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Religion
Overview
There are four basic influences in the Korean spiritual
outlook. These are: Shamanisn, which originated in central
Asia; Buddhism, which came to Korea from China around 4th
Century AD; Confucianism, a system of ethics of Chinese
origin; and Christianity, which came to Korea during 18th
Century AD. A general overview of these four main religious
elements can be found below. Use the following bookmarks to jump to the relevant topic of interest.
Shamanism
Shamanism is not seemingly as well organised as other religions and has
no temples or scriptures. It has been subject to persecution
since very Korean times, though the religion is not
exclusive to Korea. Central to Shamanism is the 'Shaman' who
is almost always a women. the Shaman acts as an intermediary
between the living and spiritual worlds. The mediation
itself takes place through ceremonies involving dance,
music, song and sometimes dramatic narrative. These
ceremonies are often held before or during events such as
illness, travel, financial problems etc, but can be on a
more regular basis to, for example, ensure the general
welfare and security of a village or community.
To some extent in modern times, Shamanism is viewed more as superstition than religion.
However, Shamanism continues to be an active religious
practice with a membership which some believe approach some
100,000. Such members are commonly uneducated females and
whilst the modern urban males often scorn this element of
the Korean society, Shamans are often called upon to provide
solace and other assistance in times of need.
Buddhism
The founder of Buddhism, 'Buddha' (or one of his
incarnations!) was Siddhartha Guatama, who was born around
563BC. He was born in to a noble family in the border
regions between present day Nepal and India, the comforts of
which led him to question his existence. This self criticism
caused him to turn his back on his normal life and follow
one involving intense self discipline. After a period of
intense meditation, he achieved so-called 'enlightenment'
which is the essence of Buddhahood.
Whilst Buddhism has witnessed a fractionalisation causing the emergence
of various forms of practice such as 'Hinayana' and
'Mahayana' schools of thought, at the heart of all Buddhism
is the teachings of Guatama. Buddhism in Korea belongs to
the Mahayana school and since its arrival in Korea, this has
seen further subdivisions. One of the most famous of these
is the so-called Zen
school.
There are some 18 Buddhist sects currently practicing in Korea. The
largest sect is the 'Jogye' sect, which accounts for some
90% of the total Buddhist community and is an amalgamation
of the two Buddhist schools of; Zen which relies on
meditation and contemplation to seek enlightenment; and Gyo
which relies of scriptural study.
Around 25% of the Korean population follows the
Buddhist religion and there are many
temples located in all areas of Korea. In fact many of these
temples represent historic heritage sites and as such they
are received large amounts of cash to support renovation
projects to support their with increased revenue from
tourism. The most famous Buddhist temples in the Busan
region are Beomosa and Tongdosa temples.
Confucianism
Strictly speaking Confucianism is not a religion, but a
system of ethics which originated from Confucius who lived
in China from 555-479BC. Confucius emphasised a devotion to
parents and the family, loyalty to friends, justice, peace,
education, reform and humanitarianism. Confucianism
also emphasises respect for authority, which has been
exploited by many since and a rather misplaced belief that
men are superior to women.
Confucius preached against all forms of corruption, war and
torture and his philosophy was used to support concepts of
civil service and position and merit though individual
ability rather than from noble birth and contacts. As
Confucianism grew more popular in Korea, ethical, political
and religious ideas were combined into the practices of
ancestor worship and the idea of the eldest male being the
spiritual head of the family. Whilst such practices are
still widespread, the modern generation are less bound by
such ideals and this may explain why so many have migrated
to other forms of religion such as Christianity.
Christianity
Christianity came to Korea late in the 18th Century via
Jesuits who were then practicing in Chinese imperial courts.
The Catholic faith quickly took hold and its rapid expansion
was seen as a threat by the royal family who, in suppressing
the movement., inadvertently generated the first Christian
martyrs. However, with the arrival of American
Protestant missionaries in the 1880's, increased support was
formed with the founding of many hospitals and schools and
Christianity continue its rise through the 20th Century.
About 25% of all Koreans are now Christian.
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