Parameters of the Taego Order

The establishments of the Order are - the Founder, Lineage, Tradition, History, the Nature of Culture, and the Current Nature.  Under the umbrella of Korean Buddhism, however, there is almost no difference between the Taego and the other orders with regard to the Founder, the basic characteristics of theological view, the priestly outlooks, the precepts, the ceremonies, the dress code etc..  Korean Buddhism’s orders all came from the same root.  The Taego Order makes sure that its members are equally regarded and refrains from power play.  The Order follows the harmonious theories of Master Won-Hyo and it also embraces Master Taego Bowoo’s hope for complete integration.  This is the avenue used to approach the Buddha-Dharma.

1) Philosophy of the Liberal Order

The Taego Order avoids having the Sangha practice solely for their own benefit.  Instead, it insists upon a practice that benefits all beings.  The Order inspires the Sangha to cultivate him or herself to become Bodhisattvas who ultimately sacrifice and share in the suffering of the mundane people.  This is strongly encouraged by the Taego Order as are any actions that help alleviate the social problems facing people in general.  Therefore, the Taego Order is the most unique Mahayana school, for it encourages Sangha members to have families (including monks) and this then allows for positive examples to be set for the community at large.  

2) Taego Order as a Composition of Private Temples (Formation of Order)

The Taego Order sustains historical traditions as well as preserving the original Dharmas handed down from the Buddha.  Since 1950 the Taego Order has lost many temples to the Chogye Order, leaving it bereft of major centers of cultivation and scholarship.  This led to its reformation as a community of smaller, private temples, which is how it still, for the most part, exists today.  Whoever acts as a founder of a private temple in the Taego Order has to undertake certain responsibilities.  For example, he or she is entrusted with the Mission of the Taego Order, and once a temple is established, it should not be relocated so that it might better make harmony with the community around it.  Moreover, it must not be segregated from the mundane world in the way a monastery is, for it is very important that the temple be firmly connected to and on level with the mundane world in which it rests.  

3) Tradition and Property Inheritance

a) Inheritance from Teacher

b) Inheritance from Dharma Lineage

c) Transfer from Other Order

4) Appointment of Abbot

The Taego Order appoints a new Abbot who has inherited a temple in accordance with paragraph 3A or at the suggestion of the temple’s founder if he or she is still alive.  

5) Acknowledgement of Privatized Temple

Except for a monastery or a temple where the property rights officially belong to the Taego Order, all other temples remain in the possession of the founder/abbot.  

6) Progressive Teaching

The Taego Order follows the tradition in which the monk is the center of the Sangha, however, the Order does not distinguish between the clergy and the laity.  Likewise there is also no longer a distinction between the teaching school and the Zen school.  The Order pursues the unhindered Mahayana ideal to educate the people.  In terms of the precepts (sila), the Taego Order does not follow the traditional Vinaya-Pitaka (full rules and regulations including precepts), but instead they follow the Mahayana sila (precepts), especially concentrating on the Bodhisattva’s Vows (to aid those in the mundane world).  Therefore, in accordance with Mahayana philosophy, all of the clergy (monks and dharma instructors) must concentrate on the mundane world, which is one of the reasons why the clergy is encouraged to have families.  There are even special circumstances where clergy or dharma instructors are allowed to grow their hair, instead of being clean-shaven, in order to better interact with those around them.  In those circumstances where one is allowed to grow out his or her hair, it makes it more practical to spread the Buddha-Dharma to certain communities (e.g. schools and hospitals).  

7) Marriage of Clergy (especially for monks)

According to the Dasa-Bhumika in the Avatamsaka Sutra “The Mahayana Bodhisattva (clergy) must be fulfilled by his wife or her husband, so no looking for other people’s spouses”, and this gives a very positive view of marriage and the clergy.  For example, Master Kumarajiva (the great translator), Tibetan Master Millalepa, legendary Korean Master Won-Hyo (from the Sila Dynasty), and Korea’s most beloved poet and monk, Master Man-Hae all had families.  In general, a monk who has a spouse is called “monk with wife” (Dae-Cheo-Seung), and an official marriage has taken place.  It is also likely that the monk has children and that the family lives in their own residence.  People call the monks of the Taego Order “Dae-Cheo-Seung” (monk with wife), but this is not a proper word because not all monks in the Taego Order are married.  

8) The System of Dharma Instruction (Kyo-Im)

Within Korean Buddhism, only the Taego Order has a system for ordaining lay clergy members.  For a person who has problems with becoming fully ordained or a person who would not be able to handle the life of a monk, this is a wonderful alternative to still be able to spread the Buddha-Dharma from a center without having to take the ultimate step of becoming a monk.  The Dharma Instructor can be either male or female, any age, and any marital status.  

Principles of the Taego Order

A) Definition of Taego Order:

Our order’s name is Korean Buddhist Taego Order (Taego Order Constitution #1)

1. Korea – the name of the home country
2. Buddhism – a school that follows Shakyamuni’s teachings
3. Taego Order – Since Shakyamuni Buddha expired, Masters and Patriarchs continue to transmit his teachings through the present day.  This Dharma transmission has grown continuously over the last 1,600 years in Korea.  Before 1945 all Korean Buddhist Sanghas were descended from Master Taego Bowoo, especially the Chogye order, which was founded at the end of the Korye Dynasty.  This unified order continued until 1954, when President Lee Seoung Man and a number of Bikkhus ordered a separation of the Chogye order into two orders, one comprised of celibate monks and the other of those who had families (which would be known later as the Taego Order). The old group changed the color of the kasa to brown, despite the fact that the traditional color of a Korean kasa was red.  This was done to create a visual distinction between the orders.  After the separation of the orders, the Bikkhu Sanghas as well as the government suppressed the Taego Order, so traditional monks had to establish a new order that would carry the characteristics of the original Chogye Order, including the use of the original red kasa.  In 1970 a new order was officially founded, named after Master Taego Bowoo.  The Korean Buddhist Taego Order promotes not segregation, but instead, a Buddhism that fits the mundane world.  

B) Tenets of the Taego Order:

     The Tenets are the foundations of our Order, which are manifested in the characteristics of the teachings and ideas.  The Korean Buddhist Taego Order respects the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, especially those of self-enlightenment, teaching the path of enlightenment to others, and using wise conduct paired with amicable sense. The Order also pursues the principles of Master Taego Bowoo, which revolve around self-enlightenment and rescuing suffering people in the mundane world (Taego Constitution paragraph #3).

Self-enlightenment refers not just to one person achieving enlightenment and then aiding others in finding it, but instead, it refers to the sharing of the Buddha-Dharma so that all beings might simultaneously achieve enlightenment and freedom from the mundane world of suffering.  

Using wise conduct paired with amicable sense means the attainment of frictionless cultivation and suffering-free awakening.  

Observing the nature and obtaining the Buddha stage refers to discovering the Buddha nature within oneself and also to developing the Buddha seed that will grow and choke out all ignorance and doubt.  This is what we call enlightenment.  

Our mission is to spread the Buddha’s teaching as well as other Masters’ teachings to disciples or mundane peoples in order to guide suffering people to the right path.