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Buddhism During The March First Movement: An Analysis

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Han Yongun, a Buddhist nationalist who actively supported and planned the March First movement, reflects on the changes which Buddhism must take to modernize and survive in the changing times. In an essay he addresses, “Today’s civilization, however, progresses at a rapid pace. A moment’s hesitation may quickly result in a wide gap. How can we afford not to step up our efforts?” in reference to the outdated traditions and teachings which Buddhists texts offer. Han’s understanding of the rapidly changing times addresses the concerns which many religions faced at the time. The rapid rate of modernization made many of the previous traditions and practices outdated, and Han’s essay proclaimed that if measures were not taken to adjust traditions accordingly, the practices of Buddhism will soon become obsolete. These changes in Buddhism mirrored those in Christianity and Ch’ondogyo. The importance of education and individuality became heightened in face of the oppressive Japanese rule. Through pushing for a more educated and modernized following, these religions evoked a sense of pride in their fellows Koreans, proclaiming for them to reassert their beliefs in what is rightfully theirs. It is through reforms, the publication of magazines, and widespread messages of their beliefs that religion helped to perform a key role in establishing a new definition of Korean self-image. As exemplified in the case of religion, the emergence of new literary genres and increased circulation of vernacular literature contributed greatly to the development process and growth of Korean identity. Prior to the March First Incident of 1919, Korea had been under a tight policy of censorship, with extremely limited access to literary resources. However, as Japanese official Saito Makoto announced a new cultural policy to quell the anger of Korean citizens after the March First Independence movement, obtaining publication and organizational rights became much more readily available in comparison. As a result, many nationalist groups and Korean organizations took advantage of this policy and organized various intellectual, political, and religious societies which allowed for Korea’s cultural development to flourish. One of the new

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