South Koreans lock themselves up to escape prison of daily life

Re:South Koreans lock themselves up to escape prison of dail... by magic_beans on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @09:02PM (#18548663)

> Monasteries are a Western tradition

Where on Earth are you getting that idea? Are you forgetting about India?

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Re:South Koreans lock themselves up to escape prison of dail... by thaumasiotes on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @09:09PM (#18548697)

If you're Korean, India is Western. They share "Buddhism", though generally not the same sect of Buddhism. They don't share a cultural tradition.

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Re:South Koreans lock themselves up to escape prison of dail... by virtualwhys on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @09:37PM (#18548833)

Japan and China (in the past) have had a long monastic tradition. I assume it's the same for Korea.

Monasteries are most definitely not exclusive to the west.

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Re:South Koreans lock themselves up to escape prison of dail... by kijin on Tuesday November 27, 2018 @09:57PM (#18548924)

IMO South Korea has been Westernized much more than Japan or China.

Even before South Korea came under U.S. influence, Buddhism in Korea has been weaker than in Japan for a long while because neo-Confucianism took over as the state ideology in the early 15th century. Neo-Confucianism emphasizes going out into the world and contributing to the public good, not withdrawing into a hermitage. Most of the great Buddhist monks that people remember are from before the switch. Buddhism was often actively suppressed, and tolerated at best, for the last 600 years.

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