會議地點：越南胡志明市；時間：2009.12.18 - 2010.01.03；大會主題：傑出的女性修行者與典範=Eminent Buddhist Women
摘要
In my presentation, I will discuss the significance of mountains as practice sites for Buddhist nuns in the Korean Seon tradition. The importance of mountains in Korean Buddhism is well testified by the convention of affiliating a monastery with a major mountain in its vicinities. The mountain is referred to as a part of the name of the monastery. Unmunsa, for instance, is formally called Hog?san Unmunsa, which literally means the “Cloud Gate Temple in the Crouching Tiger Mountain.” The so-called “Nine Mountain Seon Sects” of late Silla, which mark the beginning of Korea’s Seon tradition, are distinctly named after prominent mountains.
Mountains play an important role for monastic practitioners in Korea. When summer and winter retreats end, nuns and monks tend to travel, often visiting eminent Seon masters seated in faraway mountains. This itinerancy, which is called unsuhaenggak (wandering like a cloud and water) in Korean, is another form of practice. Given that Korea is a mountainous country, the monastic lore is full of stories in which an itinerant practitioner encounters a spiritual breakthrough in a tall mountain. The biographies of eminent nuns often offer such types of awakening stories.
My paper will examine the patterns of mountain practice related specifically to eminent nuns. Mountains are traditionally associated with monks rather than nuns. However, some of the highly venerated bhiksuni Seon masters, such as Mans?ng, Pong?ng, and Daehaeng among others, are known for their extraordinary experiences in remote and rugged mountains. I will analyze the specific traits of their mountain practices and attempt to draw connections among them. This endeavor can offer insights into the relationship between eminent nuns and the tradition of mountain practices in Korean Buddhism, which is now vanishing due to the intense land development over the last few decades.
