressed the pleasure of enlightenment as follows: When the moon rises in a fresh breeze, Everthing becomes bright of itself.
The many years of struggle Sotassan had undergone in search of truth prior to his great enlightenment had been like a dark night covered with black clouds. ,At long last, however, at the early dawn of the 28th day of April. 1916. the moon of one Mind. the light of Selfnature, arose floating high up in the air. When he illuminated the universe in the three periods (past, present, future) with the light of the moon of One Mind, the truth of no arising and no ceasing and the principle of karmaic retribution of cause and effect became as clear as a jewel in one's palm. Sotaesan's mind, upon the great awakening, was full of joy. All items of doubt he had in the past were solved in his numinous thought. Day by day, blotches all over his body were clearing away as he was recovering his health. His countenance was like the round and bright sun, overflowing with compassionate grace.
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7
Thus, the 28th of April (1916) is the day sotaesan was enlightened to the truth of neither arising nor ceasing and the principle of karmaic retribution of cause and effect, which are the fundamental truth of the universe and man. This is the day Won Buddhism opened its gate to the world and is celebrated as the common birthday of all Won Buddhists. The year 1916 is the first year of the Won Buddhist era.
It was reflected upon Sotaesan's enlightenment that people those days were ignorant of the great way and the correct doctrine, losing themselves in beliefs of false miracles and superstitions. How could this be corrected in futureT While he was searching for the Way, it was regrettable to fai! to find the way. Now he found the way; but, regrettably. no one seemed to understand his enlightenment. Though he deplored it, a few months after his great enlightenment he had over forty foliowers. From among these, he selected as his principal disciples, eight men whose faith in him was outstanding. Two years later. Sot'aesan met a ninth, Song Kyu, who became thq ablest of the Nine Disciples. Song Kyu (1900-1962), though youngest, was the ons who would fill the Center Position of the Body of Nine Members. Sotaesan had kept the Center Position vacant until his arrival. Sotaesan s Nine Disciptes came to the world with' the great mission to be tbe foundation stones of Won Buddhism. They were the foundation stones of a new religious order, helping Sotaesan with their unique personalities. The Great Master organized the One body of Ten Members out of the nine disciples and himself, which later became the parent body of the Supreme Council of Won Buddhism. Sotaesan began to do ground work for the establishment of a new religious order with his nine disciples. lt consisted of the establishment of a savings union and the project of embankment. Sometime in August 1917, the Great Master Sotaesan established the savings union and explained its purpose: Establishing this order is not work ordinary people can do. lt will require perseverance and particular effort to achieve what ordinary people are unable to do. At present, as we cannot afford to establish the foundation needed for accomplishing our task, an especially thrifty and laborious way of living is needed. We will wholeheartedly observe all articles of the cooperative and be an example, as founders of an Order for those who follow.
Sotaesan assumed leadership of the savings union with the nine dis-
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ciples as its governing board. Only a few months later, the union's activity had resulted in a ldrge sum of savings. With this fund. the union operated a charcoal business. which yielded substantial profit. ln March 1918, Sotaesan collecting the funds so far saved, and pointing to the riverside beach in front Kilyongni (his birthplace), said, "Look at that beach.z That is a piece of land deserted foi thousands of years. Let us reclaim it into farmland. " Construction work on embankment commenced. Neither equipment nor civil engineering was available. Funds were insufficient. The villagers, who had never seen sucl'i an undertaking, poured forth alt sorts of criticism and ridicule, silently concentrating on the embankment work. Under Sotaesan's direct supervision and spiritual guidance, the nine disciples cooperated as one body to carry out th; project. through the hottest part of summer and the coldest of winter. stiuggling hard against the difficulties. The project was completed in March 1919, after one year of labor. About 25 acres of land were reclaimed for farming. As it was the fruit of perspiration and devotion; the land was named Ch6nggwangp'young, and Sot'aesan explained the signiticance of this achievement to his nine disciples as follows: You are not accustomed to such heavy work. This hardship you are now suffering, as initiators of the great order, is quite different from that endured by ordinary people. However, you will find unique pleasure in doing it. lt will be more meaningful to initiate and finish a thing yourselves through hardship and difficulty than merely taking over some other person s work. Our order is to be of unprecedented greatness, and at the same time, it will be the last of its kind. To establish such a great order, we must prepare a doctrine which incorporates the following teachings: moral study and philosophy of science should be compatible. to bring real civilization to the world; study in Motion should be harmonized with Study in Ouietness in order that the study of Buddha Dharma might parallel our practical works; possibilites for the unity of all doctrines must be found which will bring the world together in peaceful harmony like a family. Thus, to accomprish our task perfectly, a great deal of effort on our part is naturally required. Thus, the savings union movement and the embankment project provided the economic ground for the foundation of Won Buddhism. The principles of thrift and saving, gradual growth from small to great, cooperation as one body, and selfless service for the public well-being became the spiritual foundation of Won Buddhism.
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March 1919, Sotaesan ordered his disciples prayer.
BUDDHISM 9
to offer a special
At present, materialism has increasing influence in the world today, while the minds of human beings are becoming weak. ln these circumstances, individuals, homes, societies and nations are not able to maintain equilibrium and must remain in endless suffering. Can we who have made up our minds to help other people neglect this situation? We know of saints and sages who, with utmost sincerity, gave prayers for all living beings and received a response from Heaven, now I suggest that this is the ttme for us to pray incessantly to Heaven and Earth until Heaven and Ebrth respond to our prayers. Then people can be the masters of material things, instead of being tempted by them. Your mind is equivalent to the mind of Heaven; your virtue will meet with the virtue of Heaven and Earth when the last bit of self-centered desire has left your mind. Everthing will then turn out successfully, as you desire. You should be conscious of the fact that you possess the ability to impress the will of Heaven and at the same time should always be aware of your own responsibility to save all sentient beings. There is an old saying, "one sacrifices oneself in order to preserve one s integrity. " There were some who performed miracles by foliowing this principle. Why wouldn't gods of heaven and earth be affected if you would not mind sacrificing your life for the well-being of all sentient beings? ln the near future, a correct doctrine and a great way will appear in the world and the disturbed mind of mankind will be corrected thereby, contributing to the blessings of sentient beings. lf so, you will be the saviors of the world and the hidden virtue of yours will be immortal.
The prayer began on the 6th day of the 3rd month (lunar calendar), 1919, and it was offered on the 6th, 16th, and 2oth days of every month with ten days of purification. The prayer sites were nine mountain tops; one for each of the nine disciples, with each member settirig up a flag of the union on top of the mountain. preparing incense and a bowl of clear water. bowing and confessing. reading the
prayer, and chanting. The nine disciples decided to sacrifice themselves for the sake of all sentient beings on the last prayer date, August 21 (26th day of the 7th month by lunar calendar) at each prayer site. On August 21, the nine disciples gathered in the dharma hall, and the Master ordered them to arrange a bowl of clear water and dagger
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on the table. He ordered them, as a form of signature, to press their bare thumbs on the document, where was written an agreement "sacrifice with no regret", and then had them prostrate themselves and offer silent confession of their determination to make sacrifice. A miracle then occurred; nine bloody finger prints appeared on the
paper.
The one Mind offered in the prayer to save sentient beings had caused such a miracle to occur. Sotaesan said: Heaven and Earth have already made a response to your devoted rnind, and this miracle shows the judgement of the invisible world of Truth. This is the first step in our successful project. From this moment you do not belong to yourselves, but to the universe. ln spite of any hardships and difficulty which you may face in the future white carrying out
your work, do not change your minds from their state at ihis moment. Be reminded of this moment whenever you are tempted by the pleasure of home and by the five desires. Thus. with a free and concentrated mind, be faithful in your study and work. Upon saying this, Sotaesan gave dharma titles and dharma names to his nine disciples. and said:
The name you have used before is a worldly name and a name for an individual. You may suppose that you who have been called by the worldly name have died. but are now reborn with this universal Dharma name. Do your best to save numerous sentient beings from suffering by using this Dharma name.
ln October, 1919 (4. W. B. E.), upon completing the p6bin [Dharma authentication] prayer, Sot'aesan, together with a few disciples, moved to Pongnae cloister located at Pongnae Mountain, in Puan County, Chdlla-puk Province. . There he spent five years warding the enlightened mind, avoiding public notice in the turbulent times. and crystallizing his ideas of the doctrine and system for opening the new religious order. The surrounding area of Mt. Pongnae in Puan County provided beautiful scenery and was excellent for mental cultivation. While running a household with a few disciples, Sotaesan's followers kept coming from various districts to see him. He preached sermons to them. His sermons at that time were mostly on the method of entering into absorption (samadhi), based on his ovyn enlightenment, and the method of attaining Buddhahood by awakening to one's
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own original nature. ln 1920 (5 W. B. E), Sotaesan announced the outline of the doctrine for the new religious order. lts contents consisted then, as now, of the two central tenets of Won Buddhist doctrine, viz. Four Graces and Four Essentials which spell out the ways devotees should follow, and Three Principles of Training and Eight Articles as the essential ways of discipline. While drafting the basic canon with his disciples, he exchanged his ideas for Buddhist renovation with Buddhist monks. Eventually. he wrote the Chosun Pulgyo Hy\ksillon lon Reformation of Korean Buddhisml and the Suyang Yingu Yoron [Outine of Spiritual Cultivation and lnquiryl. The main point of the former is that the outmoded and obsolete Buddhism should be modernized and renovated to be useful for general salvation. The latter contains the correct method of spiritual cultivation and articles of inquiry as the correct ways of discipline. Using these texts. Sot'aesan directly taught his disciples at Pongnae Cloister.
As his followers gradually grew in number. groups were organized in districts and his teachings were spread thereby. As the years went by since tne move to Pongnae Cloister, disciples of earlier times came one after another from various districts. and some of them expressed the opinion that a new religious order should be opened. At last in 1924(9 W. B. E.), Sotaesan chose the place in Shinyong-dong, lri, Ch6lla-puk Province, as the site fpr general headquarters where Won Buddhist General Headquarters is now located. ln that year. he held the.inaugural meeting at Pogwangsa Temple in lri (which was rented temporarily), and the tentative name of "The Research Society of Buddha Dharma." was used until 1945, the year Korea was liberated. The current name, W1nbulgyo,or Won Buddhism, was used thereafter. !n the fall of that year, two straw-thatched houses were built. This marked the beginning of the construction of the General Headquarters. lt was 9 years after Sot'aesan's great enIightenment. At the beginning of the construction of the headquarters, the devotees' communal life (chonmu ch'utsin) started. The nine disciples and the others from the earlier years were mostly poor peasants, hence their communal life during the construction of General Headquarters was to be a continuation of their earlier poverty and hardship. They started by manufacturing and selling taffy and doing tenant farming. Later. they tried businesses such as raising silkworms, managing or-
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chards, and raising livestock, accompanied by all sorts of difficulties. However. they did their menial tasks without hesitation; for they found in them a great joy, tb be working for the new religious order. At night, they reported on the day's work to the Master and discussed what they had learned during the day. The Master gave them guidance with sermons. To this day. the communal life continues and the body of devotees continues to be the heart of the order. ln 1935 (20 W. B. E.), a dharma hall. Taegaclrtn [Enlightenment Halll, was built within the precinct of the Headquarters through joint efforts among all followers. The symbol of Dharmakaya Briddna. ll-Won-Sang [a circular figurel. was enshrined at the altar in the Dharma Hall. Until that time, Sotaesan had not made it official that ll -Won-Sang should be enshrined, although he occasionally drew a circle to express that to which he had been enlightened. By enshrining it, Sot'aesan had chosen ll-Won-Sang as the symbol of ultimate truth. By enshrining it as the object of worship and as the standard of moral practice, Sot'aesan had completed the foundation for the new religous order. Now, Sot'aesan was not simply a peasant's son in an obscure village, Ror was he merely a founder of Won Buddhism, which was barely established. He looked far ahead to the future of mankind and felt it his obligation to save all sentient beings suffering in the bitter seas of misery. Sot'aesan reflected his enlightened vision on the situation of that time and said: ln accord with advancement of material civilization. human knowledge in general and technology in particular, of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants has improved to a great extent. Subsistence commodities are dazzling human eyes and minds with brilliance, making feeble the spirit of those who use such material conveniences. lt is regrettable that the human spirit, which should be master, is enslaved by the power of material things. No matter how good a thing is, it can be abused if the user's mind is evil. Great skill and extensive knowledge can be harmful to the public, and a good environment can turn into a ground of sin and crime if one's mind is vicious. Thus, material conveniences displayed under heaven, no matter how brilliant they are, can make human life better or worse depending on how the mind functions. lf the mind functions rightly, all the results of civilization will be useful to the construction of a paradise; but they will be like a murderous weapon given to a robber if the minds of citizens function wrongly.
Upon examining the situation
of the time from various
perspec-
tives Sotaesan established a motto: As material civilization develops, cultivate spiritual civilization. This is the founding motto of Won Buddhism. Soiaesan called the order The Research Society of Buddha Dharma, and gave reasons for doing so. I have heard of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism with their scriptures; and of newly rising religions with their tenets in the East, and of Western religions and ten-ets. I will study their doctrines and check them against what I have been awakened to.
Sotaesan surveyed the scriptures of Buddhism, Ch'ondogyo, Christianity, and others. After reading the Diamond Sutra, Sot'aesan said: Sakyamuni Buddha is really the sage of all sages. Although I attained the truin through self-instruction, I have discovered many coincidences between *y 5*n motives for following the religious path_and those of the old Buddha, up until the time when I myself attained Enlightenment. For this reason I will iegard the Buddha as the antecedent of my Lg*. Hence, in the future, upon establishment of the great and perfect religous order, Buddha Dharma should be the central principle. Thus, he planned to open a new religious order with Buddha dharma as the central tenet of its doctrine; however, Buddhism needed a great deal of reformation were it to be followed. The Buddhist doctrine and system in the past were formulated mainly for monks who left the world behind, and hence, were in various ways not fit for life in the mundane world. Religion is meant to serve mankind. lf, however, the place for worship is hidden in remote mountain valleys, how can people struggling in the secular world find leisure hours to learn the teachings? Hence, we are preparing a new doctrine which can be practiced both by priest? ald iaity. Th-e genealogy of the dharma transmission shall be open to both. The place bf practice for cultivation of self shall be established anywhere in accoidance with the needs of laypersons. The Buddhist mass should be realistic, with no superstition. rules of rites and rituals shall be made appropriate and useful for daily life. Doctrines and systems shall be made proper for the times and the general public. The canon and scriptures shall be published in a language which the general public can learn easily.
It was in 1943 (28 W. B. E-), 27 years after his great enlightenment, and 19 years since the opening of the General Headquarters, that Sotaesan's S2years of life ended. On May 16, l're delivered his last sermon.
lf a baby grows, it becomes an adult. lf an ordinary
man is enlightened,
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he becomes a Buddha. And a disciple becomes a teacher by learning. I want all of you to cultivate real ability so that you may become tachers of younger generations and proper guides for the great task of delivering all sentient beings and curing the world of illness. The birth and death of man kind are like the rotation of four seasons and the repetition of day and night. Buddha-Bodhisattvas are not deluded by going and coming and hence are free at coming and going. while other sentient beings are deluded and not free. This is the only difference. Corporeal birth and death is the same for ordinary sentient beings and Buddha-Bodhisattvas. Do not confine your faith in the person alone; have faith in the Dharma. When the great way of ll-Won becomes conspicuous, this nation will become the spiritual leader and the origin of new morality. And a truly civilized and unified world will be realized on this earth. At last, on June lst, 1943 (28 W. B. E.), Sotaesan entered Nirvana leaving his disciples behind. ln recognition of his holy work. Chongsan, his successor, wrote his epitaph as follows: ......Alas.z The Great Master, Sot'aesan, the sage of all sages throughout vast kalpas, was born and grew up in a poor and remote village. He appre, hended the general principles of matters of fact without learning and was enlightened to the great way without any teacher's guidance. Living in turbulent times, he did not hesitate to carry out his mission to deliver all sentient beings. When he confronted obstinate people, he was ready with an all-round capability to deliver them. Though his appearance was like the peak of a great and steep mountain, he was full of compassion as warm as the spring breeze. Though he handled daily affairs with cheerfulness, magnanimity and vigor he could solve even the minute details of complicated problems for his disciples. Though he reformed the teachings of old sages, he renovated the gist to stand up. Though he synthesized a myriad of Dharmas into unitary truth, necessary differences were explicated clearly. Though he applied the unitary truth to a myriad of Darmas, its ultimate reality was made ever clear. lnside, he was based on the supreme principle of profound truth; outside, he manifested the true law of ll-Won through the tiny branches of all matters and things in ten directions of the universe. he is what is called Tathagata IBuddha] of ten billion nirmanakaya[transformation body] and the greatest of all holy sages in the universe.
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Religious Ethics in a Multi-religious Society Prof. Yi Hum Yoon
1. Background Religions in a modern multi-religious society face two mutually conflicting demands. On the one hand, religion as an absolute belief system tends to embody its belief in society, thus inevitably imposing expansionist will. or propagandism, upon others. On the other hand, however, it is simultaneously requested to maintain sound dialogue with neighboring value systems such as other religions with which it shares the modern society they belong to. Since true dialogue is possible only when one recbgnizes other absolute values. it begins with acceptance of the historical fact that what it believes in is just one of the absolute values coexisting in a given society. This means that a modern religion cannot avoid an antinomy, say, acceptance of absoluteness of other'values as well as its own absoluteness. This is why a modern religion successfully carrying out the historical task given to it depends upon maturity. with which the antinomy is harmoniously accommodated. Such harmony is so difficult to achieve that direction of future human civ"ilization hinges upon the maturity that creates the harmony. When a religion does this task, it cannot avoid anachronistic mistakes. For example, with an egocentric interpretation of the historical task, a religion regards dialogue as an instrument to win other religions over, which, with improper understanding of the task, one finds oneself in the mire of confusion between expansionist propagandism and valuable dialogue. This often leads to either self-deception or self-centered argument without objectivity and persuasiveness. Put differently. one who rejects inter-religious dialogue seldom knows where modern societies in this century come from and go to. lt behooves us to wipe out deceptions and fallacies committed under the name of inter-religious dialogue. lt is time for us to take stock of what we have done through what we call inter-religious dialogue. Harmonizing conviction of absoluteness of one's own values with accommodation of its historical relativity amounts to creation of a new value. A new order derived herefrom is the basis inter-religious dialogue builds on. This basis is tenuously related to contents of
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thought or value. Rather, it is a context of belief system, or an order of life itself. This axiom is not derived from a certain thought system, Rather, it is a historical misbion this century has imposed upon the mankind.
Today, in any society a religious creed cannot justifiably take precedence over all other social values. ln other words, the absolute authority of the mediaeval religion is no longer tenable in this time. Religious knowledge has long shifted both its responsibility and authority to modern sciences and universities where they are produced. This means that expert knowledge is being acknowledged as an integral part of human conscience and is exp'anding its own territory in history. independent of religious belief. Now, one has to recognize the reality that religion has become a retative entity even within the realm of human conscience. lnter-religious dialogue will do good only in societies where this reality is fully respected. The role of modern sciences and intelligence, which have successfully proven historic relativity of eligion, teach us two important lessons. First, it verifies nonexistence of objective evidence that proves superiority of the creed and belief system of one religion to those of another. Adherence to "absoluteness" of one s own religion, thus in defiance of the lesson, inevitably constitutes imperialistic expansionism. Of course, this problem does not exist in mono-religious societies or when a certain religion plays predominant social roles. ln multi-religious societies where a variety of different religions are to coexist. such expansionism creates conflicts and plays destructive roles. ln this context, lndo-Pakistan wars, Arab-lsraeli conflicts in the Middle East, terrorism in North lreland. etc.. all from inter-religious enmity in multireligous settings merit our special attention. Nobody can justifiably deny that much of social instability and destructiveness in this modern time stems from imperialistc arrogance and blind self-conviction of religions. This leads us to a second lesson: religions need dialogue. ln sum, inter-religous dialogue does not matter because it is required by different religionsin multi-religious settings. lt is secular history, one should note, that imposes dialogue upon religions. not vice versa. Secular history requests religions, no matter how absolute each of them may be. to assume both rights and responsibilites within the framework of the given social norms. Unfortunately, however, history shows us that most of human efforts for inter-religious dialogue in the past have failed. This is because they attempted to bring up dialogue out of religious themes. not social ones. With this in mind, now I will
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categorize patterns of inter-religious dialogue and identify problerns inherent in each pattern of dialogue. l[ . Patterns of lnter-religious Dialogue
Historically, different motives have categorized inter-religous dialogue into three patterns: missionary dialogue. dialogue with common purposes, and one for coexistence and social order. Missionary dialogue consists of (1) dialogue with passive objectives such as to soothe unnecessary friction with aboriginal or other religions, and (2) one with active objectives such as to convert believers of other religions through localization of the dialogue. Examples of the second pattern of dialogue include inter-religious dialogue through voluntary participation, dialogue in which religions are forced to participate to fulfill certain national policies, and one through which religions jointly pursue societal peace and stability. Strictly speaking, missionary dialogue is de facto monologue, or a conciliatory activity that camouflages a superiority complex. lt is by no means real dialogue to show generosity for the purpose of silencing resistance f rom aboriginal culture of other religions. Likewise, "localization of dialogue pursued as an effective missionary tool is not dialogue in the real sense. either. Rather, it is a conciliatory tactic. Dialogue should be mutual by its nature, and it has meaning only when one recognizes the existence of the other side and respects what the other side believes in. Therefore, missionary dialogue, no matter how it is painted or dressed up, is likely to expand disguised with generosity and conciliatory gestures. Meanwhile inter-religious dialogue with common purposes relies on voluntary participation by various religions, and thus, involves mutual understanding and communication. The 1919 lndependence Movement of Korea well depicts the importance of voluntary participation in such dialogue. lnter-religious dialogue with common purposes takes place without voluntary participation when government requests religions to cooperate with one another for implementation of national policies. lnter-religious dialogue of this category tends to terminate when government changes its policies, as has been true in many example cases.
The third category, inter-religious dialogue for societal peace and order takes place with or without voluntary participation and usually goes with in depth dialogue among religions. ln many cases. strong
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18 WON BUDDHISM
Meeting between Western and Eastern Religions
motives lead to in-depth discussion which in turn increases durability of the inter-religious dialogues. Nevertheless, this does not guarantee durability of dialogue, either. This is so because, despite motives behind the dialogue, religions are not equipped with clear logic and objective prerequiste to multilatera! cooperation among believers with different values. History clearly shows that numerous inter-religious dialogue movements have repeated vicissitude and discontinuity, thus rising and perishing parallel with what the social upheavals require. lnter-religious dialogue for societal peace and order is not different from one with common purposes in that both jointly deal with social problems. They differ. however, in that the former offers strong motives to reflect on logics, objectives, and methods of dialogue. ln other words, this type of dialogue inevitably rquests each religion to transcend its own values and demands cooperative efforts to seek orderly relations among different religions. This is to create a sound order in multi-religious societies, that is, pluralist values. Pluralistic values should be the lynchpin of inter-religious dialogue as wetl as its trud motive.
Prof. Wi Jo Kang
Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. who taught Eastern Heligions and Ethics at Oxford University in England and served his country of lndia as both Vice-president and President, wrote in his book Eastern Religions and Western Thought: The world has found itself as one body. But physical unity and economic interdeperdence are not by themselves sufficient to create a universal human community. For this we require a human consciousness of communily, a sense of personal relationship among men. Yet to our dismay we find that the world is today divided and afflicted by formidable evils.
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'he The Great Master said, "My teaching mehtods may be.exGreat plained plaine rd in two rways: first, like a tree my teaching goes from the il leave branches and finally reaches down to the roots; and X leavess and brar rd, like a tree it starts from the roots and extends up X secor second, also lik to tn thee leaves aand brandches. The purpose is to train people in fi.to the Law thel aw adequi adequate to the fundamental ability of each person.
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From "On Doctrine" of The Scripture of Won Buddhism
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He wrote this in 1939 in the beginning of the Second World War, more than a half-century later, how pertinent his words are and relevant to our world today. ln spite of the talks about the end of the cold war and the New World Order, we are. in these days witnessing seemingly perpetua! conflicts in the Near East, unrest in Eastern Europe and continuing division of the two Koreas. We are still in the midst of the world "afflicted by formidable evils" of division and conflicts. We agree with Sir Radhakrishnan who also said in the book: "The supreme task of our generation is to give a soul to the growing world consciousness. " All religious strive for the establishment of ideal human community and each religion has its own well-established concept of human community. Yet, often a community which experienced development by one religion is exclusive and hostile toward a community of another religion. ln lslam, the center of Muslim life is the community, called ummah. When Muhammad established the first Muslim community in Medina, religious and secular affairs were closely integrated. Muhammad was thus the secular head of this new community as well as its religious leader. The first mosque, the house of prayer. was not only the center of religious life but also the hub of educational, military, economic, and political affairs of the people who believed and submitted their total life to Allah. This community was further bonded together and sustained by the life, but was also the hub of educational, military, eco-
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nomic, and political affairs of the people who believed and submi-tted their total life to Allah. This community was further bonded tog-ether and sustained by the "Five Pillars" of religious duties, performed by the members of their community. By the performance of required religious duties, Muslims express their solidarity and loyalty to each other. Thus the Muslim community is characterized "bY a high degree of personal intimacy, emotional depth, moral commitment, social cohesion. and continuity in time." The unity in the Muslim community is based on belief in Allah and respect for Muhammad, not on national origins, geographical areas, kinship, or organizations. The foundation of the Muslim community is ISLAM, submission and surrender to the will of one true Allah. ln this community of Muslims, "the people who surrender to Allah," there dwells righteousness and decency of life. The Muslim community is therefore characterized by a strong sense of justice. and justice is often expressed in supporting the general welfare of all its members. Therefore, Muslims consider it part of their religious and secular duty to Protect the welfare of the members of the community. lf it becomes necessary to fulfill their responsibility, the members of the Muslim community do so willingly. The UMMAH is sacred and any actions essential to protect it are among the highest and most honorable duties. For Muslims, there is no place of belonging more important than the UMMAH, where the life of lslam. the surrender to God, really happens. ln Hinduism, the sense of unity and oneness of human community is expressed in the doctrine of Vedanta, the system of philosophy derived from the Vedas. Vedas teach that all existing things derive their entity from a universal soul called Brahman Each existing thing. including each human, has an individual soul called atman. Brahman and atman, however, are not Separate entities but one. Only human ignorance sees them differently; the "enlightened one" knows the unity' The upanishads, the Sacred Scripture of the sixth century B. C., explains the unity of all things in the form of dialogue between a father and his son. Place this salt in water, and then wait on me in the morning. The son did "Bring me the salt, as he was commanded. The father said to him: which you placed in the water last night." The son having looked for it, "Taste it found it not, for, of course, it was melted. The fathel said: "lt is salt." from the surface of the water. How is it?" The son replied,
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"Taste it from the bottom. How is it?" The son replied, "lt is salt." The father said, "Throw it away and then wait on me. He did so; but salt exists forever. Then the father said, "Here also, in the body, forsooth, you do not perceive the truth, my son; but there indeed it is. That which is the subtle essence. in it all that exists has its self. lt is the truth./ "
So the truth, like salt in water, is unseen; yet ih" trrth is everywhere. One can taste the salt from the surface or bottom or center of the water. As salt dissolves in all water. so truth permeates all things and therefore nothing exists apart from the origin of all existence. For the Hindu this origin of all existence is Brahman. With this emphasis on oneness and unity, the Hindu community, like the Muslim community, does not distinguish between the spiritual and material, or the religious and the secular realities of human community. However, in the Muslim community, the commercial and political aspects of life play important roles; in the Hindu community spiritualism dominates. Thus, the structure of Hindu community life, centered around the priestly class of Brahmins, leads to priests becoming the dominant members of the Hindu society. During the early years of the Hindu community's formation, political leaders and military generals dominated society. Later, by the end of the sixth century B. C., the generals and administrators formed the Kshatriya,s caste, which is subordinate to the Brahmins. Then the conquered native people of the -land, the Dravidians, bdcame Shudrats, those who would be on the bottom of the social stratification, or outcastes. Between the kshatriyas and Shudras. farmers, merchants, and common people formed the 'Vaishyas caste. According to Hindus, the caste system provides a place and time of belonging for all human beings in their temporary worldly existence. Since individuals in the natural world derive their existence from the ultimate reality of the universal soul, Brahmin, each individual human being-as an Atman is a part of Brahman-is therefore a part of the entire human family and the universal soul. As each existence is dependent on every other in the natural world. so in human community all human beings are interdependent and united as one. Each caste social group is to fulfill its good karma (action) within the boundary of the caste. so that in a later stage of life or samsara (reincarnation) a soul can be born into a higher living being. Caste members, therefore, perform their karma as a kind of religious duty in the "giveness of their caste. This ongoing activity witnesses to the
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fact that the human community consists of many individuals. groups, and castes, all of whom are united ultimately with one another as partakers of the ultimate reality, Brahman. ln spite of the Hindu tradition's strong emphasis on the unity of everything. including all of humanity, there is rigid separation and discrimination among the castes in lndian society. This kind of separation leads to discrimination and mistreatment, and even violence, despite the professed acceptance of the Hindu doctrine of ahimsa (nonr,. Icnce) To Buddhism, the ideal human community is the community of Buddhas, the enlighiened ones, who are liberated from clinging to the world. Clinging to the world causes suffering, and suffering inflicts sickness into human community. Therefore, for human community to be healthy, the members of the community must free thrmselves from clinging to the world. Further they must achieve a state of nirvana which literally means "extinguishing fire. " Human lif e is surrounded by the fire of urges, selfish desires, and material clinging which causes suffering. To eliminate this suffering and achieve the state of nirvana one must be released from the condition of worldly existence. The way to achieve nirvana varies according to the different branches of Buddhism. However, all branches of Buddhism agree on the model of human community. This is the example of Samgha, Ihe monastic community. Those Buddhists who participate in the monastic life of Samgha strive to eliminate the sufferings of human life and to help others attain the goal of the state of nirvana. ln the Southern Buddhist tradition, often called Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism, great emphasis is put on the life in samgha, that is, a monastic community. With its observance of Vinay a. the rules of Samgha, these monastic communities become the centers and ideal models of human community. The life of samgha as the ideal form of human community, prohibits the destruction of any form of life, stealing, unchastity, lying, the use of intoxicating drinks. eating between meals, attending secular entertainment, the use of jewelry, the use of luxurious beds, and selfish handing of money. The main part of life in samgha is the practice of contemplative meditation, through which the attitudes of the members of the community are moved toward feelings of loving kindness. sympathy with all living beings, and compassion to all without partiality. The members of Samgha are equal, although they recognize seniority and degress ot spiritual achievement. ln any case, no one is superior to another or
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partial to another. Administrative decisions are made through a democratic process in which supposedly all members participate. Punishment for minor violations of community rules is often carried out collectively.
The Mahay ana Buddhists also believe thal samgha, representing the assembly of Buddhists who have liberated themselves from clinging to the world and sin is the source of Buddhist truth. This is effectively the case whether Buddhists live in a monastic community or outside of it. ln samgha. the nature of human community and moral life is both learned and taught. Thus, in Mahayana countries samgha plays a vital role as the "enlightened community," the center of the human community. This encourages everyone to strive for enlightenment in Buddhist truth. Thus, in the life of alt Buddhists, learning about the nature of human life as suffering and sharing compassion to lighten suffering are important elements. Samgha becomes the model of ideal human community where peace and compassion are shared by all people. Regardless of the branch of Buddhism to which one belongs, Buddhist communities do not depart from their basic characteristic of helping to deliver humanity from suffering through exercising the life of compassion to others. However, contrary to the emphasis on having "compassion for the welfare of all living things," many Buddhists discriminate against half of the human race, i. e., the female members of the human community. Although Buddhism rejected the caste system of Hinduism and recognized the equality and importance of individual rights, often the female members of Buddhist communities are looked down upon and suffer discrimination. Judaism and Christianity, which dominate religious life in Europe and North America, also have ideal views on a universal human community. Both religions teach that the world is created by one Creator in God's image. The two traditions also share the common patriarchal lineage of Abraham. God promised to bless Abraham's decsendants. But this God's blessing was not to be limited to Abraham. nor to his family, nor to the nation of lsrael. lt was God's promise to bless all nations and families on earth. for the God of Abraham was God of the entire world. God promised to lsrael "l will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. " Faithful Christians, like Jews, believe that God is God of all people and nations. God's love manifested in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ was meant for all members of the human community. The es-
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sential nature of Christian community is to be the assembly of all people which transcends nationalities, ethnic boundaries, languages and cultures. Therefore, members of the Christian community are no longer strangers and sojourners, but... fellow citizens with the saints and members of the same household of God. " As fellow citizens in the same community, church members are to enjoy the grace of God without any discrimination or social distinction. However, both Jewish and Christian communities are often perceived to be exclusive. Especially after the Babylonian exile in the 6th century B. C.. Judaism became ethno-centric, provincial. ln spite of the Hebrew Bible's universal appeal, Judaism remains the ethnic religion of the Jewish people. Christianity. too, is often identified with ethno-centric religious life among North Americans. White Europeans and the identity of churches such as the Polish Catholic, Scottish Presbyterian, or German Lutheran are far greater than the catholicity and ecumenicity of the church. Worst of all, these white European descendants living in North America often ignore the inclusive nature of the church, and fail to invite other ethnic groups to share fellowship in human community. While Africa and Asia have been the focus of intense missionary activity, generally speaking, Asians and Africans in North America are not welcomed into American church fellowships. Asian-American seminary graduates, for example, have a hard time finding places to serve in white congregations. Seeing this dark side of the reality of divisions and conflicts within religions and human community, one finds a ray of light and is attracted to the teachings of Sotaesan for the establishment of a peaceful, universal human community. However, the f ollowers of Sotaesan, too, may not practice his teachings faithfully, just as many of the followers of other religious ideals do not. ln his religious reform movement. Sotaesan tried to eliminate many of the differences between religions. He wanted religions to be examples of reconciliation and harmony. To achieve this. he thought to eliminate religious images as objects of worship. Thus. he rejected the Buddha's image as an object of worship. Sotaesan taught: "Buddha's image is only the imitation of Gautama Buddha's body and that religious truth should not be conf ined to the image of a man. " He then wanted to express religious truth in the form of Won, which literally means a circle. According to the followers of Sotaesan, Won signifies: "...the universal cosmic entity which permeates all things in the world. Everything in the universe shares the characteristics of everything
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else; all share the truth of Buddha mind. This ultimate truth is in all things and all that exists is [4/on ln this sharing of the truth, Sotaesan emphasized the practice of religious life within the reality of practical daily life. Religious life does not require worship in the temples of a particular deity. Since all human beings of this world are manifestations of the truth. Sotaesan taught that all human beings must be respected or worshipped in the service of all humankind. This life of reverence for humans in human community is exercised in service t'o others and in the protection of other people's rights. Once, Sotaesan heard an old couple saying that their daughterin-law had a shrewish disposition. To correct this, they wanted to offer prayer services and of ferings to the Buddha image. Then Sotaesan said to the couple. "Don't you know that tO offer Buddhist service to the living Buddha is more effective than to offer service to the Buddha image?" The couple asked, "Where is the living Buddha?" The Master answered. "At your home. Your daughter-in-law is the living Buddha. Serve her, and treat her as a living Buddha. " ln regard to respeiting humanity as an object of worship in the life of human community. Sotaesan taught his followers to seek the life of honor, not cursing or condemning others. he said,
Try not to curse or condemn anyone behind his back. Since there is an invisible stream of communication of spirit through the universe, if you have cursed or condemned a person even once in his absence, communication takes place and the seed of mutual conflict is sown. Likewise, if you have thought well of a person and praised him even once without his knowledge, communication takes place and the seed of mutual prosperity is sown. These seeds will in time bear bad or good fruit respectively. An earthworm and a centipede have a spirit of mutual conflict, and, therefore, if their skins were burned together, we could clearly observe that the two spirits world repel each other until one of them retreats. This shows us that the spirits of mutual conflict or accord respond to each other unfailingly. He further taught that the life of harmony in human community is not to injure or alienate one another. He said: There are three most dreadful sins in the world: the first is injuring others by declaring that they have committed sins, merely from one s own suppositions; the second is alienating intimate acquaintances out of envy; and the last is misleading innocent peopole with evil wisdom. One
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who continually commits these sins, in retribution may become
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blind,
dumb, or mentally insane.
A life of harmony can'be achieved. according to Sotaesan, because all human beings and all existing things are dependent on each other. Sotaesan describes this relationship as "indebtedness" to others. On this point he wrote: easily how one is indebted to the Grace of Brethren, one should consider whether it is possible to live in a place where are no human beings, no birds or beasts, no trees or grass; then one will realize that life without them is impossible. lf one cannot live without the help of these brethren, without relying upon them, and without their supplies, what could be a greater Grace?
lf one attempts to know
Due to the indebtedness of one's life to others, one individual is to serve others for the collective well-being of human community. Again, Sotaesan taught: The world is composed of the weak and the strong. lf the weak and the strong live in harmony and practice their way, an eternal world of peace will be established. Otherwise, they will all suffer from disasters and there will be no lasting peace in the world.
How pertinent these teachings are in our world of conflict and division. I would like to urge the followers of Sotaesan to perform faithfully their religious duties to achieve such a peace in the world. Especially in this land of Korea, the land of Sotaesan s birth, which has suffered division for over 4Syears as the result of the Cold War, the followers of Sotaesan can play a significant role in achieving national reconciliation and reunification. Seeing the example of Sotaesan's followers. all the followers of different religious traditions may be inspired to follow faithfully their religious ideals of building a peaceful universal human community, in which meetings between Western and Eastern religions can take place.
ln Won Buddhism, six stages of moral practice are suggested and applied to all believers, whose levels of moral discipline are graded at regular times in accordance with 'Gradation of Dharma Ranks' of the Canon of Won Buddhism. The Prime Master Daesan of Won Buddhism spells out every phrase of it as follows:
| . The Grade of Common Faith When one enters the order, one departs for the Buddha stage. A. This is the first step taken by the one with a sincere wish to realize Buddhahood; one has entered, like enlisting in the army, the gate of Won Buddhists discipline to become a BodhisattvaBuddha, observing the Ten precepts for Common Faith. B. At this statge the beginner receives a dharma name and Ten Precepts f or Common Faith. being either male. f emale, old, young, viltuous, base, high, low, literate, or illiterate. I[
. The Grade of Outstanding Faith
The one at this level is determined to reach the level of Buddhahood and has a firm faith in the correct doctrine. A. One at this level is interested and delighted in carrying out selfdiscipline and this moral cultivation, so that nothing can replace the firm faith in reaching the Buddha level. One finds it joyful to keep the Twenty Precepts; SucceSS of one's goal to realize Buddhahood is determined at this stage. B. The position of Tathagata s great enlightenment is no doubt very lofty; however, when a firm faith in the truthful doctrine has set in the mind of the enthusiast, a ceremony for the reatization of a sagehood takes place in the dharma realm. lf the sincere faith and aspiration to reach the Buddha stage be as thorough as to pierce heaven, a higher stage can be reached without a hard and desperate battle in one's mind. f[. The Grade of Battlefield between Good ldharma]and Evillmara) One at this stage experiences hard fighting
of good against
evil
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while one disciplines oneself deep in mind. A. The one at tnis stage understands the main points of the doctrine. No element of evil lmara] will escape one s detection at this stage of self-discipline deep in mind. The desperate battle occurs during the period of one s training against the evil guarded against by the thirty precepts; thus this stage creates the moment of crisis against which the enthusiast should not be off guard. B. Sometimes the enthusiast surrenders to the demons; but the demons cannot hide in one s mind. Although rt is of fairly high probability that one may fall into the pit of lntermediate Capacity, one may get out of this trap if one has a teacher or a comrade to whom one can confess without keeping anything back. Thus. one must follow the teacher who can lead one s faith toward the realization of the Buddhahood.
f[. The Position of Dharma s Subjugation of evil Lmaraf One's six roots at this stage function right as they operate in accordance with dharma as all evil dispositions of the mind hdve been subdued.
A. The one at this stage has a thorough mastery of the doctrine and has no doubt about the principles of Self-nature [meta-
physical first principles of the universel. As the good ldharma) has won the victory over demons lmara) and one has completed one s own emancipation not only from all sufferings but from life and death itself, one has finished the self-deliverance, attaining to the initial sagehood qualified to be a master of those in need of deliverance. B. The Thirty Precepts are no more disturbing to the one at this stage than a sword is harmful to a sane adult. Nevertheless, one still disciplines oneself lest one s tail should be caught and constantly does one s best to deliver all living beings by keeping one s own mind-precepts. There are cases, though very rare, in which one with superior capacity leaps and reaches the Buddha stage if the latter hides his tail [traces].
Y. The Position of Leaving Home The functions of six roots manifest virtue; the whole universe
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is
one s own home.
The one at this stage grasps the gist of all religions of the past and has a thorough mastery of the doctrines of all religions of the present. One can prescribe moral principles for hurnan beings to foliow. For the well-being of all living beings one would neither hesitate to undergo any kind of suffering nor be remorseful after having gone though the jaws of death. Thus. one cultivates the household affairs of tne whole world only with the mind of Truth and altruism, and with pleasure. The one at this stage has a harmonious mind and harmonious spiritual energy. and harmonizes other human beings everywhere. The one at this stage is characterized by the ability of never-receding t avivar-tika] transforming everything with virtues. !f . The Position
ol
Tathagata with Great Enlightenment
The one at this stage is omnipotent. omniscient. and omnibenevolent, and perfectly free. A. The one at this'stage is enlightened to the truth of perfection and equality, which is manifested in action; his or her character id full of myriad abilities and virtues so that there is no obstruction in his or her actions. The one at this stage fras the ability to 'enlighten one'S own or Someone else's wisdOm again when darkened, and has the ability to have blessings return when gone so that one is endowed with blessings and wisdom for one's lives of the three ages. The one at this stage also has the ability to rekindle the Buddha-sun and has the authority and competency to roll anew lhe dharma wheel when stopped. B. This position is reached when the one at the position of Leaving Home attains to the sufficient proficiency-
{l[. Concluding Remarks This doctrine [Won Buddhism] aims at bringing up a thousand Buddhas and ten thousand Bodhisattvas. lt aims at delivering all living beings and curing the world of spiritual illness. This can be accomplished since this doctrine is such a great way that it leads one to the integrated practice of Threefold Learning and lets principles and facts keep pace with each other. Thus this doctrine is the greatest way that can be found in the past or in the future.
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NEWS CORNER 1. lVon Buddhism Participated in the 17th World Jamboree The 17th World Jamboree opened at Mt. Sorak National Park
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ing US $ 30,000 fo relief funds and "Goods of Graces" collected by Won Buddhism followers. in
Kangwon-dg,Korea, Aug. 8-16, 1991. Under the thems, "Many Lands, one world,' many world younsters got together to understand one another's customs and culture. organizers of the 17th world Jamboree drew up jamboree programs, in which scouts from different races and religions could be mixed in each of 17 subcamps. Won Buddhism held Dharma meetings at the Won Buddhist Hall, established during the week-long events, singing the Won Buddhist hymn "The Truth is One" and presenting Won Buddhist Scout Badges and neck-tie pins to the scouts. Religious leaders from eight religioris got together to exchange ideas for world peace, cutting across all religious, ideological and cultural boundaries.
5. The Closing Ceremony of 100 Day Prayer at Mt. paekdu on the occasion of the 76th Pobinjol(Bloody Fingerprint's Day), Won Buddhists f rom all the parishes started 100-day special prayer to follow the lofty spirits of the Nine Disiciples of Won Buddhism, praying for unification of Korean peninsula from May 14, 1991. The representatives fo Won Buddhism gathered at Mt. Paekdu. the spiritual mountain of the Korean people, closing the 100 days long prayer.
2. The 4th ACRP Meeting HeId
The representatives of Won Buddhism joined the 4th Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP) meeting at Katmandu. Nepal, Oct. 25 to Nov. 2, 1991. Under the theme "Asian Religions towards the 21th Century," over 320 religious leaders representing 23 countries gathered at the meeting" lt marked the first time in the ACRP history that delegates from North Korea participated in the meeting. Rev.Pal Khn Chon was elected an executive member. 3. Won Buddhism lhtroduced on Korean TV, Hawaii of lnternational Affairs of Wonkwang University, made an appearance orr the newly-established Korean TV channel in Hawaii, introducing the doctrines, activities. purpose, ets., of Won Buddhism on Jan. 17, 1992. The Hawaii-based TV company is the only one of its kind broadcasting in Korean language throughout the U. S. A..
Rev. Pal Khn Chon, Vice President
4. Transmitted "Goods of Graces "to Sudan The Won Buddhist Women's Service Party of the Central Prmotion Committes For Transmitting Graces were dispatched to Sudna, Africa, July 29 to Aug. 10, 1 991. They called Shuelmal Abusal. the Minister of Social Welfare, deliver-
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il The Great Master said, "Even the most intimate sons and t will not accept advice f rom their parents if the parents * daughters f; t themselves do not follow their own advice. Even one partner in * t a coupte that is intimately close must practice sometning ii6t t fr tice ::::'1'^'^p.TT:: 11g:*,]l:l"l"l1 l-" I * l,:l"i?:,":xg[r .first oneself, what one would teach, is the best way to
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teach others.
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From "The path of Humanity " of The Scripture v
of
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Won Buddhism
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32 WON BADDHISM
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WON BADDHISM 33
A Notice from Chairperson of WCRP/ACRP Women's Wing
Since being named the chairperson of the World,tAsian Conference on Religion and Peace, Women's Wing. at the Kathmandu General Conference. it has been my aim to produce a newsletter for the purpose of sharing information among all those who work for the common goals of the organization. So far, my appeals to individual chapters for reports of their activies have not been terribly fruitful, with one refreshing exception. Mrs. Rehana Anees. Joint Secretary of the Pakistan Chapter of the Women's Wing has submitted the following news which both inspires our gratitude for her and her members diligence, and encourages us to continue our appeal for similar items, which will continue to appear in Won Buddhism Magazine until the time when providence accumulates sufficent news to render practical a separate independent publication. Here, in her own words. is the report of Mrs. Anees Pakistan Chapter: REPORT..
We send heartiest congratulations on your being elected as the Chairperson of Women's Wing WCRP,/ACRP with hope that in your guidance and leadership we will work for the best of interests of humanity in bringing Peace, Love and Unity among people of all religions. The Pakistan Chapter has been working very effectively in the past years and hence we have definite plans for the year 1992. lt being the year of the environment we have begun our efforts to work on the "Green Project" and "Save Environment". This is a school-toschool programme in which children are made aware of the hazards of pollution, unhygienic conditions, dangers of druges and love for plants.
tt is a programme mainly based on war against pollution. We also had a Poster Painting Exhibition on the topic. with 300 posters being admired by our eminent guests. The WCRP Women's Wing Pakistan Chapter aim is to keep children active and busy in different creative activities so that they may channelize their energies. We hope to have another function on "Peace" in November,'92. Atong with these programmes, we are arso working to combat drug abuse. I have personally taken up the duty of
counseling drug addicted patients and their families every week. As lncharge.of the Wonmns Wing, lfeel great responsibility in fulfilling the resolutions we made in the Nepal Conference. I hope you lvill appreciate my humble efforts and guide me for future ptans. Your guidance will be a source of encouragentent and eniightenment. t believe in being sincere to my works as "There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination. "
I do indeed appreciate the efforr, o, ,;t.-i?,::i,TfiJ;Til:; you will respond to her report of them by intensifying your own works, and reporting them to us as you have, so that alt our readers
may be as inspired and encouraged by them as we are.
PKC
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The women priests of the Central Promotion Committee of Transmitting Graces of Won Bjuddhism met with Mr. Shuelmal Abusal, the Minister of Social Welfare, delivering U. S. $ 30,000 and Goods of Grace collected by Won Buddhist followers. July 30, 1991. A Won Buddhist representative visited a refugee's carnp.
The Scene ree, 1 991
of
Dharma meeting for the scouts
of the 17th World Jambo-
President Lognov of Moscow State University paid a courtesy call to the Prime Master of Won Buddhism, lri, Jan. 1,1992
The front view of the newly established(Nov. Tranining Center of Won Buddhism, lri
9,'lggl)
CentralChungdo
The 3rd Exhibition fo Won Buddhist Artists' Association was held at
Chonpuk Gallery, Chonju, Sept. 28 to Oct. 3, 1991.
The founding members of the Foundation posed for the camera. Nov. 25. 1991.
of Won
Buddhism, Moscow,