Confronting Empires: Manhae’s Understanding of Buddhism

Abstract

This paper outlines some key ideas of the twentieth^-century Buddhist monk Han Yong-un, or Manhae. It focuses in particular on Manhae’s social engagement under the Japanese occupation. It underlines the role played by Manhae’s doctrine in reviving a national sentiment and culture in Korea. It elaborates on his doctrine of the Loved one, or nim, sketches the mutual influences of Buddhism and Confucianism in his thought, and builds on his critique of imperialism, militarism, and Korean “self-ruination.”