Korean Bhikkhuni Sangha History Study notes from books and articles in the Un Mun Sa library and conversations

with Un Mun Sas leading elder bhikkhuni teachers, compiled by Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni (Yeo Kwang Sunim) at Un Mun Sangha College, Summer 2003. KOREA 1st Century CE ~

Karak (Gaya) Kingdom

Legend has it that Buddhism was first introduced to the Korean peninsula from India via the Southeastern Shore of the Karak Kingdom in the first century by (what may have been a Kaniskan) Ayodhyan mission originally bound by sea, (according to Kaniskan records for Greece). The ship, containing a number of Buddhist artifacts including an Asokan-style Stupa, and more than twenty bhiksus and bhiksunis was rerouted by a storm and swept up onto the Gaya shores. One of the bhiksunis, originally an Ayodhyan princess, disrobed and married the Karak King Suro (42~199), becoming Korea's first Buddhist queen. She was later known as Queen Heo Hwang Ok, and she has legendary credit for the introduction of both the Buddhadharma and the Bhiksuni Sangha to the Korean shores. Five of her children ordained and five Buddhist monasteries were founded, one of which, Hogye-sa, still remains. It is said that the Korean laypeople's ancient practice of wearing white clothes stems from her introduction and promotion of basic Buddhist practices and precepts at that time. The stupa with its mythical story inscribed still remains on the Southeastern Shore near Hogye-sa in modern Kimhae. Although the exact site has been lost since the Korean War, pre-war photographs and the story remain.

Koguryo Dynasty
The first scholastically verified introduction of Buddhism to Korea (Koguryo) from China (Ch'in) was by Dharma Masters Sundo and Ado in the 4th Century, when they arrived bearing gifts for the Kogyryo King Sosurim. The Vinaya was first brought from China and taught in Korea by Dharma Master Tan-shi. During the Koguryo Dynasty, Hyeon Yu Sunim studied in China, then India and finally reordained in Sri Lanka. Hye Pyeon Sunim was the first Koguryo monk to travel to Japan where, in the 6th Century, he taught the Japanese Minister Soga-no-umako and ordained the first three

Japanese Buddhist nuns, the Venerables Eshin (Ezen), Zenshin and Zenro (Zenzo). Hyeja Sunim also went to Japan and taught the famous rejent of Japan, Prince Shogaku.

Paekche Kingdom
Also in the 4th Century Indian Dharma Master Marananta arrived in Paekche through Eastern Chin, where he was warmly welcomed by the King Chimnyu who invited him to the palace and served him respectfully. The following year, after a temple was built, ten monks were ordained. In the 5th Century, Kyo Mik Sunim travelled to India, where he studied Sanskrit and Vinaya deeply for five years. He returned to Korea with the Indian Tripitaka Master Bhiksu Pei-da-duo bearing Sanskrit Abhidharma and Vinaya texts, which he translated into Chinese characters (the only written language at that time). In the 6th Century, King Widok is recorded as having sent a Vinaya Master, Son Master and bhikkhuni, among other things to Japan; and Japanese nuns, including the Venerable Zenshin, travelled to Paekche (588 CE) to study the Vinaya and ordination proceedures for three years before returning (590 CE) as Bhikkhuni Sangha proper to Japan. In the 7th Century just before the reunification of the peninsula, the Korean Bhikkhuni Pop Myeong Sunim also went to Japan where she was known to have cured the sick through her recitation of the Sutras.

Shilla Dynasty
Buddhism was introduced into Shilla in the 3rd Century by Koguryo monk Ado Sunim. The first record of a bhikkhuni during this period is of the bhikkhuni Sa-ssi, the sister of Morye, a Shilla lay Buddhist who helped Ado Sunim introduce Buddhism to Shilla and worked for the dispensation of Buddhism in Ilsun District (modern Sunsan in Northern Kyeong Sang Provence, South Korea). Although undoubtedly there were others ordained before her, Bhikkhuni Sa-ssi is the first Korean person, either man or women, whose ordaination as a member of the Buddhist Monastic Sangha has been verified. After the martyrdom of Ichadon, 6th Century Shilla King Peop Heung formally adopted Buddhism for the nation. The King built a forest monastery, Heung Nyun Sa, (in modern day Kyeong Ju), and there was ordained a Buddhist monk, receiving the Dharma name Beop Kong (Dharma Emptiness). The Queen following his example and was also ordained as a Bhikkhuni, adopting the Dharma name Myo

Beop (Sublime Dharma). From the year 544 many men and women were ordained at Heung Nyun Sa as bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. In his old age, the following Shilla king Chin Heung also became a monk named Beop Un (Dharma Cloud), and his wife undertook Bhikkhuni life at Yeong Heung Sa. Records show that King Chin Heung supported Buddhism very enthusiastically: many temples were built and many bhikkhus and bhikkhunis ordained. He also applied Buddhist principles to his way of governing the people and under his reign Buddhism was firmly established as a national religion. The twenty-seventh monarch of the Shilla Dynasty was Queen Seon Deok who united the Dharma of the Monarchy and the Dharma of the Buddha. She constructed temples, welcomed Buddhist teaching in the court and sponsored the ordination of as many as one hundred monks at a time. It was she who offered the contruction of the famous nine-story pagoda of Hwang Nyeong Sa as an object of faith and unity. Queen Seon Deok sponsored many monks travels abroad, Buddhist missions to Japan, and appointed Orthodox (Southern Mountian Chinese) Vinaya School Master Cha Jang, "Tae Guk Tong" (Sangharaja). He arranged the rules, lifestyle and order of the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis and everyone else concerned with the Sangha. As a result the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis lived good lives, kept the Discipline well and studied hard. Among the people, eight or nine families out of ten received the precepts and followed the Buddha's teaching. He thus established the social status of the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis and placed Buddhism in a central position in the nation. The policy of having Bhikkhunis serve in the position of "Toyunarang," the third highest position in the Buddhist heirarchy, directly below the Sangharaja and his assistants, was unique to the Shilla dynasty Sangha organization.

Later Koryo Dynasty

The steles and epitaphs of Buddhist Zen Masters dating to the late Koryo dynasty often contain the names of bhikkhuni disciples in the inscriptions; included among them the bhikkhunis: Seong Hyo, Jong Min, Cheong Won, Yo Yeon and Hui Won, all of whom devoted themselves to ascetic practice. An exemplary Koryo Dynasty bhikkhuni is Bhikkhuni Jin Hye (1255-1324 CE) who was given the title of Great Master, a status higher than Great Preceptor, only for those of the highest level of scholastic performance and moral repute. During this time the bhikkhunis main activities are recorded as: keeping the summer retreats in temples, practicing meditation, and chanting sutras; all for the stated goal of realizing Nirvana. The bhikkhunis also played an active role in Buddhist services and sometimes served in communicating public opinion to the queens. Bhikkhus and

bhikkhunis resided in seperate temples, according to the Monastic Discipline. Two Buddhist temple convents: Jung Eop Won and In Il Won in Gae Gyeong were especially noted. During the Koryo, great numbers of widowed women undertook monastic life to preserve their fidelity and to dedicate the merit of their prayers and practices to their deceased husbands. Bhikkhunis cooperated with bhikkhus in forming Buddhist Associations such as the Man Bul Hwe (Ten Thousand Buddhas Assembly), contributing to the popularization of Buddhism. In May of 1381 a bhikkhuni claiming to be the embodiment of Maitreya, actively engaged in edification works, enlightening many people and converting them to the Buddhadharma. At the end of the Koryo era, the bhikkhuni Myo Deok (Sublime Merit), supported the publication of the world's first metal-type printed book written by Jikji and published the xylographic book of the Analects of the Great Master Baek Un (White Cloud). Several facts reveal differences between the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas. According to the Vinaya, bhikkhunis were not allowed to pass the summer retreat without the guidance of the Bhikkhu Sangha. The state examination system manditory for Bhikkhu ordination was not required for the bhikkhunis. During the later years of the Koryo Dynasty, the highest position a bhikkhuni could attain in the Buddhist clergy was that of Director of a "Jungeop-won" or "Sanghakarma Center". Bhikkhuni Convents were run by the bhikkhunis and there were no restrictions on their term of office as there was for the Abbots of a Bhikkhu Temple. The bhikkhunis were invited to participate in various national ceremonies and to banquets offered by the royal family. Even after joining the Bhikkuni Sangha, bhikkhunis continued to use their secular names and titles as well as their monastic names. When queens entered the monastic life, they continued to receive their grants of land as well as their portion of the tribute to the royal family. The complaints of degeneration lodged against the bhikkhus towards the end of the Koryo and beginning of the Yi Dynasties are not reflected in the records of the bhikkhunis from that period which record rather the women's continued dedication, their leaving home, their ordinations and their support of the temples. However there were arguments made for prohibiting the Bhikkhuni Sangha, based upon fear of the women falling under corruption in their association with the bhikkhus.

Chosun Dynasty
In the Early Chosun Dynasty, with the transfer of political favor from Buddhism to Neo-Confucianism, the prohibition of the Bhikkhuni Sangha was repeatedly requested by Confucian administrators who stressed Confucian ethics in two aspects:

one, that women's leaving home and performace of Buddhist services put them in danger of losing their chastity; and two, the consideration of economic loss [to the state?] in women's support of Buddhist temples. Despite these prohibitions, the Sangha remained popular among the women of the ruling class, many of whom attended large Buddhist gatherings, participating vigorously in religious activities especially Vesak and Pravarana. Although prohibitions of the Women's Sangha were discussed, it wasn't until the reign of King Sejong that they were actually enacted. When King Hyeon Jong ascend the throne the oppression increased dramatically, with the bhikkhunis living in the capital being driven outside the city walls, and the temples built by the Queen Mother Mun Jeong: Cha Su Sa and In Su Sa closed, with 5,000 bhikkhunis turned out and the temple lands and temple servants confiscated by the government. The bhikkhus were also severely restricted. Even then, those bhikkhunis and upasikas who were from the royal family were not punished. The Women's Sangha was radically reduced during the reign of King Seong Jong when the order of Song Confucianism was firmly established. During this period, the passive resistance and continued religious practice of the Women's Sangha played an important role in the survival of Korean Buddhism. It may be noted that the last historical records of both the independant Hinayana School and of the Southern Mountain Vinaya School in Korea date from the Chosun Dynasty.

Hideyoshi Invasion, the Korean War & the 21st Century

The Bhikkhuni Sangha fared rather better than the Bhikkhu Sangha during the period of Japanese occupation as they seem to have been largely overlooked in the enactment of Meiji Resoration style laws negating Vinaya monastic discipline. Fortunately, this allowed them to avoid manditory military service and draft, from which the bhikkhus and male priests were and are not exempt. When temples were ransacked for materials for munitions and other supplies, the bhikkhunis simply allowed everything they had to be taken. This included Buddhist images made of metal and their metal almsbowls, implements and utensils. (Currently most images and almsbowls are made of wood or resin, so that this may not occur again.) With a lack of bhikkhus in many areas to depend upon for ordination and teaching, at least one Bhiksuni order, the Bo Mun Jong, simply maintained independance in their monastic tradition well into the 21st century when they finally remerged with the main monastic Sangha of the Jogye Order.

After Korean Independence and the following Purification Movement within the Jogye Sangha, the temples to be retained by the monastic Sangha were divided between the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Communities. In the early 1980's the system of formal dual ordination for bhikkhunis was reinstated with leading Elder bhikkhunis appointed as National Upadhyayas, Karmacaryas, Karmavacanas, etc. Currently, 45% of the temples, monasteries and Dharma centers of the Jogye School, with more than ten thousand bhikkhunis in residence, are led by bhikkhuni Abbesses. The system of having a National Bhikkhuni Assembly with a bhikkhuni "Head" or "President," similar to the ancient Shilla has been reenacted with the Bhikkhuni Elders Hye Chun Sunim, Kwang Woo Sunim, and most recently Myeong Seong Sunim serving in this position. It was the Venerable Kwang Woo who led the Korean Bhikkhuni Sangha in joint ordination with the Sri Lankan Bhikkhu Sangha in ordaining Sri Lankan bhikkhunis in India in 1996. There are five great Bhikkhuni Sangha Seminary Colleges (in Buddhist terms, Sangha Universities) administrated by the Bhikkhuni Sangha including the very first: Dong Hak Sa Sangha Dae-hak with Bhikkhuni Il Cho Sunim as Dean, Bong Nyeong Sa Sangha College with Bhikkhuni Myo Eom Sunim as Dean, Un Mun Sa Sangha College with Myeong Seong Sunim as Dean, Cheong Am Sa Sangha College with Ji Hyeong Sunim as Dean and Sam Seon Sangha College with Bhikkhuni Myo Soon Sunim as Dean. There are also many great bhikkhuni meditation monasteries, hermitages and grottos: Sang Nam Sa and Nae Weon Sa among the foremost meditation centers in the country, with more than one thousand bhikkhunis engaged in intensive meditation retreat.