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Flourishing of Buddhism in Goryeo

Type Event Region Korean Peninsula Time 1161–1170

In the 1160s Goryeo was still in Uijong's civil rule (1146–1170), with Buddhism as the state faith;…

Timeline

  1. 1161–1165Gaeseong · Korean PeninsulaUnder Uijong, the royal house continued to treat Buddhism as the core of state ritual, repairing capital temples and holding dharma assemblies. The military had not yet seized power, and Myeongjong had not yet ascended.
  2. 1163–1168Haeinsa · North Gyeongsang ProvinceTemples across Goryeo continued printing Buddhist canons, with the Huayan and Chan (especially the Jogye tradition) developing side by side. The monastic population was large, and temple lands and manor economies supported the sangha's operations.
  3. 1166–1170Gaeseong · Korean PeninsulaMonks and Buddhist texts continued to circulate between Goryeo and the Southern Song. The 1170 military coup deposed Uijong and installed Myeongjong, ending the civil-rule court, but this does not change the fact that most of the 1160s still belonged to Uijong's reign.

Sources