Although the appearence of the competence of the order in modern Buddhism resulted from the enactment of the temple law in 1911, the competence at that time was not given to the order but to the government-general of Choseon, who was in charge of personnel and financial affairs. Later the national consciousness developed, and the movement of abolishing the temple law was started the headquarter of the order, the general affairs section was established in 1922 with the participation of about 10 head temples. However, the pro-Japanese abbots separately founded the foundation of instruction section of Choseon Buddhism, combining the general affairs section. The unification movement of Buddhism had continued despite confronting conflicts Choseon Buddhist Chogye order, the first Buddhist order approved by Japan was established in 1941 the Taego temple law of Choseon Buddhist Chogye order, which granted the headquarter Taego temple the right of personnel and administration, was enacted yet the rights were still not complete due to the requirement of the government-general's approval. After the liberation of Korea, the constitution for Choseon Buddhism was made, but it only changes some words of the Taego temple law of Choseon Buddhist Chogye order, lacking in transferring the competence of the order. Through the Buddhist cleanup movement, the constitution for Choseon Buddhism amended into the constitution of the Buddhist Chogye order. While the head at that time was a representative of the Chogye order, and named the head of the general affairs section with the decision of the council, the minister of the general affairs section was a representative of the general affairs section, helping the head and managing the works of the order. the Buddhist cleanup movement was finished by constructing the combined order April 11 in 1962. In the combined order, the decision was reached on that bhikus would take the head, and married bhikus take the minister of the general affairs section, making the head-centered system more strong. The head-centerered system was shifted into the ministercentered system according to the amendment of the 50th regular meeting in 1977. Due to the “Sinheungsa case" in 1983, the extraordinary system of the order was started, and temporarily returned to the head-centerered system which made the representative of the order the head, and made the minister only represent the general affairs section. However, with Seo, Euhyun minister's assuming the office in 1986, it returned to the minister-centered system. In addition, Seo, Euhyun minister who resumed the 26th minister in 1990 gave the strength on the right of appointing abbots in the head temples of the parish, resulting in stronger minister-centered system. In 1994, Seo, Euhyun minister's system was closed by the reform order, and decentralization of power was introduced the main points were regarding the right of appointing abbots and opening the parish meeting. While the minister had appointed the abbots in the past, it made the decision that the parish meeting could recommend abbots, and it was accepted unless the recommended had any disqualification by the law of the order. The parish meeting was to open in order for the parish to manage in its own out of the control of the center. In modern society, the power which have been focused on the center tend to be decentralized with the democracy and the growth of the civil consciousness it is hard to realize the entirely autonomous parish due to the situation of the Chogye order, but it is needed to follow the direction of the history.
고타마 싯다르타가 해결하고자 노력하였던 것은 현세에 살아가는 인간의 고뇌와 고통이었다. 이에 대한 해결책의 인식이 그의 깨달음이었으며, 그 깨달음을 사회화하려는 노력이 그의 가르침이요 실천행이었다고 우리는 믿는다.
따라서 불교인에게 있어서의 궁극 목표인 열반은 탈(脫)사회의 경지가 아니며, 자주(自主), 자율(自律), 자유(自由)의 인격을 사회 속에서 실현하는 것이라고 믿는다. 아울러 개인적 완성인 열반을 사회화하려는 노력이 부처님의 실천행이었고, 그 결실이 승가 사회였다.
이러한 우리의 인식은 이미 역사상 정토(淨土)사상으로 구체화되었다. 그러나 이는 그 행태에 있어서 기복적 신앙으로 치우침으로써 그 본의가 침체된 면이 없지 않다. 이에 우리는 자주, 자율, 자유라는 인류의 이상적 인격을 완성해 가듯이 자유, 평등의 사회를 구현해 가는 것이 정토를 이루는 길임을 재인식하고, 이를 뒷받침할 객관적 연구와 능동적 실천을 위해 "한국정토학회"를 결성하고자 한다.
그러나 우리는 인간 개개인의 불교적 인격완성이 저절로 정토를 이루게 할 것이라는 안이함을 경계하며, 부처님의 이타적 노력을 교훈 삼아, 사회의 제반 문제를 불교적 입지에서 해결하는데 일익을 도모하고자 노력할 것이다. 따라서 정치, 경제, 교육, 문화, 윤리, 예술, 사회 등의 제반 분야도 당연히 우리의 관심 영역이 된다.
결국 우리의 취지는 불교 교학의 이론적 토대 위에서 정토 실현의 현실적 실천방도를 모색하자는 것이며, 당시대에 요구되는 불교의 실천성을 회복함으로써 불교가 정신적 위기에 처한 인류를 구할 대안이 될 수 있기를 기대하는 것이다. 즉 우리는 모든 학문의 활동을 정토에로 승화시켜서 인류 이상(理想)의 구현에 이바지 하고자 함이니, 이것이 우리의 염원이다.