final restrictions were in place, monks and nuns were prohibited from entering the cities. Buddhist funerals, and even begging were outlawed. Eventually however, these suppressive measures would reach a peak, and there began to appear occasional rulers who looked favorably upon Buddhism and did away with some of the more suppressive regulations. The most noteworthy of these was the queen dowager Munjeong (???? ), who, as a devout Buddhist, took control of the government in the stead of her young son Myeongjong (? ? r. 1545-67), and immediately repealed many anti-Buddhist measures. The queen had deep respect for the brilliant monk Bou (??; 1515-1565) and installed him as the head of the Seon school.

One of the most important reasons for the restoration of Buddhism to a position ofminimal acceptance was the role of the monks in repelling the Japanese invasion of general Hideyoshi Toyotomi (????), which occurred between 1592 and 1598. At that time, the government, weak from internal squabbles, was not able to initially muster strong resistance to the incursion. The plight of the country encouraged some leaders of the sangha to organize monks into guerilla units, which enjoyed some instrumental successes. The “righteous monk (uisa ??) ” movement spread during the eight-year war, finally including several thousand monks, led by the aging Seosan Hyujeong (????; 1520-1604). The presence of this monks’ army was a critical factor in the eventual expulsion of the Japanese invaders.

Before ever having tested his hand as a military commander, Seosan was a first-rate Seon master and the author of