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The History And Culture Of Buddhism In Korea

Place of Publication: Dongguk University Press Seoul, Korea 1993.

I. Introduction:
Buddhism is the root of Korean culture despite periods of rise and decline in popularity. Buddhism combined with Confucianism is the combined practice of the Korean culture today. Buddhism was used to satisfy personal needs and Confucianism was used to satisfy political needs, all needs were met by intergrading the two philosophies. The combination of the two practices has knitted the Korean culture as we see today.

II. General Information:
The book is about the evolution Buddhism underwent throughout Korean history to ultimately lead to the Korean belief system used today—ideas of Buddhism and Confucianism shared. The author is not specified in the book. The book was edited by the Korean Buddhist Research Institute. This book is written by Korean scholars who have studied Buddhism in Korea. This is the scholar’s home, where they have lived for years.

III. Body of the Review:
Author discusses how Buddhism remained part of the Korean culture today despite the upheavals it faced throughout history thorough unstable government of Korea. The Author’s position is that Buddhism is ingrained in the Korean culture despite the changes brought about by leaders. The book covers the following topics: Introduction: Buddhism from India to Korea, Chapt 1: Buddhism in the Three Kingdoms, Chapt 2: The Unified Shilla Period: the Golden Age of Buddhism, Chapt 3: The History and Culture of Buddhism in the Koryo Dynasty, Chpt 4: Buddhism undergoes Hardships: Buddhism in the Choson Dynasty, and Chpt 5: Buddhism in Modern Korea.
Introduction: Buddhism from India to Korea. The history of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. Starting in India, the religion evolved as it spread through Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast...