Korean Buddhism Culture

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Buddhism is a way of practice and spiritual development which leads to Insight into the right nature of reality. Because Buddhist does not contain the ideology of worshipping a creator God, it does not seem as a religion for some people. However, some others identified it as a religion with over four hundred million followers in all over the World. It is originated from India and then spreaded to South, South-East and East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, etc.). Buddhist practices such as maditation are the exercizes of changing yourself in order to improve the qualities of kindness, awareness, and most importantly wisdom. This practice was created within the Buddhist tradition over almost thousands of years has offered an incomparable resource…show more content…
First of all, Korean Buddhist ideology is liberal and universal, especially about solving the cultural problems. The relationship was peaceful and mutual when Buddhism first encountered Korean culture. Korean Buddhism actually accepted the traditional Korean culture; however, they made new value and meaning from that culture. According to that, the new ideologies of a new religion and way of life was fixed to the spirit of the Korean people and became one with them. Another difference from the other Buddhist ideologies is the protectionist approach of Korean Buddhism over the people and the nation. While the country was in turmoil, it played a very important role: national peace and glory were always main concerns when it was searching for religious ideologies and goals. This unique approach to Buddhism, on many occasions, helped to protect the nation; for example, even if monks don not fight or take one’s life, they once became soldiers and armed to protect the city when Japanese invasion took place. Thus, we can call Korean Buddhism as ‘the nation protector’. The third and the most important one is the symbolization of harmony by Korean Buddhism. It did not only harmonize the religious disagreements between practice and theory, but also patched up divergent religious schools and ideas. Korean Buddhism has evolved through the actions of a really long line of…show more content…
To start beating a Moktak which is a wooden and nicely bell shaped percussive intrument, one of the monks wake up earlier and wear the ceremonial robes. After beating it, he also walks through the each part of the monastery and chant the Buddhist sutras. They perform this waking-up ceremony in every single day and it does not matter if the weather is good or bad. As the others wake up, they also be prepared to join the ceremony. All of the monks gather in the main hall for chanting after the process of beating large bell, the huge drum, the gong, and finally the wooden fish. These ceremonial activities are not meaningless, each represents some living being in the world. For example, while the large bell is for the descendent, the drum which was made of animal skins represents the animals. The living beings of the air is symbolized by the cloud shaped gong and for the living creatures of water there is the log which was made in a shape of fish. While all the living beings listen the chant and beating of the instruments, they are released by the wisdom of Buddha. According to the levels, the monks continue their daily lives after the morning ceremony. Then, they eat breakfast at 6 o’clock and the Korean temples offer rice porridge and leavened vegetable in bowls. The most peaceful and suitable time for practice and meditation is after the breakfast. To remember the custom of Buddha which was

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