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Modern Ch’ŏnt’ae Buddhism: Toward Understanding a New Religious Movement in Korea
Roh, Yohong
Roh, Yohong
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Thesis/Dissertation
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2024-08
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Religion
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http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10625
Abstract
My dissertation investigates the Ch’ŏnt’ae order 天台宗 (Ch. Tiantai zong, Jp. Tendai shū), one of the most successful new Buddhist movements that emerged after the independence of Korea in 1945, within the context of new religious movements. The unstable sociopolitical aspects of post-colonial society and the complex attitudes of the Syngman Rhee and Park Chung Hee governments toward Buddhism facilitated the emergence of various new Buddhist movements. The success of modern Ch’ŏnt’ae was not accidental; rather, it arrived at the right time with the right mix of elements to establish itself in the Buddhist landscape of Korea. To understand these developments, this dissertation situates modern Ch’ŏnt’ae within the broader context of analogous Japanese and Korean new religious movements. Through anthropological interviews, along with textual and historical studies of East Asian Buddhism and New Religious Movements, it examines why the order’s movement was successful and how it became legitimately established in the Buddhist landscape of Korea. I argue that the success of the Ch’ŏnt’ae order stems from absolute mass participation and support, coupled with a popular lay movement focused on individual cultivation. The practice of chanting the name of Guanyin provides a clear spiritual focus, particularly for middle-aged women who constitute the majority of followers. Modern urban mega-temples and large halls at local temples, operating 24 hours a day, serve as centers of religious life for this lay-centric Buddhism. Additionally, the establishment of a centralized system, represented by Kuinsa Monastery, satisfies modern Buddhists’ desire for both urban practice and access to the mystique of traditional mountain temples. The charisma of the founder, Sangwŏl, has been instrumental in propelling this centralized lay Buddhist organization. Sangwŏl has been deified, and his charisma has been transmitted to and maintained by his successors, continuing to serve as the driving force behind this lay Buddhist group. Moreover, despite the absence of a direct historical connection between Sangwŏl and the Koryŏ Ch’ŏnt’ae tradition, modern Ch’ŏnt’ae has positioned itself as the legitimate heir to the Ch’ŏnt’ae school founded by Ŭich’ŏn during the Koryŏ Dynasty, thereby endowing itself with historical authority. The order’s appeal to the transnational characteristics of the Tiantai tradition, support for government political powers, and responsiveness to members’ secular needs are key factors in its emergence and success as a successor to the Koryŏ version of the school. The Korean Ch’ŏnt’ae order represents a fascinating case of a new religious movement transforming into a mainstream Buddhist group that seems grounded in tradition through active utilization of past Ch’ŏnt’ae traditions and various innovative methods centered on the founder and successors’ charismatic leadership. This dissertation contributes significantly to the understanding of how new Buddhist orders are formulated within the religious landscape of post-colonial Korea.
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