Jogye Order publishes bilingual series on Korean Buddhism

Jogye Order’s newly published English-language series on the teachings of Korean Buddhism, “Collected Works of Korean Buddhism.” (Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism)

Late Ven. Jigwan’s ambitious project comes together seven months after his death


Jogye Order, the nation’s largest Buddhist sect, has published an English and ancient Chinese bilingual book series on the teachings of Korean Buddhism, it announced this week.

The 13-volume series, titled “Collected Works of Korean Buddhism,” contains teachings of celebrated monks throughout Korean history, including Wonhyo (617-686), Jinul (1158-1210) and Hyujeong (1520-1604). The series’ Korean edition, translated from the ancient Chinese texts, was published last year.

The series, also translated from the original Chinese texts, is the result of an ambitious project initiated by the late Ven. Jigwan, who served as the executive chief of the Jogye Order from 2005 to 2009. The project began in 2006 with the support of the Culture Ministry.

“This series is mainly for scholars and those who are interested in learning Korean Buddhism,” said Kwon Ki-chan, researcher of The Jogye Order Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Society.

Late Ven. Jigwan, who served as the chief of Jogye Order, Korea’s largest Buddhist sect. (Yonhap News)

“We felt that there really aren’t many English-language resources on Korean Buddhism overseas. Many cannot differentiate Korean Buddhism from Chinese Buddhism. This series is to serve as a basic guide for those who would like to research Korean Buddhism.”

Kwon said the late Ven. Jigwan was particularly keen on the quality of the translation of the series. A total of 46 local and foreign scholars participated as editors and translators for the series, including UCLA’s Buddhist scholar Robert Buswell, University of Tokyo’s A. Charles Muller and Dongguk University’s Ven. Haeju.

“Many scholars hold different views on the featured monks’ teachings and texts,” Kwon told The Korea Herald. “Late Ven. Jigwan stressed the importance of providing an impartial translation of the texts, in spite of the translators’ varied opinions on them.”

The collective translation process was in fact inspired by the way ancient Buddhist translators worked in China’s Sui (589-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, said Kwon.

In Sui and Tang, there were a total of nine different roles in a group of Buddhist translators. Among the nine, one would make the initial translation of the Sanskrit texts ― the Indo-Aryan and literary language of Buddhism. The other eight translators were each responsible for different tasks, including grammar, scholarly interpretations, diction and sentence structures.

“Most translators today either work alone or with one or two partners,” said Kwon.

“But because these Buddhists texts are complex and can be interpreted in many different ways, one or two translators may unconsciously end up adding their subjective views into their works. That’s why we got many scholars and translators to work on this project together, just like the way it was done in the old times ― to make it fair and academically neutral.”

The newly published series will be distributed to foreign universities and academic institutions, the order said.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)

Download Zip File Containing 13 Full Volume PDF's


The Collected Works of Korean Buddhism

August 10, 2012

Preface To the Series

Download Files

Table of Contents

1. VOLUME 1: 元曉 WONHYO: SELECTED WORKS
2. VOLUME 2: 知訥 CHINUL SELECTED WORKS
3. VOLUME 3: 休靜 HYUJEONG: SELECTED WORKS
4. VOLUME 4: 華嚴 HWAŎM I: THE MAINSTREAM TRADITION
5. VOLUME 5: 華嚴 HWAŎM II: SELECTED WORKS
6. VOLUME 6: 諸敎學 DOCTRINAL TREATISES: SELECTED WORKS
7. VOLUME 7-1: 公案集 GONGAN COLLECTIONS I
8. VOLUME 7-2: 公案集 GONGAN COLLECTIONS II
9. VOLUME 8: 禪語錄 SEON DIALOGUES
10. VOLUME 9: 詩選集 SEON POEMS: SELECTED WORKS
11. VOLUME 10: 文化 KOREAN BUDDHIST CULTURE: ACCOUNTS OF A PILGRIMAGE, MONUMENTS, AND EMINENT MONKS
12. VOLUME 11: 梵網經古迹記 EXPOSITION OF THE SUTRA OF BRAHMĀ’S NET
13. VOLUME 12: 韓國高僧碑文 ANTHOLOGY OF STELE INSCRIPTIONS OF EMINENT KOREAN BUDDHIST MONKS
14. Publication Information

Interesting Paradox about Korean Buddhism

The Official Site of Jogye Korean Buddhist is Celebrating the fiftieth year of having celibate monks, vs. married monks. What I find so interesting about this is that no one else in the world cares about this but a handful of Koreans who wanted to pawn off the decline of Buddhism in Korea on the Japanese. The truth be told is that Buddhism suffered severe persecution under Korean rule for more than eight hundred years. 

It was illegal to be a monk for almost six hundred years and many of them started marrying before the Japanese invaded. It can be said that the Japanese, "Single-handedly" reinstated Buddhism as the "National Religion" 

I am not Korean, I really don't care about all this nonsense, all I know is that my teacher, Zen Master Seung Sahn taught me to understand the truth in this very moment. That is it.

If you want to be married and be a monk, like T'aego or Japan, I do not care. If you want to be celibate, I also do not care. The point is why do you become a monastic and what do you do with that direction once you have accepted it.

These cultural debates, and purity of ideas, might be fine for Korean Nationals, but we in the West could really give a rat's ass.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism 50^th Anniversary

The Jogye Order is celebrating its 50^th anniversary on April 11. In ending the Japanese Buddhist tradition of the marriage in monks, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism began in its purification of the Buddhist temples. The instatement of the Supreme Patriarch and the Administration took place during the Order of Assembly at the Main Buddha Hall of the Jorge Order on April 11, 1962. The Jogye Order carries the responsibility of continuing the Korean Buddhist tradition in its 50 year history representing the 1,700 year lineage of Buddhism in Korea.

 

The Jogye Order is holding various events in its 50^th anniversary for the establishment of the firm foundation and the future of Korean Buddhism. The Museum of Korean Buddhist History and Culture has held the exhibition ‘Conversing with the 50 years of the Jogye Order’ between April 4-10. For the exhibit, the Central Archives of the Jogye Order has collected various Buddhist historical records of handwritten correspondences, diaries, records of ascetic practices, awards, photography, and recorded tapes.

 

On April 25^th at 2 p.m., the commenorative seminar of ‘Reflections and Contemporary Tasks in the 50 years of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’ was held at the Museum of Korean Buddhist History and Culture. The Jonghak Research Centre of the Dongguk University has held the seminar on ‘Korean Buddhism and the Jogye Order’ in the Dahyanggwan Hall on April 28^th at 1 p.m.

 

The Buddhist Council Conference to be held in October is to be a meeting of reconfirming the collective and collaborative efforts in working towards the future. In October to November, the installation of the Bodhisattava statue of the Sixth Patriarch of the Chinese Ch’an Buddhism, Most Ven. Huineng, has been planned. The statue is to be presented by the Guangxizosi Temple of China, the Tonsure Temple of Most Ven. Huineng, in its collaborative work for the Korean and Chinese Buddhist Relations with the agreement of the Jogye Order.

 

The Jogye Order has maintained its traditon throughout the conflicts of the transformative purification period. The Korean Buddhist community, inclusive of all sects, prepares for the next fifty years in its hopes and trust of Korean Buddhism, opening and growing into the world.