Won Buddhism

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Won Buddhism (Korean, won, ‘circular’). Korean Buddhist movement, founded by Soe-tae San (1891–1943). He spent his early years in ascetic practice until achieving enlightenment in 1915. In 1924, he founded the Association for the Study of Buddha-Dharma, though under the Japanese occupation, it was relatively unknown. After 1946, the school gained many adherents. Its teaching combines the goal of seeing the Buddha in all things (and living consistently with this perception), with ‘timeless and placeless’ Zen, i.e. Zen meditation does not depend on allocated places and times.