Page 36 - EH 73 May 2024
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34     EASTERN HORIZON  |  FACE TO FACE









           Future of Korean Buddhism


           By Dr Lucy hyekyung Jee



           Lucy Hyekyung Jee is a
           researcher in the Humanities
           research center of Yonsei
           University and teaches
           introductory courses on
           Korean culture, Buddhism,
           and philosophy at Kyunghee
           University. Her research
           interest includes Buddhism
           in East Asia, modern
           Korean Buddhism, engaged
           Buddhism, and Buddhism
           as a therapeutic philosophy.
           She wrote “Application of Zen
           Rhetoric to Daily Issues: The
           Case of “Conversation with
           Pŏmnyun” in English and more
           articles in Korean regarding
           to her interest area. She also
           contributed “Korea, Buddhist
           Philosophy” to the Wiley-
           Blackwell Encyclopedia of         Benny: Were you brought up in a   and wise stories, particularly those
                                             Buddhist family from young since
           Philosophy of Religion. She is    you have such deep interest in    from Zen and Zhangzi. This sparked
           working on Minjung Buddhism       Buddhism that you chose to study   my curiosity about East Asian
                                                                               philosophy and led me to explore
           and an introductory book of       it up to the doctorate level?     the differences between Zhangzi’s
           Korean Buddhist philosophy.
                                                                               philosophy and Zen Buddhism.
           Benny Liow wanted Lucy to         Lucy: I was actually raised in a   Through my studies, I discovered
           share her thoughts on the future   Catholic family, but my interest in   a long history of interaction
           of Buddhism in Korea as an        Buddhism began during my high     and similarities between these
           academician as well as someone    school years when I encountered a   philosophies. My academic interest
           who calls herself a Catholic-     Chinese classic cartoon book by Tsai   in Buddhism gradually transformed
           Buddhist.                         Chih Chung (蔡志忠), a Taiwanese     into a deep passion for its vast and

                                             cartoonist. This book covered     profound philosophy. Over time,
                                             stories from Zhuangzi, Laozi, and   I came to identify as a Catholic
                                             Zen Buddhism. Interestingly, these   Buddhist, navigating through any
                                             books were a gift from a Catholic   religious conflicts I encountered,
                                             priest. I was drawn to the witty   particularly during my time in the
                                                                               United States.
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