Due to its close proximity to the Chinese empire, Goguryeo was the first stop of Buddhism's journey through the Korean peninsula, where it mixed with the local beliefs of the various Korean peoples. In Goguryeo, although Buddhism did serve as convenient a means for rulers to establish control of the state, there was some level of separation between church and state where there was a distinction between the Buddhist "Dharma," or "Law," and the authority of the rulers and aristocracy. Having a greater access to Chinese philosophical and administrative concepts since its conception, Goguryeo was comparitively a fairly advanced and more developed state with a more developed nobility. The nobility, which was in many cases stronger than royalty, upheld this distinction. Buddhist monasteries backed by the nobility held functions that were seperate from governmental ceremonies. Thus in contrast to Shilla where Buddhism greatly served a state purpose, in Goguryeo monks mostly served the function as religious scholars and specialists.
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