Sudden Awakening and Gradual Cultivation: The Soteriology of Bojo Jinul in Korean Zen (Seon) Buddhism

Part 1

Authors

  • Thapakorn Kamnerdsiri Korean Studies Program, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University

Keywords:

Bojo Jinul, Soteriology, Faith, Original mind, Discriminative thinking

Abstract

The Soteriology of Sudden Awakening and Gradual Cultivation lies at the heart of the philosophical thoughts of Bojo Jinul, an important Zen priest in the Koryo Kingdom. Sudden Awakening refers to an understanding of the original nature or the true mind which is pure, and discriminative thinking which is merely a manifestation of the true mind’s awareness in the phenomenal world. Gradual Cultivation means turning the experience of this awakening into a true response to the phenomenal world.

This article seeks to examine the meanings of awakening and cultivation in order to further explicate the relationship between these two principles in Bojo Jinul’s views. Accordingly, although understanding may arise suddenly, discriminative thinking continues to influence human existence and cannot cease immediately after awakening. Therefore, gradual cultivation as a process of the original mind’s response to the phenomenal world is important for transforming human perception of the world and the myriad things which arise from the original mind into the natural expression of the practitioner.

References

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Published

2021-12-30

How to Cite

Kamnerdsiri, T. (2021). Sudden Awakening and Gradual Cultivation: The Soteriology of Bojo Jinul in Korean Zen (Seon) Buddhism: Part 1. Journal of Buddhist Studies Chulalongkorn University, 28(3), 125–167. Retrieved from https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jbscu/article/view/249596

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Section

Research Articles