Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea

The eminent scholar-nun Chŏng Suok (1902−1966) traveled from colonial Korea to Imperial Japan from 1937 to 1939 and wrote a travelogue that provides an important first-hand account from a woman’s perspective on the state of Japanese and Korean Buddhism during the early 20th centu...

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Main Author: Eun-su Cho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-06-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/385
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author Eun-su Cho
author_facet Eun-su Cho
author_sort Eun-su Cho
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description The eminent scholar-nun Chŏng Suok (1902−1966) traveled from colonial Korea to Imperial Japan from 1937 to 1939 and wrote a travelogue that provides an important first-hand account from a woman’s perspective on the state of Japanese and Korean Buddhism during the early 20th century. Bemoaning the destitute state of Korean Buddhist nuns who had no schools, lecture halls, or even meditation rooms, she notes the stark contrast with the Japanese nuns who had access to proper education and enjoyed respect from society. After returning from Japan, she became not only a dharma instructor and abbess but something much more. As a prominent leader of the Buddhist purification movement in the 1960s she became one of the most influential nuns in Korea, promoting education, practice, social engagement, and feminist consciousness until her death in 1966. Her long struggle exemplifies a transnational crossing that helped to deepen the Buddhist tradition in both Korea and Japan.
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spelling doaj.art-1c59f04593fc4cd1a999ffbf7d2c994e2022-12-22T03:05:51ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442019-06-0110638510.3390/rel10060385rel10060385Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in KoreaEun-su Cho0Department of Philosophy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, KoreaThe eminent scholar-nun Chŏng Suok (1902−1966) traveled from colonial Korea to Imperial Japan from 1937 to 1939 and wrote a travelogue that provides an important first-hand account from a woman’s perspective on the state of Japanese and Korean Buddhism during the early 20th century. Bemoaning the destitute state of Korean Buddhist nuns who had no schools, lecture halls, or even meditation rooms, she notes the stark contrast with the Japanese nuns who had access to proper education and enjoyed respect from society. After returning from Japan, she became not only a dharma instructor and abbess but something much more. As a prominent leader of the Buddhist purification movement in the 1960s she became one of the most influential nuns in Korea, promoting education, practice, social engagement, and feminist consciousness until her death in 1966. Her long struggle exemplifies a transnational crossing that helped to deepen the Buddhist tradition in both Korea and Japan.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/385Chŏng Suok (1902–1966)Korean Buddhism during the Japanese colonial periodBuddhist nuns in KoreaJapanese nunsfeminist consciousness
spellingShingle Eun-su Cho
Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
Religions
Chŏng Suok (1902–1966)
Korean Buddhism during the Japanese colonial period
Buddhist nuns in Korea
Japanese nuns
feminist consciousness
title Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
title_full Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
title_fullStr Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
title_full_unstemmed Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
title_short Chŏng Suok’s Tour of Imperial Japan and its Impact on the Development of the Nuns’ Order in Korea
title_sort chong suok s tour of imperial japan and its impact on the development of the nuns order in korea
topic Chŏng Suok (1902–1966)
Korean Buddhism during the Japanese colonial period
Buddhist nuns in Korea
Japanese nuns
feminist consciousness
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/385
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