Upon the birth and attaining enlightenment of the Buddha Sakyamuni two-thousand six hundred years ago, his teachings has been flourished throughout the history of one-thousand seven hundred years of Korean Buddhism in our lives like an infinite torch. It also has played an important role among the people to overcome a series of hardship and to emerge wisdom in despite of anti-Buddhism movement during Joseon Dynasty and Japanese colonization period. In addition, Jogye order of Korean Buddhism within Korean Buddhism has guided a sentient being in anguish and suffering with the great compassion on the top of pursing enlightenment through Zen meditation practice.
Having said that, the recent Sangha educational training system has not shown much of differences until there was a rapid change by reforming the system to "First training then pursuing enlightenment" system ever since the department of Sangha education has been independent during administrative reformation in 1994. However, a remarkable change of curriculum subjects has not been seen until April, 2010 when there was a public hearing of "Sangha Training Curriculum Reform Plan"then the reform has been made in June of the same year by the department of Sangha education.
It is an inevitable consequencethat the shift from the curriculum of traditional training center-gangwon- to the curriculum of modern Sangha University in active accordance to the Chronological change. There has to be various changes to adopt to the modern society from textual exposition of sutra full of Chinese characters..
The opening of subjects such as 〈Early Buddhism〉 and 〈Vinaya and Buddhist Ethics〉 can be given attention. In the subject of 〈Early Buddhism〉, it allows to understand the academic foundation of Mahayana Buddhism by studying Abhidharma theories and the Buddha's teachings reflected on Agama sutra and Nikᾱa such as tilakkhaṇ(Three Dharma Seals), cattāri ariyasaccāni(Four Noble Truths), ariyo aṭṭaṅiko maggo (Eight Norblefold Path), paticcasamuppāda (The Twelve dependent originations), bodhicaryāvatāra(Thirty-seven practices of Bodhisattva).
In curriculum that consists of Early Buddhist Texts I and II allow to read and chant sutras include Dīgha Nikᾱa, Majjhima Nikᾱa, Saṁutta Nikᾱa, Aṅuttara Nikᾱa and Dhammapada and suttanipata.
In the subject 〈Vinaya and Buddhist Ethics〉, it allows to study Pāṭmokkha and khandha which forms a Vinaya Pitaka of the early Sangha, and to understand the contents and philosophy of Mahayana precepts that are shown in the Mahayana commentaries such as Brahmajāla Sutta, Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃaka Sūtra, and Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, and also to explorer the ethical assignments of Buddhism that are capable of application to the modern society by understanding the Buddhist ethics code of Zen centers of Chinese Tang and Song dynasty and the order ethics and law of the modern Jogye order of Korean Buddhism.
If that is the case, the question arises how Samenera Sangha university students experience ‘meditation experience' that are shown in the academics into everyday life while studying Agama sutra and Nikᾱa, and how they practice in accordance to the part of Śīlabecause the Buddha's teachings should be experienced within everyday life of ordained practitioners. That is the reason why the Buddha's teachings are divided into two parts: Academics and practical practice.
It it believed that, since Buddhist theoriestaught by the Buddha were attained thru meditational practice not by an abstract concept, exploration and practice of meditation can lead to the Buddha's teaching. By having meditational experienced based on practical teachings of the Buddha that is shown in the early Buddhist texts, the one can understand the Dharma even more clearer, and such experiences allow the practitioners to take the path to fulfill the Dharma.
Therefore, this study describes, understands, analyzes the true nature of phenomenological experience of Samenera students whom practice the Buddha's teaching within the traditional public livelihood.
This study can benefit an intensive research on formation of training curriculumof the basic training educational facilities, and can be a fundamental resource to suggest an appropriatealternative on necessities of improvement and various psychological and physical difficulties among public livelihood of Samenera students, and serve as a momentum to understand the phenomenon that flexibly unifies the teaching and philosophy of the early Buddhism based on the fundamental background of Mahayana Buddhist practice.