Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 15:18:01 -0800 (PST) From: the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: The_Dojang digest, Vol 9 #148 - 7 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.8 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Sender: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net List-Help: List-Post: X-Subscribed-Address: rterry@idiom.com List-Subscribe: List-Id: The Internet's premier discussion forum on Korean Martial Arts. List-Unsubscribe: Status: OR Send The_Dojang mailing list submissions to the_dojang@martialartsresource.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net You can reach the person managing the list at the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of The_Dojang digest..." <<------------------ The_Dojang mailing list ------------------>> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Korean Martial Arts. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Today's Topics: 1. Korean Beliefs and Religion (4) (Ray Terry) 2. Re: Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 3] (NRE98@aol.com) 3. Re: Re: Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 3] (Ray Terry) 4. Korean Beliefs and Religion (5) (Ray Terry) 5. Re: Korea jobs (spunkykvf) 6. Master Hilland's Aikido-ish Hapkido :) (Ray Terry) 7. Greeting the spirits (Ray Terry) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 7:12:32 PST Subject: [The_Dojang] Korean Beliefs and Religion (4) Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 4] The Development of Buddhism and Confucianism Classical Eastern Religions In Confucianism, the king originally acted as master of rites for all national rituals. Religious rituals and government administration were thus part of the same social institution. Within this system, regional administrators were likewise in charge of the rites of their region, and the father, as head of the household, acted as master of the rites of the family. However, following the demise of the Joseon Dynasty at the hands of imperial Japan at the turn of the 20th century, the king and regional administrators could no longer perform their respective roles as leaders of national and regional rituals. As a result, Confucian rites were only performed by families. This led to the impression that Confucianism was solely associated with family rituals. At the same time, Confucianism's old tradition of education was suddenly no longer recognized. The Japanese imperialists thus paralyzed Confucianism's traditional social functions of ritual and education. Thus, Confucianism, which in Korea had been used to oppose the Japanese, lost its visible function as an institutional religion and became an invisible set of social norms and ethical rules. The Japanese thus effectively disabled Confucian opposition to the occupation by eliminating the perception of Confucianism as a social entity. In spite of this historical setback, the basic norms and values governing interpersonal relationships continue to be based on a Confucian world-view in modern Korean society. Although Confucianism, as a social institution, was unable to participate in Korea's modernization, it clearly formed a value system and invisible bond that prevented Korean society from falling into disarray during the traumatic and chaotic process of modernization. In this sense, Confucianism formed the basis for the value system that made modernization possible, and it is one of the ancient cultural forms that is relevant in Korea. After Korea's opening to the West, the problems that Buddhism encountered were more complex than those of Confucianism. With the opening of ports, Buddhism gained its freedom, only to encounter numerous problems. Internally, it had to deal with five centuries of decline, while externally it had to adjust to the ruthless pace of modernization. In addition, Japan brought married monks into Korea's celibate monastic order, which in effect, gave rise to internal discord within Korean Buddhism. It further aggravated the situation by promulgating an edict that the Japanese colonial government was responsible for the management of each temple along with its extensive assets. Even today, a half-century after liberation, the Korean Buddhist order has not been able to completely overcome the after-effects of this policy. In this sense, Korean Buddhism's preoccupation with internal problems affecting the order has left it no time to deal directly with the rapid process of modernization. Even so, Korean Buddhism has undergone rapid growth in terms of organization following Korea's rapid economic expansion during the mid-1980s. As a result, it is beginning to have an active influence on society. Korean Buddhism has become aware of its role as a social entity representing classical East Asian culture and tradition in opposition to Western culture, and has thus begun to function in this capacity. Nationalism As discussed above, Confucianism and Buddhism have played the most conspicuous roles among those conservative forces opposed to Westernization. However, Korean nationalism is just as important as a strong conservative force of the modern era. In general, nationalism has appeared in the guise of either religious or intellectual movements. Religious Movements: Following Ch'oe Su-un's Tonghak movement in 1860, countless new religions appeared in Korea. Tonghak means "Eastern Learning" and as the name implies, it was an Eastern religion embodying the Korean spirit, in opposition to Christianity which had come from the West. Tonghak's central teaching was embodied in its KaebyCok (Opening) ideology. KaebyCok was a cosmic chronology which claimed that a new era was beginning. In the West, cosmic changes typically signaled a conclusion, but in the East, they represented a new creation or "iKaebyCok." According to Tonghak, KaebyCok heralded the advent of a new utopia which would be centered around the Korean Peninsula and its people. Tonghak ideology thus fostered a nationalistic faith that culminated in the Tonghak Rebellion-a defining event in Korea's modernization. Moreover, Tonghak played a pivotal role in maintaining this nationalistic consciousness, leading up to the March First Independence Movement of 1919. Tonghak's KaebyCok ideology later became the philosophical model for Korea's new indigenous religions, such as ChCungsan-gyo and Won Buddhism. During the 1930s, these religions were already referring to themselves as "Korean Folk Religions," and they continue to do so even today. After Korea was colonized by Japan in 1910, Korea's ancient culture and national identity reappeared in the guise of these nationalistic religious movements. These became the central forces in the struggle against the occupation. The Tonghak religion, which had by then been renamed Ch'lCondo-gyo, headed the March First Independence Movement, and thus became the fundamental domestic force behind the anti-Japanese struggle. Another new religion by the name of Taejonggyo moved its headquarters to Manchuria where it became the main procurer of recruits and funds for anti-Japanese guerrilla forces. In fact, Taejonggyo coordinated the famous Ch'MCongsan-ri attack in south-east Manchuria in which resistance fighters crushed a vastly superior Japanese force. It was also the leading organization in Korea's provisional government in Shanghai. In his KaebyCok teachings concerning the advent of a new cosmic order, Kang ChCung-san had predicted the eventual downfall of the Japanese. His followers, having faith in his religious prophecies, were thus able to find courage in the face of Japanese tyranny. In this way, ChCungsan-gyo, through its religious mysticism, gave Koreans a sense of pride. Even today, devotees of more than two-hundred traditional religions can be found at famous mountains across the nation. There, they devote their entire lives to religious practice in preparation for the utopian society which will be brought on by KaebyCok. The devotees who support these religious hermits are convinced that a healthy Korean society must be based on a sense of independence as a people. As long as these religious hermits and believers exist, Korea's folk religions will continue to perform an important function to curb the general historical trend towards Westernization. Intellectual Movements: Academic circles, centered around so-called Korean studies (i.e. Korean history and language), traditional arts and mass media, formed the second force behind Korean nationalism. By the late-Joseon period, a national enlightenment movement, which combined nationalist ideologies and faiths, had already formed outside the scope of Confucianism. This movement first manifested itself as a religious movement, but then appeared as a diverse intellectual movement promoting awareness of Korean culture's unique identity. Key spokesmen for this movement were Shin Cha'e-ho (1880-1936), who promoted an enlightened, nationalistic perspective within historical studies, and Chu Shi-gyCong, who promoted Korean language studies. The central objective of the nationalist movement was not so much a rejection of Westernization, but the advancement of national identity. Hence, its primary objective was to achieve independence from Japan. Yet the movement knew that in order to obtain political autonomy, it first had to promote Korea's cultural independence. For this reason, the nationalist movement demanded, before anything else, the preservation and restoration of Korea's traditional culture. Within this context, the religious movement, which emphasized the sacred character of Korean culture, and the intellectual movement, which sought to advance Korean studies, formed a complementary relationship. Thus, theories of ancient Korean history as exposed by nationalist historians became the philosophical foundation of the indigenous religious movements of the early twentieth century. --__--__-- Message: 2 From: NRE98@aol.com Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 09:44:12 EST To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Re: Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 3] Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Re: Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 3] I sometimes don't get a chance to read all the postings. Could you please send me > Parts 1 and 2 to this? It is fascinating information. Thank you. > > Nancy (Nre98@aol.com) --__--__-- Message: 3 From: Ray Terry Subject: Re: [The_Dojang] Re: Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 3] To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 7:44:58 PST Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net > I sometimes don't get a chance to read all the postings. Could you please > send me Parts 1 and 2 to this? It is fascinating information. Thank you. Just check the ftp site, referenced in each issue. Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com --__--__-- Message: 4 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 13:36:36 PST Subject: [The_Dojang] Korean Beliefs and Religion (5) Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Korean Beliefs and Religion [part 5] Positive Acceptance of Western Thought There were those who believed that the chaos following the opening of ports could be overcome through the positive acceptance of Western culture. Those who held this open attitude towards reform can be divided into two camps: those who accepted Western culture through faith in Christianity and those who wanted to appropriate secular thought and institutions from the West. However, these two approaches initially were not clearly distinguishable. The blending of these two approaches is particularly evident when we look at the introduction of Catholicism to Korea. As we shall see below, the history of Christianity in Korea, whether it be that of Catholicism or Protestantism, is a truely wonderous development. The Christian Movement Catholicism: The Korean Catholic church was established on the initiative of Koreans before foreign missionaries entered the country. This may make Korea unique within the entire history of Christianity. Korean Catholicism began when a group of young Confucian scholars by the name of Yi PyCok, Kwon Il-shin and Yi Ka-hwan along with Jeong Yak-jong and his two brothers converted to Catholicism after reading Catholic doctrinal texts that had been sent from Beijing. In 1783, Yi SCung-hun was sent to Beijing where he became the first to receive baptism. On his return to Korea, he and the other converts established Korea's first Catholic church at the residence of Kim PCom-u in Seoul. After this amazing beginning, Korean Catholics were severely persecuted and many martyred by the government due to their refusal to participate in ancestral rites. Eventually, with the signing of a friendship treaty with the United States in 1882, Korean Catholics gained freedom to carry out church activities. In May of 1984 during the bicentennial commemoration of Korean Catholicism, Pope John Paul II canonized 103 of Korea's martyrs, making the country fourth in the world in the total number of saints. In the past two centuries of miraculous development, the Korean Catholic church has brought to Korean society the gist of Western spiritual culture developed from the Middle Ages to the present. In particular, the diverse social-welfare projects undertaken by the church's various orders have made an invaluable contribution to modern Korean society. The Protestant church has replanted modern Western culture on Korean soil through its numerous schools and medical facilities, but it is the Catholic church, providing service with an attitude of silent obedience to God, that has provided a spiritual model fully embraced by the Korean people. This attitude of service served as a source of strength during the political upheavals of the 1980s. At this time, the Catholic church, by providing sanctuary to dissidents, became the de facto representative of the Korean conscience. In the future, the Catholic church will undoubtedly continue to serve as a key spiritual authority. Protestantism: The history of Protestan-tism in Korea begins with Horace Allen, an American Presbyterian (Northern) missionary who arrived in Korea in 1884. Horace G. Underwood of the same denomination and the Methodist Episcopal (North) missionary, Henry G. Appenzeller, came from the United States the next year. From the beginning, Protestant missions simultaneously performed evangelical and social work. By establishing the country's first Western medical clinics and introducing a modern school system, these missionaries played a leading role in bringing the modern social institutions of the West into Korean society. The results of their efforts are manifold. For example, many modern national leaders came out of schools operated by the missionaries. These leaders, with their international perspective, were able to develop an anti-Japanese independence movement during the occupation. In addition, through these missionaries' efforts, many Koreans converted to Christianity, including Syngman Rhee (the first President after liberation) and much of his cabinet. Korean Protestantism grew at a remarkable pace. From the time when missionaries first entered Korea to the present, Korean society has been plagued by an endless series of upheavals. Korean society has had to struggle to survive within the rapidly changing international situation, and in order to survive, it has had to adapt itself to the new environment. The only organization that could realistically claim to ensure both Korea's survival as a people (as emphasized by nationalists) and adaptation to the times (as emphasized by reformers) was the Protestant church. After all, it was Protestantism that served as the exclusive channel for exchanges between the Korean people and the societies of America, Canada and Europe. Through this channel, Koreans were able to maintain international support for the independence movement and learn about Western culture and social institutions. Thus, Korean society did not feel opposition toward Protestantism, but instead, hoped to use it as a guide toward social reform. These circumstances were unique to Korea, and for this reason, Protestantism was able to grow more rapidly in Korea than in any other East Asian country. At present, Korea's Protestant churches have more than 10 million members. This amounts to more than 20 percent of the entire population. Korea is probably the only country where one finds churches with daily prayer meetings at 4:00 a.m., a fact which demonstrates the ardent enthusiasm of the Korean Protestant community. The Protestant church is the most active religious organization in Korea, and it is also an active social organization. As a result, the Korean church has taken on the historical responsibility for the future of Korean society. In this way, Korean Christianity, consisting of both Catholicism and Protestantism, has assumed a vital role in the modernization of Korean society. However, its social role has been restricted since the 1960s as a result of Korean society's rapid industrialization. There are several reasons for this. First, in an industrial society, corporations and government, instead of churches, play the main role in international relations, while universities are the key source of ideas on social reform. Moreover, education institutions look to the government for support. Second, Christianity still does not have firm roots in the cultural traditions of Korea, a country which has long been influenced by East Asia's classical culture and its own unique traditions. These two factors indicate that the social reformation brought on by Christianity since the mid-1980s has inherent limitations. Thus, a new paradigm is now required to further deal with the cultural trauma and after-effects brought on by Korea's opening to the West. The attitude of complete acceptance of Western thought represents, in effect, an attempt to learn about the West. In particular, this attitude became deeply rooted in Korean society as Korean students returned from studies in America and Europe. In Korea, these students entered many diverse fields, helping to plan and promote Korea's industrial development. As a result, Korea has become a competitive society centered around growth-a society that tends to overlook social justice, virtue or the environment. Reform and development are undertaken for specific goals, and these goals must embody a healthy system of values. For this reason, progress should be value-oriented. Korea, in its imitation of the West, has copied the external institutions without looking at the value system inherent in the West's industrial structure, and this has resulted in confusion. Especially during the 1990s, the various sectors of Korean society have been reflecting on this problem. this and all previous parts from korea.net --__--__-- Message: 5 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 07:39:53 -0800 From: spunkykvf To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Re: Korea jobs Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net >Did your student teach English for a college? Does this student or you have any contact info that you could email me? I would appreciate any info you have, as my spouse and I are planning a year somewhere teaching English and I am currently looking into Korea as an option. > Thank you for your assistance. Spunky spunkykvf@yahoo.com > >From: "Hapkido Self Defense Center" >To: >Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 13:15:00 -0500 >Subject: [The_Dojang] Korea jobs >Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net > >I just wanted to pass along a thought on this subject from one of my >students who just returned from teaching English in Seoul for the past 3 >years. While there are many companies that offer this service, the pay and >transportation perks are superior for those teaching in a educational >facility such as a college, rather than through non-education services such >as private groups. I have reviewed the information he returned with and I >must admit, if I was younger I would do this. Jere R. Hilland >www.geocities.com/hapkiyukwonsul > >-- __--__-- --__--__-- Message: 6 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 14:25:58 PST Subject: [The_Dojang] Master Hilland's Aikido-ish Hapkido :) Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net > Ok Bruce, Have you been talking to Ray and Dr. Kimm :) (both of them have > made the same comment!) It is funny as I have NEVER studied aikido (except > throwing my aikido 2nd dan brother around). I have had 4 hapkido > instructors. The first 3 being Korean nationals and the 4th (and current) is > Master West. I did spend the better part of decade learning daito-ryu > aikijujutsu and kenjutsu for the historical aspects as related to hapkido. Jere, Given your research into aiki-jujutsu, how do you compare and contrast aiki-jj w/HKD? Just curious... Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com --__--__-- Message: 7 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 15:53:23 PST Subject: [The_Dojang] Greeting the spirits Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net South Korean Shamans to Visit Mt. Geumgang for Rituals March 14, 2002 About 600 members of a local shamans' association will visit Mt. Geumgang in North Korea from March 23-25 to hold two sessions of ritual praying, the first of its kind since the scenic mountain was opened to South Korean tourists in November 1998. The rituals, which will proceed in a traditional way with participants praying for the reunification of the two Koreas, will be devoted to the Mountain Spirit and the Sea Spirit, respectively. "Sansinje," a ritual prayer for the Mountain Spirit, will take place on the site of the now-demolished Singye-sa Temple on March 23 and "Yongsinje," a prayer for the Sea Spirit, is set for March 25 at the seaside attraction of Haegeumgang. Each session will take an hour. With food offered to the spirits on an altar with candles lit and incense burning, the ritual will give a chance "for the South Korean shamans to greet the spirits of North Korea," said one of the organizers. For further information, call 82-2-794-3934. --__--__-- _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. US Taekwondo Union, 1 Olympic Plaza, Ste 104C, Colorado Spgs, CO 80909 719-578-4632 FAX 719-578-4642 ustutkd1@aol.com http://www.ustu.org Old digest issues are available via ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2002: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource Standard disclaimers apply. Remember 9-11! End of The_Dojang Digest