Won Gwang (541~630?), also known as Won Gwang Beop Sa (圓光法士) meaning "Won Gwang Teacher of the Law", was the name of a renowned Buddhist monk, scholar, and teacher of the

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...

kingdom during the reign of King Jinpyeong. His layname was Seol (설 hanja: 薛) or Bak (박 hanja: 朴). Like a great number of other Korean Buddhist monks of the 6th-8th centuries, Won Gwang traveled to China in search of a more thorough grounding in the sacred texts of Buddhism. In 589 Wongwang went to Sui China, where for eleven years he was educated in the major texts of both

Hinayana Hīnayāna (, ) is a Sanskrit term literally meaning the "small/deficient vehicle". Classical Chinese and Tibetan teachers translate it as "smaller vehicle". The term is applied collectively to the ''Śrāvakayāna'' and ''Pratyekabuddhayāna'' pa ...

and

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...

Buddhism. Won Gwang returned to Silla in 600 and promulgated the Mahayana form of Buddhism. His method was to teach the faith to the common people free of complex jargon and employing common words.Chae, Taeg-su, "The United Silla Period: the Golden Age of Buddhism." In ''The History and Culture of Buddhism in Korea'' (Seoul:Dongguk University Press, 1993), p. 81. Won Gwang is best known for his "Five Commandments for Secular Life" (세속오계''

Sesok-ogye The Se Sok O-Gye, or just O-Gye, is the moral code of the hwarang formulated by Buddhist monk Won Gwang consisting of five rules: *''Loyalty to the country'' (originally: Fealty to the king) *''Respect and obey one's parents'' (i. ...

'' 世俗五戒), which later were attributed as a guiding ethos for the

Hwarang Hwarang, also known as Hwarang Corps, and Flowering Knights, were an elite warrior group of male youth in Silla, an ancient kingdom of the Korean Peninsula that lasted until the 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social ...

. These five commandments were to serve as moral guideposts for the Buddhist layperson. They are an interesting fusion of the Buddhist beliefs and strong sense of patriotism that characterized Silla Buddhism. To Won Gwang, viewing Silla as a true Buddha Land and under constant threat from the neighboring kingdoms of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

and

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

, the defense of that land and a Buddhist piety were not at all contradictory. These five principles were as follows: #Loyalty to one's lord (事君以忠; 임금은 충성으로써 섬겨야 한다) #Devotion towards one's parents (事親以孝; 어버이를 효도로써 섬겨야 한다) #Trust among friends (交友以信; 벗은 믿음으로써 사귀어야 한다) #Never retreat in battle (臨戰無退; 전쟁에 임하여 물러나지 아니하여야 한다) #Be selective in the taking of life (殺生有擇; 함부로 살생을 하지 말아야 한다) The precise dates of Won Gwang‘s life are unknown. Won Gwang‘s biography appears in the 13th century

Haedong Goseungjeon {{Infobox Korean name, hangul=해동고승전, hanja={{linktext, 海, 東, 高, 僧, 傳, rr=Haedong goseungjeon, mr=Haedong kosŭngjŏn The ''Haedong Goseungjeon'' (translated most commonly as the "Lives of Eminent Korean Monks") was a compila ...

Popular culture

* Portrayed by Lee Dae-ro in the 2012-2013

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...

TV series ''

The King's Dream ''Dream of the Emperor'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS1 from September 8, 2012 to June 9, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 70 episodes. Plot Kim Chun-chu is the grandson of King Jinji, but when his grandfat ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Won, Gwang 6th-century births 7th-century deaths Silla Buddhist monks Buddhist spiritual teachers Korean scholars of Buddhism 6th-century Buddhist monks 7th-century Buddhist monks