Manhae
Encyclopedia
Manhae was a twentieth century Korean Buddhist
reformer and poet
. Manhae was his pen name
; his birth name was Han Yu-cheon, but he is universally known by the name he was given by his meditation instructor in 1907, Han Yong-un
Manhae was born in northern Gyeongsang
province in what is today South Korea
. Prior to being ordained, he was involved in resistance to Japan
ese influence in the country, which culminated in the Japanese occupation
from 1905 to 1945. The same year the occupation began, 1905, Manhae was ordained as a Buddhist monk at Baekdam Temple on Mt. Seorak.
As a social writer, Manhae called for the reform of Korean Buddhism
.
Manhae's poetry dealt with both nationalism and sexual love. One of his more political collections was Nimui Chimmuk (님의 침묵), published in 1926. These works revolve around the ideas of equality and freedom, and helped inspire the tendencies toward passive resistance and non-violence in the Korean independence movement
.
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
reformer and poet
Korean poetry
Korean poetry is poetry performed or written in the Korean language or by Korean people. Traditional Korean poetry is often sung in performance. Until the 20th century, much of Korean poetry was written in Hanja and later Hangul.- History :...
. Manhae was his pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
; his birth name was Han Yu-cheon, but he is universally known by the name he was given by his meditation instructor in 1907, Han Yong-un
Manhae was born in northern Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea....
province in what is today South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Prior to being ordained, he was involved in resistance to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese influence in the country, which culminated in the Japanese occupation
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
from 1905 to 1945. The same year the occupation began, 1905, Manhae was ordained as a Buddhist monk at Baekdam Temple on Mt. Seorak.
As a social writer, Manhae called for the reform of Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
.
Manhae's poetry dealt with both nationalism and sexual love. One of his more political collections was Nimui Chimmuk (님의 침묵), published in 1926. These works revolve around the ideas of equality and freedom, and helped inspire the tendencies toward passive resistance and non-violence in the Korean independence movement
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
.
External links
- An article discussing Manhae and Baekdam Temple