Publisher's Synopsis
"This study fills large gaps in the studies of Buddhism and premodern Korean cultural and literary history. The Choson dynasty lasted for over five centuries, and yet there has been little study on Buddhism over that period, particularly in relation the first half of the dynasty. This study contains three unique insights. First, it illuminates the grinding conflict over Buddhism that culminated in the 1560s with a legislative ban on the Buddhist institution. The protracted nature of this conflict has not been accounted for in the scholarship. In assessing it, this study incorporates detailed examination of government documents and private literary collections. Second, this study sheds light on the normalization of relations between the state and the Buddhist institution at the start of the seventeenth century. The situation was far more complex than has been recognized in the scholarship. Third, this study reveals the significance of co
