Korean Seon is best understood as a fully Buddhist tradition, a school within Mahāyāna Buddhism rather than something standing apart from it. It represents the Korean transmission and development of the Zen/Chan lineage, and thus shares the same fundamental Buddhist framework: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Three Jewels, and the bodhisattva ideal. Its doctrines, cosmology, and basic orientation are thoroughly Buddhist, grounded in the same scriptural and philosophical heritage as other Mahāyāna schools. In this sense, Seon is not a rival to Buddhism but one of its primary vehicles in the Korean context.

Historically, Seon took shape in Korea when Chinese Chan was transmitted to the peninsula, and over time it became the dominant expression of Korean Buddhism. It developed as a meditation-centered tradition, emphasizing direct insight into mind-nature and sudden awakening to one’s Buddha-nature. Characteristic practices include seated meditation and the use of hwadu or gongan (koan) inquiry, all within a framework of Buddhist monastic discipline and devotion. Study of key Mahāyāna sutras and the integration of doctrinal study (gyo) with meditative practice (seon) further show that Seon remains firmly rooted in the broader Buddhist path.

Within Korean religious life, Seon has come to embody both the contemplative heart and institutional form of Buddhism. Major Korean Buddhist orders, such as the Jogye Order, are essentially Seon-based, maintaining monastic communities and lay practice grounded in this meditative, Mahāyāna vision. The aim remains the classic Buddhist aspiration: awakening to one’s original nature for the benefit of all beings, and allowing wisdom and compassion to permeate everyday conduct. In this way, Korean Seon can be seen as Buddhism distilled through a particular cultural and historical lens, yet never losing its identity as a thoroughly Buddhist tradition.