History of Korean Buddhism

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Buddhism had its beginnings in one of the world’s earliest civilizations, the Indus valley culture known as the Harappan. This area would later become India. Outsiders known as the Indo Aryans, who had migrated from the Russian steppes, would later assimilate the indigenous peoples there. (Reat, 1994:3)
These nomadic pastoralists brought with them sacred texts known as the Vedas. Each Veda contained a section called the Upanishad. While the rest of the Vedas contained poems and hymns or practical instructions for rituals and sacrifices, the Upanishads focused more on meditation. They spoke of Moksha (salvation) from Samsara (the never ending cycle of life, death and rebirth). It is these Upanishads that would lay the foundation for Hinduism and Buddhism. (Reat, 1994:5)
Hinduism in India required regular sacrifice. This favored the rich and higher castes as only they could afford to do this consistently. The underclass was ready for something new, something more inclusive. An alternate way would come with a young Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama (560-480 BCE). Siddhartha’s father had been given a prophecy that his son would either become a great ruler or a great holy man. If he were to witness suffering, he would become a holy man. His father, wishing for Siddhartha to be a King, kept him inside the palace walls, in an idyllic life, away from any possible sight of suffering. (Reat, 1994:8) One day the prince’s curiosity about the outside world would provoke him to sneak out of the palace. On the outside he encountered scenes of old age, sickness and death. Troubled by this he began a search for spiritual enlightenment.(Reat, 1994:9)
At age thirty-five he achieved enlightenment meditating under a Bodhi tree. After which, Sid...

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...ion for Japanese Buddhism. (Reat, 1994:193) In modern Japan there are many, many Buddhist sects and eighty percent of its people practice Buddhism of some sort. (Reat, 1994:219)
From its origins in India, Buddhism was able to spread to East Asia through a variety of ways. Missionaries, merchants and migrants would provide an initial, generalized exposure. Much later the ruling class would adopt Buddhism mostly out of political reasons. Once the ruling class adopted the idea, it would then trickle on down to the general populace either by influence or by law.

Bibliography
Chong,Pyong-jo. History of Korean Buddhism. Seoul: Jimoondang, 2007.
Flower, Kathy. China: Culture Smart. New York: Random House, 2012.
Haicheng, Ling. Buddhism in China. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press, 2005.
Reat, N Ross. Buddhism: A History. Berkely: Asian Humanities Press, 1994.

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