About Chogyesa

Address: 42 West 96th Street, New York, NY 10025
Email Address: chogyesa.temple.office@nyjogeitemple.com
Phone Number: (845) 784-8508
Facebook: https://bit.ly/Chogyesa-Facebook-Group
Instagram: @chogyesa_ny

For its first 30 years in the United States, Chogyesa was located in a quiet neighborhood in Woodside, Queens. In 2003, it moved into its current home in an elegant townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Our Buddhist Seon sanctuary sits in a row of early 20th Century townhouses. Inside, one is immediately awed by the tranquility of the interior, which has been transformed into a space designated for traditional Buddhist practice. The Jijang-Bosal (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) Room is located on the Lower Level; the Mezzanine Level has a large Meditation Room; and the Upper Level houses the main Dharma Room. Our facilities are open for public use and serve as a getaway from the busy New York City lifestyle.

Our Head Seon Master



The current Sunim is Seon Master Ingoong, who was appointed Head Seong Master of Chogyesa in June 2023. Seon Master Ingoong Sunim graduated from Koryo University with a B.S. in Physics. After spending some time working professionally in Silicon Valley, Ingoong Sunim made the decision to become a Buddhist monk under the tutelage of “Korea’s Linji” Seon Master Seo-Ong of Baekyangsa in Jangseong County, a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. He completed his Buddhist studies at the Songgwangsa and Donghwasa Temple Sangha Universities, and received teachings of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightment, Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, and Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra under Senior Instructor Wonheojiun. Ingoong Sunim also successfully completed his Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Seon Buddhism Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea.

Governance

Current Board of Directors
Seon Master Ingoong - President
Sam Choe - Treasurer
Donggyoon Hong - Secretary
Moonhee Yum
Youngjoon Park

History of Korean Buddhism

Buddhism was adopted as the official state religion in the Goguryeo, Shilla and Baekje kingdoms during the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.E - 668 C.E.), and the Unified Shilla Kingdom (668 C.E. - 935 C.E.) succeeded in applying Buddhism as the psychological force for the unification of the peninsula. During the Unified Shilla Period, Buddhism played a preeminent role in cultural development, resulting in the construction of such world-renowned historical sites as Bulguksa Temple and Sokguram Grotto. In addition, the world’s earliest known printing using woodblocks for the Mugujeonggwang Dharani followed by the first metal type print for the Jikjisimcheyojeol (“Jikji”), a Buddhist sutra, at Heungdeoksa Temple (in today’s city of Cheongju) attest to the advanced development of the culture.

Pre-dating Guttenberg by 78 years, the text was printed in 1377 C.E. and it is currently in the possession of the French National Library. It was designated a UNESCO “Memory of the World” in 2001.  The sutra is an outline of Buddhist teachings necessary for spiritual development as well as indications as to how to pass on the Dharma, including religious songs, chantings, engravings, writings, glossaries of technical terms, and Seon verbal combat. During the Unified Shilla Period, the teachings of Chan (known as Zen in Japanese and Seon in Korean) were brought from China and led to the development of a Seon order, thereby adding another dimension to philosophical advance and eventually providing a psychological foundation for the post-Shilla period, the Goryeo Dynasty (918 C.E. - 1392 C.E.).

Goryeo, too, adopted Buddhism and it became a unifying factor and the grounds for further national and cultural flourishing. In particular, Goryeo followed the teachings of Unified Shilla National Seon Master Doseon (827 C.E. - 898 C.E.) and had temples built on famous mountains around the nation, adding further impetus to the dissemination of the Dharma. Also during Goryeo, the Tripitaka Koreana was carved into more than 80,000 woodblocks as an offering for national protection from outside forces and invasion, and Buddhism gave birth to such creative national festivals as the P’algwanhoe and the Yeondeunghoe (Lotus Lantern Festival).

During Goryeo, the number of Buddhist orders diversified and flourished. However, the increasing economic and political influence of the monks led to condemnation by the common people, and, ignored by the aristocracy, Buddhism came into a period of political repression with the ensuing Joseon Dynasty (1392 C.E. - 1910 C.E.). During Joseon, Neo-Confucianism rapidly gained favor, and although royalty continued to practice Buddhism privately, Confucianism ruled administration and society. Under a continuing policy of repression, Buddhism was banished to the mountains and monks were generally treated harshly.  However, this banishment proved to be quite valuable to Buddhism in two respects: the temples became centers for the communal flourishing of Seon practice, and Buddhism established strong bonds with the common people. During the first half of the 20th century, Korean Buddhism necesssarily fell under the influence of Japanese Buddhism during the Japanese Occupation (1910 C.E. - 1945 C.E.). It was only after liberation in 1945 C.E. that traditional Korean Buddhism could once again be established in the form of Korean Seon and the Jogye Order to once more come to the fore.

Seon employs several simple techniques of formal practice and meditation that help direct the individual towards a central question: “What am I?” Although this question seems shapeless, Seon has developed, over many centuries, a practical and clearly defined means of approaching it. Meditation, communal activity, and student-teacher dialogue (“Kong-an interviews”) are common to all Seon traditions. If there is an element of faith in Seon, it is faith that steadfast concentration on the question of self-nature will bring clarity and energy to everyday life as well as a faith that, ultimately, Seon practice will not focus on an isolated “I” but on the whole real world.

What is Seon?
By Seon Master Seung Sahn

In this whole world, everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobdoy understands their true self inside.

Everybody says, “I” -- “I” want this, I am like that...” But nobody understands this “I.” Before you were born, where did your “I” come from? When you die, where will your “I” go? If you sincerely ask, “What am I?” sooner or later you will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. We call this “don’t know.”

Seon is keeping this “don’t know” mind always and everywhere. When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking, being silent, moving, being still. At all times, in all places, without interruption -- what is this? One mind is infinite kalpas.

Meditation in Seon means keeping this “don’t know” mind when bowing, chanting and sitting Seon. This is formal Seon practice, and when doing something, just do it. When driving, just drive; when eating, just eat; when working, just work.

Finally, your “don’t know” mind will become clear. Then you can see the sky, only blue. You can see the tree, only green. Your mind is like a clear mirror. Red comes, the mirror is red; white comes, the mirror is white. A hungry person comes, you can give him/her food; a thirsty person comes, you can give hime/her something to drink. There is no desire for myself, only for all beings. That mind is already enlightenment, what we call Great Love, Great Compassion, the Great Bodhisattva Way. It’s very simple, no difficult!

So Buddha said that all beings have Buddha-nature (enlightenment nature). But Seon Master Joju said that a dog has no Buddha-nature. Which one is right? Which one is wrong? If you find that, you find the true way.