1. The Main Order: Chogye


The name of Korea's main sect, Chogye, comes from the mountain in China on which the Sixth Patriarch, Hui-neng (638-713), lived. The name "Chogye" was probably brought back from China by Master Toui in about 820 CE. It is an order which stresses meditation, originating from the Chan teachings of China. Slowly, many different Zen sects formed in Korea. Master T'aego (1301-82), a great monk, returned from China in 1346. After that he united all the Zen sects and called the resultant order "Chogye."

During the Choson Dynasty, when Buddhism was not favored, the Chogye Order continued to exist but with less force than before. After the Japanese colonization of Korea in 1910, the Chogye Order received yet another blow: married monks were introduced and Korean monks were encouraged to take wives.

It was only after liberation in 1945, in an age often referred to as the era of purification, that Korean Buddhism once again began to flourish. Public support grew and most of the large temples were once again run by the celibate monks of the Chogye Order.

The Chogye Order emphasizes meditation which is considered by most Buddhists to be the best way to attain enlightenment. The most venerated texts are: the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the stories of ancient Zen Masters.

There are 1,632 (1997) temples belonging to the Chogye Order; this does not include numerous little hermitages dotted about the mountainous areas. These temples are organized into twenty-five geographical regions; each region has a main temple. Of the twenty-five main temples, there are four major temples: T'ongdo-sa Temple, Haein-sa Temple, Songgwang-sa Temple, and Sudok-sa Temple. These four temples have a meditation hall and a major monks' training center within the same compound.
The scale of operation of the Chogye Order has been renewed and enlarged since 1986. The Buddhist newspaper published by the Chogye Order has an increased circulation. Monks are assigned to the military to serve soldiers, and teachers have been sent to Korean Buddhist centers established in countries such as United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Europe. Now there is a radio station and TV network which function in collaboration with the Chogye Order.
The Order consists of about 12,000 ordained members. There are 8.1 million active registered lay members and many, many more who are not registered (1997).