Chinese and Korean Scholars’ Narratives on Buddhism in ancient China and Korea

Santosh K. Gupta(Santosh K. Gupta ),Sanjay Kumar(Sanjay Kumar ) 강원한국학연구원 2022 국제한국학저널 Vol.12·13 No.-

한국의 고대 학자·승려에 의한 불교 사상의 전파는 한·중 관계 형성의 중요한 요소가 되었고, 학술 및 문화의 전달뿐만 아니라 인적교류의 접촉을 발전시키는 중요한 기점이 되었다. 따라서 인도와 동아시아 간의 교류에 있어서 중국, 한국과 인도 승려 학자들의 역할이 있었다. 본고는 불교사상의 도리와 그의 확장 및 진전 속의 서사를 해명하며 실크로드 불교의 중요성과 동화 과정에서 중국과 한국 학문을 살펴본다. 특히, 불교 사상적 교류의 차원에서 중국과 한국 학자들의 제시된 서사적 관점을 고찰하려고 한다. Chinese and Korean scholar monks played significant role in reshaping Buddhist linkages between East Asian countries, particularly China and Korea. Transmission of Buddhist thought and culture developed scholarly people to people contact between China, Korea and neighboring states or confederacy which were more complex than today. This paper studies the narratives of Buddhist teachings, its expansion in Silk-road and narratives of Chinese and Korean Buddhist as an intermediary for assimilation of philosophical thoughts. The paper also focuses on the role of monks and scholars in forging cultural discourse of India with East Asia.

ENGAGING THE URBAN BUDDHIST LAITY: THE ‘BUDDHIST SOLIDARITY FOR REFORM’ ORGANIZATION IN SOUTH KOREA

santosh k. gupta 계명대학교 한국학연구원 2017 Acta Koreana Vol.20 No.2

During the Japanese colonial period and after the arrival of Korean independence, Korean Buddhism experienced a noticeable revival and rise of Buddhist organizations and NGOs. This article aims to examine the characteristics of lay Buddhist communities, with special reference to the ‘Buddhist Solidarity for Reform’ (BSR) organization in contemporary South Korea, which is actively engaging the laity by defining the role of modern Buddhism. This leading organization began as a distinct community movement confined to the urban masses and based on Buddhist beliefs. The group seeks reform of monastic Buddhism and calls for deeper participation of the laity in Buddhist activities. The BSR represents the elite urban class and primarily functions as a moderator for socially engaged Buddhism. This organization not only deals with community matters but also serves to buttress promotion of Buddhist practices in everyday life. The BSR functions completely independently and is critical toward the monastic-centric Buddhist orders of South Korea. Describing historical shifts in the lay Buddhist movements, this study analyzes how the lay Buddhist organizations are raising their voices, furthering social agendas for the urban laity and expanding their social bases by forming religious social networks.

소태산과 빔라오 람지 암베드카르 비교 연구

산토쉬 꾸말 굽타(Santosh K. Gupta) 원광대학교 원불교사상연구원 2015 원불교사상과 종교문화 Vol.66 No.-

본 연구는 근대 사회에서 종교적 의미를 재생하고 부흥하기 위해서 전통불교를 재해석한 원불교와 신불교 창시자에 대한 비교 연구이다. 불교에 대한 그들의 관점은 불교의 기본 가르침이 반드시 요구되므로 비평이 아니라 전통의 재해석을 추구하였다. 소태산과 암베드카르는 불교를 스승으로 여기고 현재의 삶에서 얻을 수 있는 부처의 개념에 집중하였다. 그리하여 그들은 근대적인 관점에서 전통을 재해석하고 현세(現世)의 모든 인간해방을 제안하였다. 식민지 시기 한국과 인도에서는 사회적⋅정치적⋅종교적으로 변화가 많았는데, 이 시기에 억압받았던 수백만의 민중들은 독립 후 종교적인 플랫폼으로서 불교를 선택하고, 다양한 사회적 활동에 활발하게 참여했다. 그리하여 원불교와 신불교는 사회적 자본을 조성했고, 종교적인 방법과 수단을 통해 사회적 네트워크를 형성했다. 이것은 다른 어떤 수단을 통해 조성하는 사회 자본보다 더욱 지속성이 강한 것으로 나타났다. 사회적 참여를 통해 두 지도자는 공공의 역할을 강조하고, 농촌 지역에서 새로운 종교 의식을 생성했다. 그들의 조직들은 종교 의식의 규범까지 거부하면서 새로운 사회적 네트워크를 형성하여 민중들의 도덕적⋅경제적 발전에 초점을 맞췄다. 초기의 참여는 농민과 억압받는 사람들의 자발적인 협회였으며, 그들은 대중 중심의 네트워크를 모색했다. 또한 새로운 종교 공동체를 도입하면서 사람들의 사회화는 확실히 큰 도전이었으므로 소태산과 암베드카르는 불교의 사회적인 측면을 강조한 것이다. 소태산과 암베드카르는 서로 차이점도 있지만 유사점이 더욱 많다. 두 지도자들은 근대화에 잘 맞는 종교로서 불교를 선택하고, 현대사회에 필요한 종교로서 불교를 재해석했다. 가장 중요한 유사점은 한국과 인도 사회에서 비슷한 계급 사회를 배경으로 두 지도자들이 불교를 선택했다는 점이다. 또한 그들은 현대의 사회적 요구에 발맞추어 불교의 사회 참여를 제안하였고, 전통 불교의 실천이란 측면에서 교리의 부족한 부분을 발견하였으며, 근대 사회에 필요한 윤리를 제안했다. 사회경제 복지 개념은 소태산과 암베드카르의 사회복지 윤리 안에서 나타나는데 이는 경계 없는 축복의 천국으로 현세를 바꾸어 나아가는 것을 의미한다. Sotaesan (1891–1943), the founder of Won-Buddhism in Korea, and Bhim Rao Ambedkar (1891–1956), the founder of Neo-Buddhism, also known as Navayana, in India, are the representative leaders who provided religious remedies for the common people. It is a coincidence that both Sotaesan and Ambedkar were born in the same year. These two leaders were well-versed in both the Eastern and the Western spiritual traditions, but they chose the Buddhist tradition as a tool to meet the contemporary socio-spiritual demand. Their key objectives were to help needy and downtrodden people. During the last fifty years, both the Won Buddhist and Neo-Buddhist followers marked a positive print on modern society by applying prescribed approaches to engage the people in their respective country. These religious leaders not only identified the public role of modern Buddhism but also embarked on the social empowerment and formation of religious social capital, which differ from the other religious groups since Won Buddhism and Neo Buddhism fosters community value along with religious value. The reformation occurred in politically ambitious colonial states which had poorly managed the social affairs of Korea and India. The impact of colonial regimes was so diverse that the non-privileged class opted religious platform for mobilizing people after independence. In this case, both Won-Buddhism and Neo-Buddhism generated social capital and formed social networks through the religious means, which appeared to be more durable than the social capitals generated through the other means. Through the social engagement, both leaders generated a new religious consciousness in the rural areas by assuming public role. Their organizations refuse to restrict to the religious practices and focus on the moral and economic development of common people by forming new social networks. The early participation was a voluntary association of farmers and non-privileged people who sought a public orientated network. Moreover, socialization of people by introducing a new religious community was certainly a great challenge and that is why they emphasized the social face of Buddhism. This study examines the ways in which the founders of Won-Buddhism and Neo-Buddhism reinterpreted traditional Buddhism in order to revive and re-present it in the modern socio-religious context. Won-Buddhism and Neo-Buddhism have been studied from a comparative framework, but furthermore, an attempt has been made to group them together, because both form a pattern of revival, reinterpretation and new orientation of Buddhism i. e, its social engagement.

Effect of oxygen containing compounds in uranium tetrafluoride on its non-adiabatic calciothermic reduction characteristics

Gupta, Sonal,Kumar, Raj,Satpati, Santosh K.,Sahu, Manharan L. Korean Nuclear Society 2021 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.53 No.6

Uranium ingot is produced by metallothermic reduction of uranium tetrafluoride using magnesium or calcium as reductant. Presence of oxygen containing compounds viz. uranyl fluoride and uranium oxide in the starting uranium fluoride has a significant effect on the firing time, final temperature of the charge, slag-metal separation and hence the metal recovery. As reported in the literature, the maximum tolerable limit for uranyl fluoride in the UF₄ is 2.5 wt% and limit for uranium oxide content is in the range 2-3 wt%. No theoretical or experimental basis is available till date for these limits. Analyses have been carried out in this study to understand the effect of UO₂F₂ concentration in the starting fluoride on the final temperature of the products and thus the reduction characteristics. UF₄ having uranyl fluoride concentration, less than as well as more than 2.5 wt%, have been investigated. Thermodynamic calculations have been carried out to arrive at a general expression for the final temperature attained by the products during calciothermic reduction of UF₄. Finally, an upper limit for the oxygen containing impurities has been estimated using the CaO-CaF₂ phase diagram.