earticle

영어

“Jingak Esoteric Buddhism” has a systematized practice and doctrine based on the self‐realized teachings of the holy great master Hoedang who established the Jingak Order of Korean Buddhism, a representative Korean esoteric Buddhist Order. He accomplished great enlightenment through mastering the cosmic reality by experiencing the wondrous principle of the Six‐syllable Mantra. The term, “Jingak Esoteric Buddhism,” was labeled with the meaning of its practical system having an outstanding Basic Tenets and teaching methodology which has no parallel in the annals of the Korean or world history. Even though the practice of “Jingak Esoteric
Buddhism” is putting “Three‐secret Contemplation” and “Six Paramitas” in practice, its nucleus is composed of the “practical method of Joyful Giving,” placing matter and mind on an equal plane and the “Three‐secret Practice” with the Six‐syllable Mantra.
The aim of Buddhist practice essentially lies in the worldly benefits and comforts under the concept of the mundane life, and on the other hand, attaining enlightenment for the supramundane world. However, the ultimate goal of both is to accomplish Buddhahood as the stage of liberation from all sufferings where a practitioner gets nirvana with realization of one’s innate mind – the pure self‐nature. It goes to prove that Buddhism is the teachings of practice for eventually becoming a Buddha, and manifests Buddha‐virtue by practicing not relying on verbal or literary communication in daily life.
The Buddhist practice, having the purpose of attaining Buddhahood, can be classified into the exoteric and esoteric teachings. The exoteric practice, in general, is composed of a variety of practical methods such as Seon (China. Chan; Japan. Zen), prostration, invocation, sutra copying, sutra publication, precepts, repentance, vipassana, cessation and observation, etc. On the other hand, the characteristics of esoteric teachings, through the Three‐secret contemplation inclusive of mantrachanting or mandala ritual, lie in the correspondence of the practitioner with the Buddha in the mysterious realm of body‐secret, speech‐secret and mind‐secret. In this realm, accordingly, he/she realizes mandala, in which both the cosmic reality‐realm and the phenomenological world, as they are, become the world of truth. Likewise, the “Attainment of Three Mysteries” of esoteric Buddhism, available by mantric practice, is the way of becoming a Buddha while putting the teachings in practice during daily life. This paper aims at examining the Three‐secret practice
of the Six‐syllable contemplation as a practical method of the Jingak Order.
Prior to the research, it is imperative to comprehend the outline of general Buddhist practice, dharani, and the Six‐syllable Mantra devotion. Then we should look at the flow of doctrine and ideas of “Jingak Esoteric Buddhism.”