Jinul 1158 – 1210
Jinul, called Bojo Guksa, was the most influential Korean Buddhist monk of the medieval period and the principal architect of the Jogye Order, which remains the central tradition of Korean Buddhism. After early training in the Korean Seon (Zen) tradition, he developed a distinctive teaching of sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation, and a comprehensive integration of Seon meditation with the doctrinal study of the Hwaom and other Buddhist schools. His foundation of the Susonsa monastery on Mount Songgwang in 1200 set the pattern of Korean monastic life for the next eight centuries.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Korean
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Buddhism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Jinul:
“Sudden awakening must be followed by gradual cultivation.”
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Attributed to Jinul:
“Mind is the source of both Buddha and being.”
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Attributed to Jinul:
“Practice without enlightenment is mere effort; enlightenment without practice is empty.”
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Attributed to Jinul:
“Korean Seon harmonizes meditation and the study of doctrine.”
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Attributed to Jinul:
“Looking inward, you will not find the mind anywhere; that is the gate to awakening.”