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Son (Korean)
Korean Sŏn Buddhism, known for hwadu meditation and the global Kwan Um School of Zen.
Sŏn is the Korean form of Chan. Medieval masters such as Chinul integrated scriptural study with sudden awakening, while later traditions emphasized hwadu — intense questioning of a key phrase.
In the modern period, Seung Sahn brought Korean Sŏn to the West through the Kwan Um School, with its distinctive teaching style, kong-an interviews, and “don’t know” mind. Korean temples in North America also serve immigrant communities with a full liturgical calendar.
Practices
Hwadu meditation
Holding a great doubt around a critical phrase until insight breaks through.
Kong-an interviews
Teacher-student encounters testing the student’s response.
Bowing practice
Prostrations used extensively in Korean monastic and lay training.
Texts
The Compass of Zen
Seung Sahn
Tracing Back the Radiance
Chinul (tr. Robert Buswell)