Abstract
Won Buddhism, established in 1916 by Founding Master Sot’aesan (少太山, 1891–1943), is one of the most active new religious movements in South Korea. When Korean society experienced a revolution in terms of values together with a swift transformation at the societal and national levels during the late 19th century, many novel religious movements emerged. Among these movements, Won Buddhism developed as one of Korea’s influential religions with an expanding role in society, both in performing the National funeral rites for deceased presidents and in the military religious affairs alongside Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Unique interpretations of death underlie differences in rituals performed to pay homage to the dead. In this paper, I focus on the funerary rites of Won Buddhism. First, I will provide an introduction to Won Buddhism and subsequently give a brief overview of procedures involved in the death rituals of the religion. Finally, I will elaborate on the symbolism of the Won Buddhist funerary customs and discuss the deliverance service (K. ch’ŏndojae 薦度齋) as a practical demonstration of Won Buddhism’s teachings on birth and death.
Highlights
New Religious Movements on the Korean PeninsulaOver the course of contemporary Korea’s tumultuous period—with the crisis of the Chosŏn (K. 朝鮮 1392–1910) dynasty at the end of the 19th century and the imposition of Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century—numerous alternative faiths emerged and faded
I will elaborate on the symbolic value of the Won Buddhist funerary customs and discuss the deliverance service (K. ch’ŏndojae 薦度齋) as a practical demonstration of Won Buddhism’s teachings on birth and death
Sot’aesan said that ordinary people only consider their lives in the present to be important, but perceptive people recognize that how to die is vital as well. He added the following: This is because they know that only a person who dies well can have a good rebirth and a good life in the [one], and only a person who has a good birth and life in the present can have a good death; [this is] because they know the principle that life is the root of death and death is the root of life. (The Scriptures of Won Buddhism, DIAWBH 2016c, p. 336)
Summary
Over the course of contemporary Korea’s tumultuous period—with the crisis of the Chosŏn (K. 朝鮮 1392–1910) dynasty at the end of the 19th century and the imposition of Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century—numerous alternative faiths emerged and faded. 朝鮮 1392–1910) dynasty at the end of the 19th century and the imposition of Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century—numerous alternative faiths emerged and faded Some of these spiritual movements sought a third path through creeds based on neither established nor traditional beliefs. The “Great Opening” and the establishment of a more peaceful society in the future (Yun 2017; Park 2012) are ideas that flow through the vast majority of the new religious movements to this day These new faiths believe that the new heaven is the world that we are living in Among these movements, Won Buddhism has developed into one of Korea’s influential religions with an increasingly important role in society, both in performing the national funeral rites when a president passes away and in the military religious affairs alongside Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. I will elaborate on the symbolic value of the Won Buddhist funerary customs and discuss the deliverance service
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