Acceptance of Jowang Folk Beliefs in Korean Buddhism

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study is about the relationship between Buddhism and Jowang belief. Jowang belief was a folk belief before Buddhism became established. It has been 1,600 years since Buddhism became an established religion in Korea, and it has greatly influenced Korean conscience, culture and ideology. Buddhism also embraced indigenous folk beliefs, thereby garnering respect from the local populace.
Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, folk beliefs, shamanism and other miscellaneous religious activities coexist within Korean society. It is unusual to have such a diversity of religions without much conflict among them. This seems to have been brought about by the inclusive approach of Buddhism.
Jowang worship was embraced by Buddhism, and it is still practiced in households without having lost its identity, even in today.
My study has analyzed how Jowang belief, practiced within families by housewives on a small scale, evolved when merged with Buddhism. I studied its nature, function and mutual relationships. It primarily merged with Buddhism and even transformed into a Protestant morning prayer, an unprecedented occurrence.
There has not been an accurate conceptual study on the blending of Buddhism and indigenous folk beliefs. Therefore, the concept of folk beliefs within Buddhism has to be preceeded. In doing this study, my hope is to establish principles in determining how Buddhism and folk beliefs became merged. Such studies have only, up till now, been conducted sporadically. I also examined various factors that shape folk beliefs.

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