Seongcheol/Sermon, 1. Introduction

There are many ways to explain what Buddhism is. I will do so by making use of a variety of doctrines and sayings, and what follows may challenge what you believe Seon Buddhism to be. What then is Buddhism? It looks simple, but looks can be very deceptive. This question cannot be answered in a word. Some religions are based on one or two principal texts such as the Bible or the Koran. Buddhism, by contrast, relies on the vast number of texts contained in the Buddhist Canon (known as the Tripi¢aka Koreana). One text may say one thing and others may differ greatly. Even those with knowledge and understanding of these texts find it difficult to formulate a succinct definition of Buddhism.