The Principle & Philosophy of Baduk
The word philosophy itself means love for wisdom. It is through philosophy that we begin to understand meaning. Baduk reveals one of life's experiences. This experience is the purpose and notion of strategy. For thousands of years there have always been wars throughout the world. War is used for many reasons. The most popular reason for war is to gain territory which may hold valuable resources to help supply an overgrowing society. In ancient times people did not have guns or mass weapons of destruction like today. Instead martial arts were used as a tool for war. All ancient martial artist studied baduk as an extension of their knowledge about strategy. So great was the connection between baduk and martial arts that if two opposing warriors meet they would first play baduk. Whoever won the game usually accepted defeat and refrained from going to battle with his opponent to settle a dispute.Many monks played this game to help their concentration skills for their demanding meditation schedule. The monks adapted this game for similar reasons as the martial artist. The monks were aware of and studied daily the Tao, which when translated mean "the way". It is said that baduk reveals the Tao of Nature through the rules of baduk. This is where the root of philosophy is said to come from. Let's examine this principle. By looking around, you exist in a world with many different characteristics. When you begin to focus on certain qualities of your world you begin to see with your mind that everything has some reason for existing. This principle escapes us day to day because we use our eyes only to understand our reality. However if we use our mind then true understanding begins to take place.
If you look into the sky, then sometimes you will see birds. The bird as you know has many different parts that make the bird what it is. For example, the wings allow the birds to fly. However if you look at the wing you will see the wing with your eyes and the principle of flying with your mind. This example can be extended to baduk. It is as if your mind must realize what principles there are, as well as when and where to use these principles through the baduk stones. It is these principles that players benefit from in the development and practice of baduk. You designate intention and principle with each stone. Through this development and movement, the placement of stones will sometimes contains many different principles. The baduk board represents the universe, the seasons, the directions (north, south, east and west) ... it represents all Life. The lines of the board reveal and teach us that everything is connected. This is the same as our relationship with Nature. We are all connected. We are all living and using strategy to create balance in the world. This is the philosophy of baduk.
