Uplifting Spiritual Cultivation for Lay People: Bhikṣuṇī Master Daehaeng (1927–2012) of the Hanmaum Seonwon (One Mind Sŏn Center) in South Korea

Abstract

This paper examines Bhikṣuṇī Daehaeng, who in 1972 established the One Mind Zen Center, one of the most successful urban mega-centres in South Korea. The Centre is located in Anyang, near Seoul, and has 15 domestic and 9 overseas branches. The Centre’s success can be attributed to the charismatic leadership of Daehaeng, who awakened herself through many years of ascetic practices rather than through teachers or going through formal Buddhist training. Her emphasis on spiritual cultivation in daily life, interconnectedness, a belief in one’s Buddha-like nature and her supernatural power explain the Centre’s huge success as an urban Buddhist mission. Based on the efforts of her lay followers, Daehaeng produced many publications, many of which have been translated into English and other languages. This paper will analyse her success and controversial innovations by focusing on her teachings and the operation of the One Mind Center.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Yong H. Kim for helping me in acquiring books and articles related to Daehaeng and the One Mind Sŏn Center.

Notes

1. Zhengyan (Cheng Yen) is a Taiwanese nun and founded the Ciji (Tzu Chi) Foundation, a Buddhist humanitarian organisation and non-governmental organisation (NGO), in 1966. Her foundation has earned international respect and appreciation for its charity, medicine, education and international relief work. It has grown into an international organisation with chapters in 47 countries and 10 million members worldwide.

2. The Eight Garudhammas endorse the superiority of monks: rules include that a nun fully ordained even for a century should stand up, greet and salute a monk who has been ordained for only a day; nuns are not allowed to abuse or revile monks; nuns should spend the rainy season in a residence where there are monks, etc.

3. Hanam was a prominent Sŏn master residing at Sangwŏn-sa, which became one of the most respected monastic Sŏn retreats. His primary disciple, T’anhŏ (呑虛, 1913–1983), became a lifelong dharma colleague of Daehaeng’s. With T’anhŏ’s help, Daehaeng received bhikṣuṇī ordination in 1981.

4. She could not stay at a temple to undergo proper monastic training because her fellow nuns did not like her iconoclastic behaviour, which came from her long years of solitary practice. In addition, she left the temple because she preferred focusing on her own mind practice rather than wasting her time in the daily work of the temple (Hanmaum Seonwon [1993] 2014, 48–51).

5. Hanmaum Seonwon ([1993] 2014). The One Mind Center published this one-volume (981 pages) hagiography of Daehaeng in 1993 to present the life and teachings of Daehaeng in a systematic manner. It consists of three main parts: Part 1 is on her life; Part 2 contains her teachings; and Part 3 includes her Gathas, Sŏn poems and Sŏn hymns.

6. Every being is supposed to have this innate Buddhahood.

7. The major Sŏn (Ch. Chan 禪) practice of the Jogye order is kanhwa Sŏn (Ch. kanhua Chan 看話禪, Sŏn of observing the key word). By focusing on hwadu (Ch. huatou, the key word) instead of contemplating on the entire kong’an (Ch. kongan, stories exchanged among the earlier Chan masters and disciples), kanhwa Sŏn intends practitioners to lead to prompt awakening to the mind.

8. Hanmaum Seonwon (2012, 65). I found the number of monk disciples by emailing the One Mind Center.

9. This series is a bilingual Korean and English reader and includes: To Discover Your True Self, ‘I’ must Die; Walking without a Trace; Let Go and Observe; Mind, Treasure House of Happiness; The Furnace within Yourself and The Spark that Can Save the Universe.

10. For the content of the Sŏn hymns (Sŏnbŏpga), see Hanmaum Seonwon [1993] 2014, 766–779.

11. Mt. Sumeru is a sacred mountain, a centre of the universe, in Buddhist cosmology.