Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

The law of Jōdosinshu Honganji Order(淨土眞宗 本願寺寺法) of Japan was made in 1880 under the influence of constitutionalism. It was a modern and futuristic law because an assembly was organized to prevent the abbot from abusing power, and every monk of the subsidiary temple(末寺) could cast his vote. This law influenced the Meiji Constitution(明治憲法); however, the law made by Japan in 1912 for the Korean Buddhism Order(本末寺法) had many problems. Firstly, it established abbot abusing power because an assembly was not organized. Secondary, because the highest organization was not founded, it hampered self-control by the Korean Buddhist Order. Japan had not arranged a modern and futuristic law for Korean Buddhism becuase Japan was anxious to control Korea Buddhism. However, Han Yong Un(韓龍雲) recognized the problem and he made a revised bill(寺法改正擬案) in 1932. In it, it was asserted that we must found an assembly and must give the franchise to bhikshunī. Han Yong Un’s revised bill was more futuristic than the law of the Jōdosinshu Honganji Order of Japan; however, it could not be realized during the Japanese colonial period. The law of Korean Buddhist Order made by Japan prevented the development of Korean Buddhism.