also studied a mixture of music, dance, poetry, and philosophy.
Both Sillian culture and Hwarang-do were heavily
influenced by the three major Eastern philosophical paradigms
of the day. From the teachings of Confucianism came devotion to
state and family, from Buddhism, a heightened sense of commitment
to the common good, and from Taoism, belief in the harmonious
balance of nature. Originally, divine worship was never
intended to play any part in these philosophies-turned-religions.
Rather, they were viewed as a path to self-enlightenment or, in
the case of Confucianism, a blueprint for ethical behavior.