도심포교의 역사와 ‘불광(佛光)’의 도심포교

초록

The main purpose of this study is to examine Bulkwang's activities in the history of urban propagation. The history of urban propagation is divided into the pioneering period (1970s), active period (1980s), growth period (1990s), stagnation period (2000s), and transition period (2010s and later) from the 1970s to the present. From urban propagation temples that have grown to a large scale, five common success factors are presented: education of believers, modernization of Buddhist services, organization of believers, media propagation, and social welfare. Education of believers is to cultivate elite believers by operating Buddhist lectures. The modernization of Buddhist services involves changing these services to fit the lives of modern people, such as holding monthly Buddhist services on the lunar calendar cycle and weekly Buddhist services on the solar calendar cycle. Believers organize and manage individual believers into groups. Media propagation involves the active utilization of various mass media that are appropriate for the times of propagation. Social welfare is the implementation of social welfare facilities and programs in a regionally friendly, regionally coexistent, and regional community-oriented manner. This study analyzed the relationship between the common success factors of these five urban propagations and Bulkwang's growth. Beginning with the Basic Doctrines of Buddhism in 1983 and extending to the current Bulkwang Education Center, Bulkwang's “education of believers” has become a growth engine for Bulkwang by leading to the regularization of believers' meetings and the organization of believers' gatherings. Bulkwang has achieved “modernization of Buddhist services” by breaking away from the monthly Buddhist services centered on the days of purification on the lunar calendar cycle and holding weekly Buddhist services based on the solar calendar cycle, such as Bulkwang Buddhist services (every Thursday), Gudo (求道) Buddhist services (every third Saturday of every month), Sunday Buddhist services (every Sunday), and Saturday Buddhist services (every Saturday). This modernization of Buddhist services has expanded the audience to include women of all ages and genders. Bulkwang's “organization of believers” is represented by the formation of Beopdeung (法燈), the basic unit organization, and Gubeophoe (區法會), the associations of Beopdeungs. Bulkwang's Beopdeung and Gubeophoe successfully led to urban propagation by enhancing community consciousness and cooperation among believers. The monthly magazine Bulkwang has been published without a single break for 50 years as a symbol of “media propagation,” and has contributed to the popularization of Buddhism beyond urban propagation. Bulkwang has practiced “social welfare” in terms of both welfare facilities (day care centers, nursing homes for the elderly, etc.) and welfare programs (helping the underprivileged and Bulkwang volunteer groups, etc.). These social welfare activities provide Bulkwang's followers with an opportunity to engage in urban propagation through social services.

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