Fortunately, in the darkness of the cave, Wŏnhyo found a smooth vessel. There they became thirsty waiting for the treacherous storm to pass. The two monks sought shelter, and retreated into a dark cave. However, their journey was derailed by a terrible storm. Wŏnhyo (617-686 CE) and Ŭisang (625-702 CE) were two Korean monks who wanted to travel to Tang China to study with great Buddhist masters. There is a tale that is widely known by Koreans, a tale even known by the dogs in the street (to draw on a Korean expression), and this is a good way to introduce Korean philosophy because it is symbolic of the tradition’s focus on the mind, or rather how the mind controls our lives. This is particularly true in the Korean application of Confucian and Buddhist ideas. Our lives and minds are affected by others (and their actions), as others (and their minds) are affected by our actions. In the Korean tradition of philosophy, human beings are social beings, therefore knowing how to interact with others is an essential part of living a good life – indeed, living well with others is our real contribution to human life. It literally means the ‘study of wisdom’ or, perhaps better, ‘how to become wise’, which reflects its more dynamic and proactive implications. The word for ‘philosophy’ in Korean is 철학, pronounced ch’ŏrhak. It is also a tradition of philosophy largely unknown to the West. Korean philosophy is practical, while remaining agnostic to a large degree: recognising the spirit realm but highlighting that we ourselves take charge of our lives by taking charge of our minds. Self-cultivation, central to the tradition, underscores that the onus is on the individual to develop oneself, without recourse to the divine or the supernatural. This seeking after ourselves, however, is not something that is lacking in Buddhist and Confucian traditions – especially not in the case of Korean philosophy. ‘We are unknown, we knowers, ourselves to ourselves,’ wrote Friedrich Nietzsche at the beginning of On the Genealogy of Morals (1887).
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