This article examines the contemporary surge in young South Koreans’ interest in and engagement with the Buddhist community of the Jungto Society. Meaning ‘‘Pure Land,’’ the Jungto Society is a Buddhist organization established in 1988 by Ven. Pomnyun. For three years the authors participated in diverse activities offered by the Jungto Society and conducted in-depth interviews with 40 young Jungto practitioners. Today’s young Koreans are exposed to the harsh reality of high youth unemployment, which threatens to deny them the normative stages of life, including a secure job, marriage, and family. They face constant stress and depression as they endure the ‘‘burn-out cycle of life’’ in a highly competitive education environment and job market. This article interprets Jungto Society’s social messages, practices, and teachings to analyze the critical juncture between this popular Buddhist community and the social conditions of young Korean people’s lives. In doing so, this article analyzes how the young practitioners interpret Buddhist teachings, including the concept of the middle way, dependent origination, and renunciation to strive to establish certainty within their precarious and competitive lives, and to transform their identities. This article shows how young Koreans engage Buddhism for the formation of the curative self in terms of perception, affect, and practice amidst their radical identification as religious practitioners.

中文翻译：

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韩国青年正道佛弟子修行佛教修行

本文考察了当代韩国年轻人对中道会佛教社区的兴趣和参与的激增。Jungto Society 意为“净土”，是由法师于 1988 年创立的佛教组织。庞宁。三年来，作者参加了中道协会提供的各种活动，并与 40 位年轻的中道修炼者进行了深入访谈。今天的韩国年轻人面临着青年失业率居高不下的严酷现实，这威胁着他们无法进入正常的生活阶段，包括稳定的工作、婚姻和家庭。他们在竞争激烈的教育环境和就业市场中忍受着“生命的倦怠循环”，面临着持续的压力和沮丧。本文解读 Jungto Society 的社会讯息、实践、和教义来分析这个受欢迎的佛教社区与韩国年轻人生活的社会状况之间的关键关头。在此过程中，本文分析了年轻修行者如何解读佛教教义，包括中道、缘起和出离心的概念，以努力在他们不稳定和竞争的生活中建立确定性，并转变他们的身份。这篇文章展示了年轻的韩国人如何在他们作为宗教从业者的激进认同中参与佛教，以在感知、情感和实践方面形成治愈性自我。包括中道、缘起和出离心的概念，以努力在他们不稳定和竞争的生活中建立确定性，并改变他们的身份。这篇文章展示了年轻的韩国人如何在他们作为宗教从业者的激进认同中参与佛教，以在感知、情感和实践方面形成治愈性自我。包括中道、缘起和出离心的概念，努力在他们不稳定和竞争的生活中建立确定性，并改变他们的身份。这篇文章展示了年轻的韩国人如何在他们作为宗教从业者的激进认同中参与佛教，以在感知、情感和实践方面形成治愈性自我。