Jogye

Seon

Jogye

Branch of Seon

The Jogye Order (조계종, 曹溪宗) is the largest and most influential Buddhist order in Korea, tracing its spiritual lineage to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng's mountain, Caoxi (Jogye in Korean). Founded in its original form by Bojo Jinul in the twelfth century and reconstituted in the twentieth century after Japanese colonial suppression, the Jogye Order represents the mainstream of Korean Seon practice. The order's distinctive approach combines rigorous hwadu (huatou) meditation with monastic discipline, seasonal intensive retreats (kyolche), and the integration of doctrinal study. The Jogye Order maintains over two thousand temples across South Korea and operates the country's major monastic training centers, including Haeinsa, Songgwangsa, and Tongdosa. In the modern era, the order has produced towering figures including Gyeongheo Seongu, who single-handedly revived Korean Seon practice; Mangong, Hyobong, and Gobong, who maintained rigorous meditation standards; and Seongcheol, whose uncompromising insistence on sudden awakening sparked nationwide debate about the nature of enlightenment.