WHAT IS WON BUDDHISM?
The name Won Buddhism (Won-Bul-Kyo in Korean) is a compound word for truth, enlightenment, and teaching. Won means circle and symbolizes the ultimate truth. Bul means enlightenment, and Kyo means teaching the truth. Therefore, Won Buddhism is the path that leads us to become enlightened to the truth.
Won Buddhism makes Buddha's teaching relevant and suitable to contemporary society. Won Buddhism aims to revitalize and modernize Buddhism, to bring ancient Buddhist truth to contemporary society, and to use Buddhist teachings and meditation practice for practical and useful purposes. The goal of Won Buddhism is to build One World Community and to realize the oneness of life based on the Buddhist world view of interdependency and interconnectedness of all.
Won Buddhism was established by Great Master Sotaesan in Korea in 1916 with the founding motto:
“As material civilization develops, cultivate spiritual civilization accordingly.”
Won Buddhism shares main tenets and aspects with Mahayana Buddhism, one of the two major traditions of Buddhism. At the same time, it has built on and developed Mahayana Buddhism with the following tenets:
♦ Materialism is a fact we cannot avoid. However, as contemporary society becomes increasingly materialistic, technologically advanced, and globally integrated, it is critical to develop our spirituality in equal measure.
♦ The rights and opportunities of women have too often been ignored by Buddhism as well as other religions. Women are prominent in the leadership and ministry of Won Buddhism.
♦ We embrace and accept those of other faiths and seek to work together to build a better world.
With the teaching of the explicit acceptance of other religions, Won Buddhism leads the movement for inter-religious cooperation based on the Ethics of Triple Identity; all religions and spirituality are based on a Common Source, all human beings and all forms of life are interdependent as a One Earth Family and all enterprises have a Common Purpose. Won Buddhists believe that all religions have a responsibility to offer the right spiritual direction for all humankind and should cooperate and make the world a peaceful paradise by taking a lead role in constructing a world community.
Won Buddhists have participated and promoted in local, national, regional and international interreligious dialogue and cooperation since 1970. Interreligious understanding and cooperation are a central teaching of Won Buddhism. Won Buddhism is accredited by the United Nations and a member of religious NGO at the UN. Won Buddhism is a founding member of KCRP (Korean Conference of Religions for Peace), and actively engages in WCRP (World Conference of Religions for Peace), WFB (World Fellowship of Buddhists), and ACRP (Asian Conference of Religions for Peace) and our relationship has served as co-presidents and staff. Won Buddhism is socially engaged in the fields of environment, education, social service, community service, human rights, women’s issues and humanitarian assistance.
ilwonsang
Il Won Sang (O) is the circular symbol of the Dharmakaya Buddha and the Buddha Nature of all beings. In Won Buddhism, the image of the human Buddha is replaced by Il Won Sang (O) which represents the perfect nature of the Buddha’s heart and mind that is not different from our original nature.
“Il Won (One Circle) is the Dharmakaya Buddha, the origin of all things in the universe, the truth that all buddhas and sages enlightened to, and the original nature of all setient beings.” - Sotaesan
Won literally means circle and symbolizes the ulitmate reality. From ancient times many spiritual traditions have expressed the universal truth through the image of a circle. In early Christianity, God was dipicted by a circle and in the Zen tradition, Buddha nature or our original mind has been symbolized by a circular image.
"God is a circle whose center is everywhere, whose circumference is nowhere." - St. Augstine
Sotaesan said “That circular image is a model for teaching the true Il Won. It is like pointing at the moon with your finger: your finger is not the real moon. In the same way, a practitioner must discover the true Il-Won through the model of Il Won Sang, guard Il Won’s true nature and practice Il-Won’s perfect mind. Then, the truth of Il Won Sang and our lives will mesh perfectly.” - From the Scriptures of Won Buddhism