The Meaning of the Expression ‘Daejung’ in Won-Buddhist Mind Study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the specific meanings of the term “daejung” found in the scriptures and historical documents of Won-Buddhism. For this purpose, content analysis was conducted by professionals with all of the 38 contents extracted from the eight kinds of scriptures and historical documents. The result revealed that daejung includes four meanings: ‘standardizing,’, ‘keeping one’s mind’, ‘observing and recognizing one’s mind’, and ‘contemplating, reflecting, and looking at things as it is with the Mind.’ In the relationship with Won-Buddhist mind study, daejung has three features. First, in application to mind study, each meaning could be applied differently because each person has their own points like standardizing ‘what’ in the practice of mind study. Second, the four meanings tend to overlap each other. Third, daejung is based on the checking mind. Next, a survey was performed to examine how people understand the meaning of daejung and its role in mind study. 78 Won-Buddhist ministers-in-training, who are studying in the university or the graduate school of Won-Buddhism, participated. The result revealed that the term daejung includes the four meanings identically same with the result of the analysis with the 38 contents ahead. According to the answer by students, daejung plays a role in ‘presenting a goal, a purpose, and a direction’, ‘presenting a standard’, ‘helping to observe one’s mind, to watch over one’s mind, and to sustain their practicing mind’, and ‘helping to hold one s center in one s mind.’ This study has two implications for the education of ministers-in-training in Won-Buddhism. First, students need to expand their awareness toward understanding every meaning of daejung because the result showed that many students know only a part. Second, whenever speaking or teaching about daejung to the students, it must be delivered in a clear sense because daejung has multi-meaning.