A Portrait of Korean Won-Buddhist’s Mind Practice Experiences: Focusing on Higher Aspects from the Ways of Evolving to Inner Maturity

Abstract

This paper presents a portrait of a Korean woman Wonmahn (pseudonym) who engaged in Won Buddhist religious life including Mind Practice. Mind Practice allows the participant to reflect on one’s own state of mind and observe how it triggers other emotions, feelings, or effects in human relationships and in relation to facing troubles in everyday life. We try to understand how her Mind Practice affected her inner states of mind, feelings, attitudes etc. more deeply based on the “Participant as Ally - Essentialist Portraiture” approach. The in-depth interviews were conducted 6 times between the fall of 2011 and 2013. We tried to find out significant passages of transcripts and then articulate them on her ways of evolving to inner maturity through Mind Practice activities. This portrait illustrates her nature and impression with some alive passages and a timeline for grasping unity or oneness of the whole person. Also she repeatedly tried to be aware of her own mind states whenever she encounter troublesome situations in order to become a better person revealing higher aspects. In this portrait, we explore that such “higher aspects” are related with her values, commitments or inner changes as a whole person. Further we try to understand that her higher aspects are manifested as a “subtle and pervasive inner consciousness” in a person.