Transcript forest - APFNet

Chun, Young Woo
College of Forest Science, Kookmin University, KOREA
Buddhist Temple Forest?
Definition : the forest formed and managed
in order to maintain temple's scenery and
landscape
and/or
the forest needed to supply operational
expenses and materials of the temple.
The Roles of Buddhist Temple Forest
1) religious space : the monks and priests’ religious
disciplining, meditation, teamwork training
2) resource space : famine foods, wild herbs and
vegetables, fuel-wood and timber material
could be acquired.
3) sacred space: holy place and shelter from the
secular society
 Well preserved forest at Haeinsa Buddhist Temple Forest
 Baekyangsa Buddhist Temple Forest
Historical Background of Buddhist
Temple Forests
1. A long history of 1,500 year in Korea
2. originated from the 7th century because Buddhist
temple began to be built deep in Mt. area
3. the broadminded cultural attitude of Buddhism:
-integration of indigenous and ancient mountain god faith
-the introduction of Zen Buddhism (in Unified Silla)
-the art of native geomancy (Chinese, Feng Shui)
Buddhist Temple Forests of Joseon Dynasty
(1392-1910)
 Joseon Dynasty established the new religion policy, such as to respect
Confucianism and suppressed Buddhism. Because of the new policy,
Buddhism went downhill.
 However, the royal family still needed Buddhism to pray for their parents
to go to the paradise.
 Buddhist temple also needed royal family’s protection power to escape
from the suppression policy.
 Buddhist temple and the royal family used each other as an ‘insurance’.
As a result of this special relationship between Buddhism and the royal
family, the new forest ownership was established Taebongsan (胎封山) forest, Yulmokbongsan (栗木封山)-forest, Hyangtanbongsan (香炭封山)-forest, Songhwabongsan (松花封山)-forest .
Taebongsan(胎封山)-forest : Pine forest for the protection of
the preserves of royal family’s umbilical cords
 Eunhaesa Buddhist Temple’s Taebongsan Forest
 The umbilical cord preserve of Joseon Dynasty’s 12th King Injong at Eunhaesa Buddhist
Temple
Yulmokbongsan(栗木封山)-forest : Chestnut forest for
the production of ancestral tablet used in the
ceremony of ancestor worship (royal tombs).
 Yeongoksa Buddhist Temple’s Yulmokbongsan Forest
Ancestral Tablet used in the Ceremony of Ancestor Worship
Hyangtanbongsan(香炭封山)-forest : Forest for the
manufacture of charcoal used for royal family and
related royal ceremonies
 Kimyongsa Buddhist Temple’s Hyangtanbongsan Forest
Songhwabongsan(松花封山)-forest : Pine forest for
collecting the pine pollen for traditional “pine pollen
sweets” for royal family
identification wood disk
for protection activity
pine pollen sweets
 Anjungsa Buddhist Temple’s Songhwabongsan Forest : The red pine forest to collect the
pine pollen for the traditional pressed sweets for royal family
Species of Buddhist Temple Forest
 Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora)
 Manchurian fir (Abies holophylla)
 Nutmeg (Torreya nucifera)
 Camellia (Camellia japonica)
 Maple (Acer palmatum)
 Tea (Thea sinensis)
 Tongdosa Buddhist Temple’s Red Pine forests
 Woljungsa, Naesoda Buddhist Temple’s Fir Forests
The fruits of Nutmeg (Torreya nucifera) was
used as an anthelmintic to take a dose of 7
fruits for 7 days.
 Baekyangsa Buddhist Temple’s Nutmeg Forest
 Baekyeonsa, Sununsa Buddhist Temple’s Camellia Forests
 Hwaeumsa, Sumamsa Buddhist Temple’s Tea Plantation
New Emerging Functions of
Buddhist Temple Forest
 maintenance of traditional cultural landscape
and natural treasure
 provision of health and meditation space
 preservation of biodiversity
The Urgent Problem of Temple Forests
Total area of Temple Forest is ~1% of the Korean Forest.
The temple forests has long history of 1600 years
The national park system has been institutionalized since 1967 in Korea
and old temples in famous Mt. were designated as National Park.
Naejangsa, Haeinsa, Naesosa, Weolchulsa owned the temple forests over
30% of the designated National Park’s area.
Those temple forests are regulated by the National Park Law strictly
National Park and general park laws are restrictively allowed the utilization
of temple forests.
Swinging Between Millennial Conservation
and Modern Cultural Prosperity
Value conflicts between
1)the cultural use of the temple forests and
2)the conservation of National Park (or Province Park)
A salient example between
1)the cultural values of religion and
2)the aesthetical and ecological values of modern society : a
general phenomenon of the Buddhist temple forests of
Korea
The Buddhist monk’s protest ceremony to clear the park laws
CONCLUSION
How we can solve this conflict between cultural value of
religion and ecological value of modern society?
Buddhist temple forests in Korea represent a salient example
of modern day conflict between ecological and cultural
forest values.
Drawing on historical experiences, this presentation argues
that ecological and cultural forest values are not mutually
exclusive and presents strategies to reconcile the ecological
and cultural values of forests