Introduction

Yangwoo Buddhism

The Yangwoo Buddhism foundation is a lay Buddhist order that upholds the principles of lay Buddhism.

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Prominent figures representing lay Buddhism include Vimalakīrti from the Vimalakirti Sutra, Sudhana from the Avatamsaka Sutra, and Queen Srimala from the Srimaladevi-sutra. The Yangwoo Buddhism continues this tradition of lay Buddhism by pursuing both material abundance and fundamental enlightenment while remaining in the secular world through what we call inner renunciation.

When the Buddha appeared in the world 2,500 years ago, the path to liberation—the way to cut off the root of suffering—was opened to humankind. The truth taught by Buddha is the great Mahayana path of simultaneous enlightenment for oneself and others. However, even in this age of advanced science, suffering has not disappeared, and humanity continues to wander in search of the way. The Yangwoo Buddhism has systematized the Buddha’s teachings and established a practical methodology suited to the modern lifestyle and level of understanding.

The Yangwoo Buddhism’s “Practice of Great Freedom in Daily Life” clearly presents a concrete method for realizing both material fulfillment and spiritual awakening without leaving the secular world. It breaks through the limitations of the conventional renunciation that departs from worldly life, and instead achieves inner renunciation through daily living. In this way, all obstacles and sufferings of the world become the very foundation for self-completion, allowing anyone to transcend all discriminations and attain liberation—the essence of Mahayana practice.