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- Eight-point Principles for Bhikkunis begins to crumble
 ◀<photograph
courtesy of Unmun Temple>
The wall of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism that shut out
women more effectively than the Blue House is finally beginning
to crumble. For the first time in the history of Korean Buddhism,
a Bhikkuni (Buddhist nun) was appointed to an executive position
within the Jogye Order. Priestess Tak Yeon is the newly appointed
Director of the Culture Bureau in the Jogye Administration.
On the occasion of her appointment, The Women's News
took a look into the 'patriarchal nature' underpinning Buddhism
and its prospects for change.
Buddhism set foot in Korea some 1600 years ago, a length
of time that quite boggles the modern mind. And during this
long period, women were non-existent in Buddhist politics.
The organization of the Buddhist Administration, considered
the 'Blue House' of Korean Buddhism, testifies to this fact.
To this day, there was not a single woman in any of the important
posts in the Buddhist Administration including the Bureaus
of General Affairs, Missionary Activities and Education. The
Religious Officers Law governing the qualifications of religious
officers stipulates that "the requirements of a Bhikkuni
correspond to those of a Bhikku (Buddhist monk)." This
has led to a controversy regarding Priestess Tak Yeon's appointment.
According to opponents, "the Religious Officers Law says
that the directors and vice-directors of religious affairs
must be of the Highest Ordination, which applies only to Bhikkus,
and therefore the appointment of a Bhikkuni as Director of
Culture is a violation of the Religious Officers Law."
 ◀<photograph
courtesy of Unmun Temple>
The Jogye Order has put out a different interpretation, however,
saying that "the laws governing officers of religious
and administrative affairs do not place any restrictions on
Bhikkunis assuming religious posts." And according to
Han Ju-young, Chief of Research at the Buddhist Women's Development
Institute, "Women were denied participation in the Central
Council, the highest decision-making body of the Jogye Order,
because of inequities in the Buddhist administrative system.
Priestess Tak Yeon's appointment as Director of Culture will
be the starting point of reforms to expand Bhikkuni participation
in the Buddhist Administration."
At the core of Buddhism's gender discrimination lies the Eight-Point
Principles for Bhikkunis (Eight Principles), in the same way
that Confucianism serves as the foundation of the patriarchal
system. The Eight Principles, which includes the rule that
"even a 100-year-old Bhikkuni must bow to a young Bhikku
who has just entered priesthood," has been criticized
for strengthening male chauvinism in the Buddhist institution.
As Priestess Se Deung of Unmun Temple points out, "The
male leaders, who have assumed most of the important posts
in Buddhist society today, focus on the Eight Principles.
Many Bhikkus remain tethered to the Bhikku-centered mentality
set out in the Eight Principles, and some Bhikkus in the leadership
claim that the Eight Principles are the 'Teachings of Buddha'
and refuse to yield any of their authority to Bhikkunis."
Professor Lee Hye-sook, who teaches Social Welfare at the
Buddhist Graduate School of Dongkuk University, explains,
"Whichever way you read it, the Eight Principles is clearly
aimed at upholding the authority of Bhikkus and subordinating
Bhikkunis to their control." Another example of gender
discrimination in Buddhist laws is the procedure for women
aspiring to priesthood. They have to follow 348 precepts compared
to Bhikkus' 250, and must go through Bhikku training even
after completing Bhikkuni training. But as many have pointed
out, more serious debate is called for on this issue, since
the Eight Principles is still widely considered as part of
Buddha's Teachings. Priest Do Bub of Shilsang Temple explains
that the Eight Principles were "first laid down for the
purpose of offering minimum protection for Bhikkunis,"
but recognizes the "need to further adjust and refine
the Eight Principles in line with the changing times."
The priest also advises, "Debate concerning the Eight
Principles should spread beyond just Bhikkunis to become a
public issue that involves Bhikkus as well. It would be best
to bring the debate to the Buddhist Administration."
Professor Kim Jeong-hee, who has started teaching 'Buddhism
and Feminism' from this year at Ehwa Women's University, offers
the following advice: "The Eight Principles, which has
its foundations in the patriarchal system, is in fact incongruous
with Buddha's original intentions. If we want to return to
Buddha's Teachings, the Eight Principles should not be applied
to today's reality, and Buddhist feminists should take the
initiative in this effort."
Korea embraced Buddhism almost 1000 years before it accepted
Confucianism. Institutions and practices cannot be changed
overnight, but with the breaking of the unwritten law that
Korean Buddhism has adhered to for 1600 years, changes have
indeed begun. Says Han, "Many women have already become
members of temple management committees and heads of lay Buddhist
societies, and Bhikkunis are leading many Buddhist campaigns
such as social welfare programs that increase their contact
with the public." With the founding of the Buddhist Women's
Development Institute in 2000 as a start, the women's movement
has continued to spread within the Buddhist circle, leading
to the creation of the Women's Committee within the Buddhist
Citizens' Alliance for Economic Justice and a 'Bhikkuni Research
Center' at Jungang Buddhist University. Another newly created
group is an online study group aimed at supporting young Buddhist
women's alliance (cafe.daum.net/sakyadita).
Priest Bub Jang, Executive Director of Administration, pledged
during his election campaign to "enhance the status of
Bhikkunis and expand the scope of their activities within
the Administration." He also said that "Priestess
Tak Yeon's appointment is a reflection of the changing gender
ratio within Buddhist society and an answer to the call of
the times." Park Jeong-gyu, Chief-clerk of Publicity
in the Jogye Order, said, "Although past practices restricted
Bhikkunis' participation in Buddhist administration, Priestess
Tak Yeon's appointment will be the turning point for greater
Bhikkuni participation."
Buddha's followers in Korea who have entered priesthood number
about 12,000, of which half are women, and the majority of
the 10 million lay Buddhists are women as well. The world
of Buddhism seems no different from the real world beyond
its walls, at least in terms of gender ratio. Instead of blindly
emphasizing the inviolability of Buddha's Teachings, we should
be able to recognize as Buddha those who remain unfettered
by gender and reach enlightenment and help others to do so
without prejudice or obsession. And by doing so, Buddhism
will be able to move closer to its original purpose. "I
believe Buddha would have admitted to the mistake of creating
a gender discriminatory system such as the Eight Principles
and letting it be passed down the generations. Buddhists in
this age must lead the effort to eliminate gender discriminatory
institutions and practices." Advice from Priestess Se
Deung, coolly unconcerned about her infamous label of 'black
sheep of Korean Buddhism.'
<reported by Cho Hye-won nancal@womennews.co.kr>
"As a Bhikkuni, I am really thankful for the great responsibilities
that have been entrusted to me." Priestess Tak Yeon (aged
54) is the first Bhikkuni to be appointed as the Director
of the Culture Bureau, which is one of the highest administrative
positions in the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Her first
comment regarding her appointment showed her awareness of
the heavy burden she will have to carry as a representative
of all the Bhikkunis in Korea.
Priestess Tak Yeon is the daughter of Priestess Byeok Hae
(aged 73), who manages the Naewon Cell at Donghwa Temple,
a well-known training ground for Bhikkunis. In the footsteps
of her mother, who became a Buddhist nun after becoming widowed
during the war, Priestess Tak Yeon first shaved her head when
she was six years old. She formally entered priesthood in
1969 under the guidance of Priest Hyeon Oh in the Gukil Cells
of Haein Temple. She entered Jungang Buddhist University in
1983, and went on to study in Japan in 1986.
"The reason I went to Japan was not to achieve a degree.
We were living in an increasingly globalized era, and what
I had learned as an undergraduate wouldn't have been enough
when meeting foreigners, especially Japanese. The scriptures
were well translated into Japanese and easy to understand,
and so I thought I would need to learn the Japanese language
to be a good Buddhist scholar. So I went to Japan basically
to study Japanese."
The simple dream of studying Japanese kept her in Japan for
10 years, in which she eventually earned a Doctorate, telling
herself that she would be done with studying once and for
all. Studying on a full scholarship at Risho University, Priestess
Tak Yeon's thesis dealt with the psychological world of Buddhist
scriptures, the psychological depth of humanity.
Upon returning to Korea, she taught for eight years at the
Bongnyeong Temple Buddhist University in Suwon. She hopes
to keep teaching even after finishing her term as the Director
of Culture.
Currently, there are about 20 Bhikkunis like Priestess Tak
Yeon who have majored in Buddhist Studies. Why is it that
Bhikkunis are so scarce in the Buddhist administration as
well as in Buddhist history despite the fact that there are
just as many Bhikkunis as Bhikkus? "To answer that question,
you have to determine when the history of Buddhism started
for women. The first-ever Bhikkuni was Priestess Mahapajapati,
Buddha's aunt. 500 women left home with her, and that was
the very first Bhikkuni organization. The first Bhikkuni in
Korea lived in the Shilla era. Her name was Sassi. It wasn't
even a proper name, since 'sa' means 'history' and 'ssi' 'surname.'
Anyway she was the first Korean Bhikkuni."
The first person to enter priesthood after Buddhism came into
Korea was a woman. Priestess Tak Yeon is interested in discovering
the great Bhikkunis buried in the long history of Korean Buddhism
and recording them in the annals of Buddhism.
"In the times that Buddha lived in, women were held
in contempt. The precepts he laid down back then were compatible
with his times, and today, it's a matter of which way you
interpret his teachings. If you interpret the Eight Principles
as a denial of gender equality, than Bhikkunis will continue
to face conservativeness and discrimination. But precepts
should be interpreted against the backdrop of the times, even
if they are written in stone. What was right in the past may
not be right today, because times have changed. So it would
be unreasonable to apply the precepts in exactly the same
way they were applied in the past."
Religion cannot be an exception in these times of gender
equality, and so Priestess Tak Yeon says that she will heed
the "call of the times" She explains, "I think
that Bhikkunis are leading fulfilling lives these days participating
in a variety of social activities, but I will continue to
advance their rights within the bounds of Buddha's laws and
through consultation with the President of the Korean Bhikkuni
society."
"Since I was appointed by the Bhikkunis of Korea to represent
them in the Administration, finishing my term of office successfully
and doing a good job will pave the way for more Bhikkunis
to assume important posts in the Administration, right?"
Priestess Tak Yeon promised that despite the heavy responsibility
and difficulties that lie ahead, she would do her best not
to smear the reputation of Bhikkunis.
<Reported by Lim In-sook isim123@womennews.co.kr>
- Bodyguards HQ for Women Politicians launched in preparation
for General Election
A fun but effective rebellion has been launched to safeguard
women's political participation. The rebels' goal is to 'get
Go Eun Gwang-soon elected and protect Minister Kang Kum-sil.'
Women groups met on March 5 to kick off the 'Bodyguards HQ
for Women Politicians,' tasked with guarding women politicians
from patriarchal authoritarianism and its challenges.
 ◀<Photograph
by Min Won-ki>
The first project that the HQ has taken on is clinching a
National Assembly seat for Go Eun Gwang-soon through the General
Election next year. A well-known advocate of hoju system
abolishment, Go Eun was the vice-president of the Reform People's
Party founding committee and is currently serving as the president
of the Seocho A branch of the Reform People's Party. Besides
the Go Eun project, the Bodyguard HQ also has a round-the-year
task - encouraging Minister of Justice Kang Kum-sil and protecting
her from chauvinistic judges and prosecutors.
The Bodyguards HQ's first meeting also served as a second
meeting for 'Go Eun People,' a group of Go Eun Gwang-soon
supporters. The history of Go Eun People dates back to October
last year, during the 'Jeju Island goddess field trip' organized
by the Women's Art and Culture Production (WAC Pro).
WAC Pro had planned a series of 'goddess field trips' under
the theme 'Discovering the Goddess in Me,' and had organized
the first trip to Mt. Jiri in May and the second to Jeju Island
in October. The latter trip in particular drew much interest
thanks to the fact that Gloria Steinum, world-renowned feminist
activist and editor of Miz, had been invited. Also
on the trip were well-recognized figures in the Korean women's
movement including photographer Park Young-sook, activist
Oh Soon-ae, advocate of hoju system abolishment Go
Eun Gwang-soon, feminist scholar Oh Han Sook-Hee and oriental
physician Lee Yoo Myung-ho.
Recalls Oh Soon Ae, director of Women's Hotline, "We
were up till one in the morning talking with Gloria about
the women's movement in Korean society. We shared our thoughts
on the methodologies and practical measures available to the
women's movement." Gloria Steinum had once campaigned
in the US for the election of feminism-friendly male politicians.
She pointed out that having women politicians affects not
just each individual woman politician but all women, and thus
women politicians should be targets of political monitoring
as well as support and encouragement. She also emphasized
the importance of forces working to protect each woman politician
struggling within the male-dominated power circle. In Korea,
the women's movement warmed up to the debate on women's political
empowerment when Choi Bo-eun's suggestion that women should
rally behind Park Geun-hye's ambitions for first woman president
created quite a stir last year. That is why Steinum's experience
left a lasting impression on her Korean counterparts.
Then on New Year's Eve last year, women activists still cherishing
the dream of political empowerment gathered once more at the
home of feminist scholar Oh Han Sook-hee. They all agreed
that male politicians with a feminist mindset would be a rarity
indeed in Korean society. Their discussion naturally turned
to suitable female candidates, which in turn led to the birth
of Go Eun People, aimed at making a real politician out of
Go Eun Gwang-soon, who was then heading a regional branch
of the Reform People's Party.
"Oh Han sent me an email to say that I, Go Eun Gwang-soon,
was just a tool. Meaning I didn't have a choice in leading
or giving up this struggle. I didn't take offense at all.
Women should be tools and sources of energy to one another."
At the second meeting of Go Eun People, members agreed that
the Go Eun project must be followed by many more similar projects.
This resolve became the background to the launching of Bodyguards
HQ. Women activists in the HQ call themselves action corps
captains. In line with the HQ's goal of making politics enjoyable,
all the members were light-heartedly christened captain something
or other according to their roles - Captain Charge, Captain
Exorcism, Captain Spider Network, Captain Glib Tongue, Captain
Trumpet and so on.
The project to turn Go Eun into a politician is off to a
good start. The first line of action is collecting signatures
of women activists and distinguished figures in support of
Go Eun. There were numerous suggestions on how to bring Go
Eun closer to the residents of Seocho, her constituency. Action
corps captains in charge of broadcast media, press, culture,
telecommunications and so on are in themselves a mobile election
campaign HQ.
The round-the-year project of guarding Minister of Justice
Kang Kum-sil also began on the very day of the launching of
the Bodyguards HQ. Ideas poured out included sending a flower
a day to the Minister and spreading favorable messages on
the Internet. The "bodyguards" even planned how
they would eliminate stumbling blocks in the Ministry that
are resisting Kang's reform drive. The gathering that had
met at 2 in the afternoon continued their discussions well
into the night.
Then on March 8, familiar faces joined the Women's Day march
sporting black sunglasses and black clothes accentuated with
bright pink cloaks. They were the action corps captains of
the Bodyguards HQ, out to grab the attention of other women
groups and the media and to encourage participation in their
project. The 'Bodyguards HQ for Women Politicians' has truly
set sail towards the horizon of women's political empowerment.
<reported by Kim Sun-hee sonagi@womennews.co.kr>
- 31 Korean legislators including Cho Bae-sook send protest
letter
A campaign has been launched to help Japanese congresswoman
Okajaki, who is facing suspension from her party for participating
in a protest organized by the Korean Council for the Women
Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan during her visit
to Korea.
Cho Bae-sook of the New Millennium Democratic Party (proportional
representative) and 30 other legislators from both ruling
and opposition parties recently sent a letter to the Democratic
Party that suspended Okajaki, through which they claimed,
"The protest that Okajaki joined in February has been
held every Wednesday since 1992 in an effort to solve the
issue of comfort women mobilized by the Japanese military.
It was the first time in 11 years that a Japanese politician
participated in the protest, and her action was welcomed as
a good way to rectify the wrongs in the historical relationship
between Korean and Japan."
The Korean legislators also pointed out, "We are alarmed
at the Japanese media's distortion of facts to make it seem
as if Okajaki had taken part in an anti-Japanese demonstration,
and shocked that the Democratic Party suspended her as a result.
The protest is aimed at urging authorities to solve the comfort
women issue, and is not an anti-Japanese protest."
During her visit to Korea last month to publicize the 'Bill
to promote the resolution of the issue of sexual victims of
war' proposed by Japan's opposition party members, Okajaki
participated in the 545th protest held in front of the Japanese
Embassy on February 12 and offered her consolation to the
victims. The Korean legislators trying to help Okajaki will
follow up on the protest letter with measures to deal with
the Japanese media's distorted reports of the comfort women's
protest.
For questions, call National Assembly member Cho Bae-sook's
office at 82-2-788-2601.
<reported by Bae Young-hwan ddarijoa@womennews.co.kr>
(The Women's News http://www.womennews.co.kr)
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