Book Reviews

Seon thought in the world of Korean Buddhism has played a very important role. The Seon Dharma was introduced to Korea in the late Silla Dynasty and became very influential and the main philosophy of Korean Buddhism during the middle Goryo Period.

In Korean Buddhism, various ways of practice are used by Korean Buddhists, but it is Seon practice which is considered the best. Therefore there are many Seon centers in Korea where monks and nuns meditate and many dedicate their lives to the practice. As the practice is based on the philosophy, it is important to have a clear understanding of the ideas incorporated into Seon.

Korean Seon is very different from the Japanese and Chinese styles. Here we propose to take a look at the philosophy of Korean Seon. Though originating from China, Korean Seon developed along its own lines as it systematized and developed its own characteristics. It is therefore impossible to understand Korean Buddhism without a thorough grasp of Korean Seon.

This book consists of articles covering the early acceptance of Seon up to the modern age researched by various Buddhist scholars. Originally published in Korean in 1984, this present translation was deemed timely because of the international interest in Seon today.