Generals and Scholars: Military Rule in Medieval Korea

7 Buddhism under the Military

131 Buddhism during the military period remained at the center of Koryŏ’s religious, intellectual, and cultural life, much as it did during the entire five centuries of Koryŏ. Not only were Buddhist monks tied to many of the leaders that dominated the dynasty during this age, but clerics assumed a new intellectual role and provided new directions to Buddhist speculative inquiry. This chapter assesses the relationship between Buddhism and the military rulers of Koryŏ.1 Although we cannot avoid touching upon philosophical developments , our primary focus will be on the institutional and social changes that marked Buddhism’s dynamic growth.2 Many scholars have noted the emergence of Sŏn (Zen) Buddhism as the dominant religious expression of the age, but its links to the military leaders and their reasons for fostering this particular school need to be explored in greater detail. This chapter also assesses the relationship between the military leadership and the other Buddhist schools. Moreover, while benefiting from the patronage of the military leaders , Buddhism also prospered under increased attention from other sectors of society. Buddhism during the military period attracted many of the finest minds of the kingdom to its temples, as scholars and young students studied with the learned clerics of the age. The result was an inevitable commingling of Buddhist and Confucian inquiry. This chapter explores these themes in an effort to evaluate the role of the military leadership and particularly the Ch’oe House in these vibrant changes. 7 Buddhism under the Military 132 Generals and Scholars Buddhism in Early Koryŏ Buddhism permeated Koryŏ culture. From the founding of the dynasty in 918, Buddhist doctrine and Buddhist priests were always present to lend the dynasty’s leadership not only philosophical sustenance but also political legitimacy. Wang Kŏn’s “Ten Injunctions” vividly demonstrated this function, and the king’s frequent reliance on monks like Yiŏm is well known. In the social realm, elites and commoners alike enjoyed Buddhist holidays and celebrations: the Assembly of Eight Prohibitions (P’algwan) and Lantern Festival (Yŏndŭng) were especially popular. The vitality of the faith is evident , too, through the diversity of its expression. Flower Garland (Hwaŏm; Ch. Huayen) and Dharma Characteristics (Pŏpsang), the main sects of Doctrine (Kyo) Buddhism, the dominant school, forwarded a scholastic approach by emphasizing textual study. Sŏn, however, the Meditation school that initially appeared in Korea in late Silla, focused on sudden enlightenment and downplayed the use of scripture. Sŏn developed a devoted following among the regional lords of rural Korea, and in Koryŏ its leadership split into nine lineages.3 The monk Ŭich’ŏn (1055–1101) in the late eleventh century introduced new changes to this Buddhist world.4 Ŭich’ŏn, son of King Munjong (r. 1046–1083), traveled to China and returned committed to bridging the difference between the Doctrine and Meditation schools. He preached the tenets of the Heavenly Terrace (Ch’ŏnt’ae; Ch. T’ien-t’ai) school, attempting to combine the special properties of Doctrine and Meditation into Heavenly Terrace. Respected both for his lineage and for his erudition, Ŭich’ŏn enabled Heavenly Terrace to win widespread acceptance up to his death. Although Sŏn suffered neglect at the hands of Ŭich’ŏn and his followers, by the start of the twelfth century it was enjoying a revival as both the royal family and a number of prominent scholars showed intense interest.5 King Yejong (r. 1107–1122) patronized a number of Sŏn Buddhist temples, such as Poje temple and Anhwa temple, and singled out the Sŏn monk Tamjin for special recognition. Scholars such as Yi Chahyŏn and Yun Ŏni also focused on Sŏn teachings. Generally Sŏn of this time was characterized by its isolation from worldly concerns and its emphasis on individual cultivation.6 Yi Buddhism under the Military 133 Chahyŏn of the Inju Yi lineage, for example, abandoned the secular world in search of meditation, living in a remote mountain area, and quickly earned such renown that King Yejong sought him out for instruction in Sŏn practices.7 The Doctrine (Kyo) school, having forged close ties with the court and ruling elites from the beginnings of the kingdom, remained the dominant force in Buddhism throughout the first half of the twelfth century. Its stress on the reading of...