Korean Buddhism

Objectives

The student will know :

• 3 aspects about Korean Buddhism

• 1 difference between Chinese and Korean Buddhism

Materials

Worksheet

Location Signs

Location Activity

Korea Map

Preparations

• Print out the Location Signs and the Korea Maps

• Decide where the Locations will be

• Tape the Location Signs at the chosen locations

• Create a map of the church campus. Put the locations on the map.

Method

1. Review

   1. Theravada (Tripitaka, Dharma, Vinaya = rules for monks, Abhidharma)

   2. Mahayana (Boddhisatva, Madhyamaka, Yogicarna)

   3. Tibetan (Mahayana, Vajryana, Tripitaka)

   4. Chinese (Ch’an, Pure Land, incorporation of tai chi, dao-ism, confusicism)

2. Introduce the topic of Korean Buddhism

   1. What do you know of Korea?

   2. Today we're doing a scavenger hunt activity where we experience Buddhism in Korea through its history

   3. We'll start start at Korea in the 4th Century.

3. Trip to Korea in 4th Century (395 CE)

   1. The Students first must go to Korea in the 935CE.

   2. They are given a puzzle, “This is the map of Korea in 395. Much different from the our present day classroom, oh, my, But the x still marks the spot”

   3. They are to first go to one of the 3 Kingsdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla. Their choice.

   4. 3 Kingdoms (4th Century)

      1. Goguryeo

         1. Samnon School

            1. Madhyamaka (Middle Path)

            2. Principles

               1. All things are “empty” since they all are co-originated. (Things only develop/change together because all things are interdependent)

               2. Middle Path between Essentialism(Materialism) and Nihilism

      2. Baekje (City of Ungjin)

         1. Gyeyeol School (Vinaya in Sanskrit)

            1. Study of Sila/morality

      3. Silla

         1. Yeolban School (Nirvana in Sanskrit)

            1. Study of Maha Pari Nirvana Sutra

      4. After all these Kingdoms have been visited, come back to the room for the next map.

   5. Goryeo Empire (918 CE)

      1. Seon

         1. Means Meditation

         2. Related to Ch’an

   6. Japanese Occupation

      1. Won

         1. Round Buddhism.

         2. Se’on Buddhism mixed w/ Samnon, Gyeyeol, & Yeolban

         3. Japanese Buddhism missionaries: Jodo Shinshu & Nichiren

   7. Review

Evaluation

During the Review

Note

Originally, I had a map of the temple complex and a map of Korea, both with a "X" which they had to align. They were told where to go on Korea and they had to find what location at the Temple that corresponded which was where they had to go. This was taken out because it required some work with making a map of the temple and having to align it to the map of Korea.

Author

Mas Nishimura, nish221.at.gmail.dot.com, San Jose Betsuin, 2018