Seon Monks

[SageGhost83]

It is known (Thanks Turnbull!) that the Seon monks of Korea played a large role in the Imjin war and were actually quite effective against the Japanese. Does anybody have any extra info on the Seon monks or any of their combat methods? I will post anything else that I find, you guys (and gals) feel free to add to the collection, too. I figure that this is one way to gather more info on Korean history, and it could be fun. Kind of a cultural scavenger hunt.

 

[SageGhost83]

I found an interesting link, I figure that this wouldn't be a bad place to start:

http://www.koreanbuddhism.net/jokb/content_view.asp?cat_seq=27&content_seq=196&page=1

 

[SageGhost83]

Here is something else that I found. Meh, it's a start, I guess :lol:.

http://www.asiarecipe.com/korbuddhism.html

 

[terryl965]

I find this opening very interesting:

Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism





Jogye Order is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that go all the way back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820 C.E. In 826, the "Nine Mountains of Seon" adopted the name "Jogye-jong" and all were instrumental in the development of the nation during Unified Silla and thereafter.

So does this mean what I believe that Korea was very heavenly influence in what was a early China involvement in history?

 

[SageGhost83]

It would most likely seem so. Korea had such close proximity to China and was even considered a tributary state of China. Also, the Koreans did look up to the Chinese. Perhaps they had a big brother/little brother relationship. Very interesting, indeed. Phew! I am glad that somebody decided to participate, I was afraid that I would look like a total goof for starting this thread only for it to be ignored. Thanks!

 

[terryl965]

It would most likely seem so. Korea had such close proximity to China and was even considered a tributary state of China. Also, the Koreans did look up to the Chinese. Perhaps they had a big brother/little brother relationship. Very interesting, indeed. Phew! I am glad that somebody decided to participate, I was afraid that I would look like a total goof for starting this thread only for it to be ignored. Thanks!

Never I will get involved in all the threads, I love to learn even if it is wrong :uhyeah:

 

[Errant108]

Several groups of monks, organized around various abbots & leaders who took the roles of generals and commanders, fought off the Hideyoshi invasion on various fronts. Their principle weapons are recorded as being spears & sickles. The primary general was Seosan-daesa (The Great Monk, Western Mountain). After the armies of Choson were crushed by the Japanese, a monk named Yong-gyu took his musaeng (warrior monks) to fight the Japanese at Cheongju. Yong-gyu was Seosan-daesa's disciple. Yong-gyu was victorious at Cheongju, but lost his life at Keomsan.

The King asked Seosan-daesa to come out of seclusion in order to save Choson. The 73 year old monk became the leader of the Monks' Army. Seosan-daesa raised units of warrior monks from monasteries across Korea, his own company numbering 1,500 strong. In particular was another of Seosan-daesa's disciples, Samyungdang, who's own unit was made up of 800 fighters. Other monks joined with militia units of their own, bringing the number of the warrior monk army to 5,000. With the help of reinforcements from the Ming army, they liberated Pyongyang. Continuing on from there, Samyungdang drove the remaining Japanese out of the southeast. When the Japanese invaded again in 1597, Samyungdang raised an army of 1,000 monks and attacked Kato Kiyomasa's base. He himself led infiltration teams (the real Korean ninjers) into Kiyomasa's camp to gather intelligence, and used this information to sue for peace talks. During one of these talks, he came face to face with Kato Kiyomasa. In an act of defiance that even the Japanese came to revere, Samyungdang told Kato Kiyomasa that the Choson Dynasty's crown jewel was Kiyomasa's head, and that the people of Choson would only know peace if he cut that head off.

Samyungdang was later asked by the King to pursue peace talks in Japan, where he was greeted by the Japanese with reverence for his bravery. The talks were successful and Samyungdang returned to Korea with around 3,000 POWs.

It is important to note that most of these monk-generals are not revered only for helping defend the nation from the Japanese, but that all of them, particularly Seosan & Samyung, are respected for their contributions to Korean Buddhism and practice.

 

[SageGhost83]

Thanks for the information, Errant! That was a priceless post. Slowly the pieces are falling into place and the history of Korea section is slowly starting to not suck anymore. I am so glad that people are posting in here and building it up artyon:.

 

[miguksaram]

It would most likely seem so. Korea had such close proximity to China and was even considered a tributary state of China. Also, the Koreans did look up to the Chinese. Perhaps they had a big brother/little brother relationship. Very interesting, indeed. Phew! I am glad that somebody decided to participate, I was afraid that I would look like a total goof for starting this thread only for it to be ignored. Thanks!

It was more like favorite step child than big brother. Korea adhered to the China's rulings simply because they knew they wouldn't be able to fight them. Anything that would oppose China's view point would be looked upon as an act of war by Chinese. Even when Korea wanted to do their own astonomy charts, they had to be done in secret because the Mings ruled the heavens.