Shinsunghwa: The Visualization of Master Lee Sookbong’s Spiritual Energy, Founder of Cheonhwa Buddhism (2019)
What is ShinsungHwa?
ShinsungHwa is a unique form of spiritual art where drawings emerge through spontaneous, flowing movements. Artists tap into their subject’s energy and let Qi(氣) guide their hands, creating geometric patterns that serve as a universal language.
Understanding the ShinsungHwa of Master Lee Sookbong, Founder of Cheonhwa Buddhism.
A silver ‘path to the spiritual core’ ascends toward the ‘spiritual core,’ where it transforms into a radiant ‘symbol of light‘ that stretches beyond the paper. Intense light energy pulses outward from this central point, while a mandorla emerges, creating two distinct layers of rotating energy.
At the base, a pentagon embodies light in its material form. Further down lies the earthly realm—a dynamic energy field that spins and churns, yet maintains its vital connection to the ‘spiritual core’ above. The lower right corner reveals symbols from the various spiritual traditions Master Lee has integrated into her practice.
Lee Sookbong: The Woman Who Bridged Ancient Paths and Modern Faith
In Seoul’s busy Jongno district, tucked away in a small temple, something extraordinary was happening in the 1960s. While the world raced toward modernization, Lee Sookbong was quietly creating something entirely new—weaving Korea’s spiritual past into a living tradition. Her story goes beyond founding another Buddhist sect. It’s about how one woman’s deep connection to her heritage created space where different faiths could flourish together.
Rooted in Ancient Ways
Lee Sookbong never planned to become a religious founder. Born into a family that revered Dangun, an ancient Korean king, she grew up watching her parents perform rituals that connected them to their ancestors. These weren’t empty gestures—they were living bridges to a time when spirituality and national identity were inseparable.
Young Lee absorbed these traditions naturally. She watched incense rise, listened to prayers for the nation’s well-being, and learned that faith could be both deeply personal and proudly patriotic. This early exposure to ancestral worship would later anchor her unique approach to Buddhism.
In 1953, after the Korean War ended, Lee made a shocking discovery. Walking through Seoul’s Sajik Park—traditionally dedicated to Korean ancestral rites—she found Japanese Buddhist temples and shrines still standing, complete with Japanese ancestral tablets on sacred Korean ground.
For someone raised to honor her own ancestors, this felt like sacrilege. The colonial period had ended, but its spiritual presence remained. Lee realized that reclaiming Korean Buddhism meant more than removing foreign influences—it meant rediscovering what authentic Korean Buddhist practice looked like before those influences arrived.
Uncovering Forgotten Roots
This revelation launched Lee on an intensive scholarly journey. She immersed herself in studying Yugamilgyo, an esoteric Buddhism that had thrived in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty. This wasn’t the austere, purely Indian Buddhism many knew—it was a rich tradition that had naturally woven together Korean spiritual practices, including ancestor veneration and national protection rituals.
Her research unveiled something remarkable: Korean Buddhism had always been inclusive. Centuries before modern scholars discussed “interfaith dialogue,” Korean monks and practitioners had found ways to honor Buddha alongside Dangun, to practice meditation while tending ancestral spirits. What critics called “mixing religions” was actually returning to historical roots.
Cheonhwa Buddhism Takes Shape
Lee officially founded Cheonhwa Buddhism (“Heavenly Flower Buddhism”) in 1964 with her brothers Lee Heesoo and Lee Jeongbong. But the foundation had been laid years earlier when she established Gwangmyeongsa Temple in Cheonan’s Wolbong Mountain in 1951, followed by Yongunsa Temple in Seoul in 1954.
The name tells its own story. “Cheonhwa” suggests something beautiful and pure descending from heaven—like the lotus rising from muddy water to bloom pristinely. Lee was saying that true spirituality could emerge from life’s complicated, messy realities, including Korea’s mixed religious heritage.
Beyond Traditional Buddhism
Cheonhwa Buddhism’s distinctiveness lay not just in incorporating Korean ancestral practices, but in Lee’s holistic approach to spiritual education. She drew from shamanism, Confucianism, Taoism, and folk religion, creating what she saw as a complete spiritual ecosystem.
Central to this system was Hwanhui Seongmo (the Joyful Sacred Mother) as the principal Buddha, with Shakyamuni Buddha as the “Buddha of Return and Refuge.” The Avatamsaka Sutra served as their primary text, emphasizing all beings’ interconnectedness—perfect scriptural grounding for a religion that refused to see different spiritual traditions as separate or competing.
Healing the Whole Person
Lee’s approach was refreshingly practical. Cheonhwa temples offered more than spiritual guidance—they provided actual medical care through traditional herbal treatments, particularly artemisia (mugwort) baths that gained a reputation for healing properties. This wasn’t simply alternative medicine; it reflected Lee’s belief that true Buddhism must address the whole person, not just spiritual needs.
Monthly ceremonies on the 6th and 29th brought communities together for Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) services. Most significantly, Cheonhwa Buddhism held major Dangun ancestral rites twice yearly in Seoul’s Sajik Park—the very place where Lee first recognized the need for spiritual reclamation.
Standing Against Criticism
Lee’s inclusive approach faced fierce opposition. Traditional Buddhist establishments viewed Cheonhwa Buddhism with suspicion, dismissing it as a “new religion” that carelessly mixed different traditions without deep understanding. The criticism hurt, particularly because it ignored the historical precedent for such integration in Korean spiritual life.
Lee persisted, recognizing that religious purity often served political power more than spiritual authenticity. Her temples continued serving communities that found meaning in honoring both Buddha and Dangun, seeking healing for both physical ailments and spiritual emptiness.
An Enduring Impact
Today, Cheonhwa Buddhism maintains a modest but steady presence in Korean religious life, with Gwangmyeongsa as its head temple and about 6,900 followers. Though it never became a major movement, its influence reaches beyond membership numbers. Lee Sookbong proved that Korean Buddhism could be both authentically Buddhist and authentically Korean—practitioners didn’t need to choose between honoring Buddha and honoring their ancestors.
Her work offers something valuable for our interconnected world: proof that different spiritual traditions can coexist not just peacefully, but meaningfully. While religious conflicts dominate headlines, Lee’s quiet integration work provides an alternative model—one where diversity strengthens rather than weakens spiritual practice.
The woman who began by clearing Japanese shrines from Korean sacred ground created something far more significant: a living example of how ancient wisdom adapts to modern needs without losing its essential character. She showed that sometimes the most revolutionary act is simply embracing your heritage’s full complexity.
English 
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