Chinul

Chinul

Chinul (1158–1210). A Korean (see Korea) Sŏn monk of the Koryŏ period (918–1392) who worked to reform the monastic order and provide a rationale for Sŏn practice. Observing that the commercialization of monastic activities (in the form of fortune-telling, services for paying clients, and so on) had brought many into the order for questionable motives, he sought to create a reform group called the ‘concentration and wisdom society’, which found a home when he established the Sŏngwang Temple on Mt. Chogye. At the same time, he concerned himself with theoretical issues relating to the controversy between gradual and sudden enlightenment, and the relationship between meditative experience and doctrinal/textual studies. In the former case, he adopted the typology of the Chinese Ch'an and Hua-yen master Tsung-mi (780–841), which advocated sudden enlightenment followed by a gradual deepening and cultivation as the norm. In order to serve this purpose, he proposed meditation on kōans as the best method of practice. As to the latter, he advised that Korean Sŏn not follow the example of the more extreme trends towards rejection of scriptural and doctrinal study exhibited by Chinese Ch'an, but that it keep the two together as an integrated whole. He was particularly interested in incorporating the Hua-yen philosophy of the Chinese lay hermit Li T'ung-hsüan (635–730) into Sŏn practice as its basis and rationale. Chinul produced many eminent and accomplished disciples, and is arguably one of the most influential monks in the history of Korean Buddhism.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Chinul." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Chinul." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Chinul.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Chinul." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Chinul.html

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Chinul

Chinul (1158–1210). Reformer of Sŏn (Ch'an/Zen) and revitalizer of Buddhism in Korea during the Koryŏ period (935–1392). Chinul, known also as National Teacher, Puril Pojo (‘Universal Illuminator of Buddha-sun’), integrated the nine lineages (‘Nine Mountains’) of Sŏn Buddhism into the Chogye order and synthesized Sŏn and Hwaŏm (Hua-yen) placing primacy upon the former.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Chinul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Chinul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Chinul.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Chinul." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Chinul.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Wisdom, compassion, and Zen social ethics: the case of Chinul, Songch'ol, and...
Magazine article from: Journal of Buddhist Ethics; 1/1/2006
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Magazine article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society; 4/1/2009
Introduction to "Zen social ethics: historical constraints and present...
Magazine article from: Journal of Buddhist Ethics; 1/1/2006

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