화엄사 승가대학의 어제와 오늘

Abstract

Hwaeomsa Buddhist Seminary has taken over the historical tradition of Hwaeomsa classroom that was renowned in the Buddhist world since late Chosun and in the era of Japanese ruling. In the suffering period of recent Buddhism, however, Hwaeomsa and its Buddhist Seminary have experienced lots of internal and external troubles. Buddhist temples in the Mt. Jiri area, in which Hwaeoms is located, had been the ground for pariyatti in late Chosun era. Hwaeomsa classroom was situated in such foundation, and the great teacher named Jinwung Jin realized the education of pariyatti in there. Hwaeomsa classroom was forced to close, however, at the end of Japanese colonial period. To make matters worse, the education in Hwaeomsa classroom and tradition of ascetic exercise had been suspended by the Buddhist purification movement unfolded for no less than 10 years since 1954. It was early 1970s that Hwaeomsa was stabilized. Hwaeomsa was normalized as Dogwang Kim, who had been assisting the formation of Hwaeom Disciples Association, was appointed as the head priest of Hwaeomsa in Nov, 1969. Dogwang Kim, inaugurated as the head priest of Hwaeomsa, resumed the Hwaeomsa classroom to restore the educational tradition of Hwaeomsa and to embody the goal of talent cultivation who will take over future responsibility for the religious fraternity. Hwaeomsa classroom and Buddhist Seminary opened a page of education history of modern Buddhism, which has come up to today, from this time on. We would like to look into the yesterday and today of Hwaeomsa Buddhist Seminary in this paper, therefore, keeping Hwaeomsa's history of late Chosun and its classroom history under Japanese ruling in mind. The argument in this study has been unfolded with the presentation of relevant data of Hwaeomsa Buddhist Seminary. This is for the provision of basic materials that are necessary for the historical introspection, analysis of reality, future orientation, criticism, and so on of Hwaeomsa Buddhist Seminary.