Taego Order

Seon

Taego Order

Branch of Seon

The Taego Order (太古宗, 태고종) is the second largest Buddhist order in Korea, tracing its lineage to Taego Bou (1301–1382), a Goryeo dynasty master who received dharma transmission in the Linji lineage from the Chinese master Shiwu Qinggong (Stonehouse). Unlike the celibate Jogye Order, the Taego Order permits married clergy, a practice that became widespread during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945) when Japanese Buddhist customs were imposed on Korean monastics. After Korean independence, the Buddhist community split over the issue of married clergy, with the celibate monks reconstituting as the Jogye Order and the married clergy organizing as the Taego Order. Despite this institutional distinction, both orders maintain the same fundamental Seon practice tradition rooted in hwadu meditation.