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The Concept of Heaven and its Interpretation in Korean Religious History

Abstract/Sommario: The concept of Ha-no-nim (an honorific title for Heaven), the supreme deity, has existed for a long time in the consciousness of Koreans, being the fundamental faith which Koreans possessed before Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity were introduced. Whenever these religions were accepted, the concept of Ha-no-nim was not rejected but always reinterpreted. The article examines the changes of this concept during the ages, through myths and traditions and classic literature, ...; [leggi tutto] The concept of Ha-no-nim (an honorific title for Heaven), the supreme deity, has existed for a long time in the consciousness of Koreans, being the fundamental faith which Koreans possessed before Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Christianity were introduced. Whenever these religions were accepted, the concept of Ha-no-nim was not rejected but always reinterpreted. The article examines the changes of this concept during the ages, through myths and traditions and classic literature, divided in four periods:
The primal concept of Hanonim from Old Choson to the Three Kingdom period ( 4. cent. BC-668): In the earlier times of Korean culture, Heaven takes an initiative either by coming down directly or by sending a son to the Earth. The earth also has its part, producing a hero son by receiving the power of Heaven either in the form of a bear who became a woman, the miraculously pregnant daughter of the river, or a personified turtle. The son , born from the union of the Heaven and earth, funds a state and rules it as the son of Heaven. Through these founding myths ancient Koreans asserted that their states were independent countries equal to China.
Buddhist interpretation in the Unified Shilla Period (668-935) : Buddhist monks contributed greatly to the cultural and intellectual advancement of the people and played a role as royal advisors. Since Buddhism does not acknowledge any absolute God, Korean Buddhist monks had to struggle with how to adopt the popular faith in Hanonim. They found the closest equivalent in the figure of the highest deva Indra, for he rules the thirty-three heavens as the Lord of Mount Sumeru, even though Indra-Heaven does not possess the same supremacy as the original Hanonim. The two streams of interpretation of Heaven (the Buddhist and the popular, traditional one) continued as long as the socio-political power of Buddhism was intact, till the Koryo dynasty. After that not only the image of Indra-Heaven, but the Buddhist rituals in connection with it disappeared. Amazingly enough, it was the ordinary populace who preserved the original concept of Heaven and naturally revived it when the structural pressure was lifted.
Confucian and Taoist interpretations in the Koryo Period (918-1392); The Koryo period was the most syncretic time in Korean history. The traditional notion of Hanonim giving life and blessing survived with other aspects of Confucian Heaven, containing a strong ethical character as the moral principle of life. These two dimensions were synthetized into one supreme deity who is also the moral principle of life. Concerning Taoism, Tao is connected with the transformations of all things; Heaven is understood as the subject who listens to the cries of people and subsists in those who are the virtuos. The Emperor of Heaven is connected with judgment of good and evil. In this way the traditional concept of Hanonim, the Confucian notion of Lord on High and the Taois conception of Tao interpenetrated. In Korea Taoism has not succeeded in forming a separate religious community, but its influence has been immense in thought, life, literature, medicine, art, and the way of life in general. The present concept of Hanonim contains the Taoist emphasis on silent Tao which governs according to natural flow.
The Neo-Confucian interpretation in the Choson Period (1392-1910): Neo-Confucianism was introduced in Korea in the early part of the 14. cent. under the Mongolian reign. Insisting on orthodoxy Buddhism, Taoism and Shamanism were considered heterodox teaching that should not be tolerated, at least in the public sphere. However the Neo-Confucians did not reject the concept of Hanonim, but understood it as the final moral pledge. According to Confucianism, the king has received the mandate to rule the people from Heaven, and so if there is something wrong in political affairs Heaven brings calamities as a warning. Heaven or the Lord on High is understood as the source which has bestowed a moral heart on human beings. Thirdly Hanonim is still conceived as the object of sacrifice who rules the hundred deities
Popular and Christian interpretations in the Modern Period: The term "Western Learning" stood for the civilization coming from the West, which included Christianity and science. Matteo Ricci (1552-1611) and other Jesuits' works were the basic texts until the 19th century. Ricci's book The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven, written in Chinese, was widely circulated in Korea and made it possible for a Catholic community to spring up in 1784, when Yi Sunghun was sent to Beijing in order to find out more about Catholic teaching and came back after being baptized. Chong Yachong (1760-0801), author of the first Korean catechism, began with the assumption that everyone has the ability of recognizing God, and he identified the Christian God with the traditional Hanonim. He did not invite people to believe in a new and different deity, but offered more information about the same God. Whereas Matteo Ricci identified Christian God with the Lord of Heaven of the Confucian Classics, Chong Yakchong identified God with the traditional Hanonim, with which ordinary people could easily sympathize with. After this identification, Chong Yakchong adds the Christian understanding of God as Creator, Redentor and Sanctifier: Hanonim becomes a monotheistic God who reveals truth through the history of Israel and the incarnation of Jesus. This identification of the Christian God with Hanonim was also followed by the first Protestant theologian Ch'oe Pyonghun (1858-1927) The adoption of the name of Hanonim as the official name of God in the common Korean translation of the Bible confirms this identity. Even today Hanonim continues to stay at the highest position in the spiritual world and Buddha and other deities are all participating in the deciding power for human life
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Campo	Valore
Descrizione	The Concept of Heaven and its Interpretation in Korean Religious History/ Sung-Hae Kim
Note	IN Per: The Japan Mission Journal, vol.61, n. 3 (2007, Autumn) p. 164-179
	[Fa parte di] The Japan Mission Journal / Oriens Institute for Religious Research 2007, 61, 3 ; p. 164-179
Autori	Sung-Hae Kim
Soggetto	Cristianesimo e cultura - Corea Religioni - Corea - Concetto di Dio del Cielo
Lingua	Inglese
ID scheda	59452