Taego Bou

Taego Bou (1301–1382) was one of the most important Seon masters of the late Goryeo dynasty, renowned for traveling to Yuan China and receiving formal Linji dharma transmission from the hermit master Shiwu Qinggong, known as Stonehouse. This transmission gave Korean Seon a direct, authenticated connection to the Chinese Linji lineage at a time when Korean Buddhism faced internal fragmentation and political turmoil. After returning to Korea, Taego was appointed Royal Preceptor and used his influence to attempt the unification of the Nine Mountain schools of Seon into a single order.

Taego's significance extends beyond his personal attainment. His vision of a unified Korean Buddhist order anticipated by two centuries the consolidation that would eventually occur under the Joseon dynasty. He established rigorous practice standards and insisted on the primacy of hwadu investigation as the heart of Seon training. His recorded sayings reveal a teacher of great directness who could shift fluidly between scholarly exposition and the abrupt, challenging style of classical Linji encounter dialogue. The Taego Order, one of the two major orders in contemporary Korean Buddhism, takes its name from him, and his lineage claim through Stonehouse remains a point of identity and pride for its adherents.