Templestay matchmaking program to open to foreigners
Jogye Order-run program to gradually increase foreign national participation
Foreign nationals will be able to take part in Korea's signature templestay matchmaking as early as April, according to the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare, which has been running templestay programs for singles since 2012.
The foundation, run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the nation's largest Buddhist sect, will hold the two-day program April 18-19 at Ssanggyesa, a temple in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province.
'The April templestay is primarily for locals, but we will look at foreign candidates who really want to participate,' said Yoo Chul-ju, the senior coordinator at the foundation overseeing the program, referring to the 20-member gathering of men and women.
Yoo noted that applications from foreign nationals will have to show that they are serious about staying in Korea, adding that the foundation will gradually increase foreign participation. The next meeting will take place in July at Bongseonsa in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.
The search for a wider pool of singles testifies to the success of Jogye's matchmaking program, which took place six times last year, attracting 3,400 applicants in total. Only 160 made the cut and 33 couples matched up.
The program, launched to help the country fight the falling birth rate, is packed with activities like dating games, teatime chats and strolls around temples across the country that are known for scenic views.
'I think it's the general temple vibe so to speak, the kind of peaceful and serene ambiance that makes us all more open to the idea of an open date,' said Kim Young-woo, who participated in last year's Naksansa templestay in Yangyang, Gangwon Province.
Participants also speak of the trust they have in the Jogye Order, saying they expect the applicants to have been selected based on their sincerity to be matched up.
The Ven. Myojang, the foundation president, has personally assured the Jogye Order is as serious about matching up singles as those singles who bravely join an 'open date.'
'We're always looking for anyone including Buddhists and non-Buddhists who want to find a life-long partner,' Myojang said.
In another first, the Ven. Jinwoo, the Jogye Order president, will stop by the Ssanggyesa matchmaking next month in a show of support.
'It's a symbolic but powerful sign that this program won't just be a fling,' a Jogye official said. The application for Ssanggyesa templestay matchmaking program is open through March 25 on the foundation's website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Exhibition focuses on early Joseon art
First 200 years of Joseon shaped Korean identity, National Museum of Korea says For the next three months, an exhibition at the National Museum of Korea will look at how the first 200 years of Joseon (1392-1910) formed what is quintessentially Korean identity today through exceptional artworks. The exhibition 'Art of Early Joseon: Masterpieces from the 15th and 16th Century' illustrates the initiative and vibrancy the Joseon people projected as they fostered what would become Korea, according to Kim Jae-hong, the NMK director general, during a preview tour Monday. 'Joseon's early years were pivotal to Korean history because the social fabric as well as physical borders of Korea were established by then,' Kim added, saying artworks on display would help people recognize the continuity of society over centuries. A total of 691 ceramics, calligraphy and Buddhist paintings are on view, 40 of which are on loan from 24 institutions in the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. Of the 40 items, 23 are being shown in Korea for the first time, an NMK official said, adding that 79 items on display are state-designated National Treasures and Treasures. Some 300 ceramics, which account for almost half of the entire objects featured, testify to Korea's shifting focus on white porcelain from the celadon of the preceding Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). Buncheong, a type of stoneware that bridged the transition in the 15th century, uses a greater range of decorative techniques than Goryeo celadon, and is more colorful than white porcelain, the museum said. White porcelain replaced buncheong in the following centuries. Calligraphy and paintings by Joseon officials, who doubled as scholars promoting Confucian values and teachings, shed light on Joseon aesthetics, chiefly expressed in ink wash paintings that stress various tonal effects employing just black ink and water. 'Through ink-wash landscape paintings rendered in deep tones of black ink with masterful shading, the scholar officials of Joseon depicted the ideal world envisioned by the newly established Confucian ideology,' the museum said. Buddhist objects, from paintings to statues, add context to the exhibition dedicated to the deeply Confucian state. The Wooden Seated Buddha at Jogyesa, the main temple of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, shows the influence Buddhism still held over the people even after the state adopted Confucianism as its ruling ideology, a museum official said. Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon, a book annotating Hangeul, the Korean writing system created by King Sejong the Great in 1443, which will be on display until July 7. The exhibition comes 20 years after the museum's reopening in Seoul's Yongsan-gu. It runs through August, and admission fees are waived from Tuesday to Sunday.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Korea Herald
Faith leaders urge unity as President Lee Jae-myung takes office
A coalition of leaders representing seven major religions in South Korea called on President Lee Jae-myung to work on healing the deeply divided nation as he took office Wednesday following a snap election. In a statement, the Korean Council of Religious Leaders — including the heads of Buddhist, Catholic and Protestant organizations — said Lee faced the daunting but pressing task of bringing the country together, replacing Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office in April after declaring martial law. 'We hope to see a president who understands the need for unity and who can listen to different voices to lead this country out of a crisis,' the statement said, referring to mounting concerns the new leader has to grapple with, starting with reviving a sputtering economy. The Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, reminded Lee of prioritizing 'people's livelihood.' 'An approach with that in mind should be able to restore people's trust in the government,' Jinwoo said. Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, stressed the resolution of hostilities still running deep in the country. The Korean people have realized how crucial it is for the government to exercise its power within the limits of the law, Lee said, describing the ill-fated martial rule in December as a traumatic experience that saw the country shaken to its very core. 'The country needs a president who will see his way toward justice and peace,' Lee noted, adding the commander-in-chief should seek an inter-Korean thaw amid strained ties. The National Council of Churches in Korea, one of the four largest Protestant alliances in the country, also backed a bigger push for a more peaceful Korean Peninsula. The Rev. Kim Jong-seng, the NCCK general secretary, asked Lee for further outreach to the underprivileged, focusing on people with disabilities and migrants. 'We hope to see every voice heard by the president, no matter where they come from.' The Rev. Kim Jong-hyuk, president of the United Christian Churches of Korea, another Protestant alliance, asked Lee to do his best to communicate better with the public when implementing measures that impact their lives. 'We expect bigger efforts by the president to seek understanding from the people,' Kim said, in a clear reference to the previous government's seeming unwillingness to engage with the public at every turn. Na Sang-ho, head of Won Buddhism, urged Lee to help cultivate a climate of tolerance. 'A country built on hope and harmony is ushered in by a leader embracing differences,' Na said.
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Seon templestay: Know thyself through meditation
Jogye Order's seon meditation retreats woo young people seeking emotional fortitude Meditation has long been a source of spiritual and mental comfort — when practiced properly. 'How to do just that is a question I've been asked numerous times,' said the Ven. Bogak, the templestay director at Jogyesa, the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea. Buddhism is the mother of all meditation, Bogak said. That thinking, long shared within the Jogye Order, has prompted it to roll out a new templestay program focusing on 'seon meditation,' or repeatedly questioning one's inner self and surroundings until the mind reboots. Of the 158 temples offering templestay programs, 13, including Jogyesa in Seoul, currently offer programs featuring seon meditation. Meditation at Jogyesa The two-day meditation program at Jogyesa starts at 2 p.m., with guests changing into the gray robes of Buddhist practitioners and sitting down on the floor for an introduction to Buddhist courtesies like touching the palms together when bowing to monks. Then begins the 108 prostrations ceremony, a Buddhist ritual in which practitioners chant 108 mantras and perform deep bows 108 times. 'You're encouraged to clear your mind while doing it,' said Cha Kyung-suk, a volunteer at Jogyesa who demonstrates deep bowing. Cha acknowledges that the ritual is physically challenging, requiring over 20 minutes to complete. Following the prostrations, the participants — averaging between 10 and 15 per session — prepare to lie on their backs with eyes closed to await instructions from Bogak, the Jogyesa templestay director. The nun starts playing resonant instruments like singing bowls and chimes. The tones and vibrations are meant to wash away emotional burdens and soothe the mind, she said. Immersion in sound, often called a 'sound bath,' is a quick way to declutter the mind and it enables templestay participants to initiate their own introspection, she explained. The seon meditation session includes a regular Buddhist service that takes place at 6 p.m. every day. The service, held at Jogyesa's main hall, Daeungjeon, involves chanting mantras and bowing before the seated Sakyamuni Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, one representing wisdom and the other spiritual practice. Dinner at the temple — made without meat, fish, dairy, garlic, spring onion, chives and leeks to avoid stimulating the libido — wraps up the first day. Participants have to go to bed by 9 p.m. Buddhist routines The second day starts at 4 a.m., as the sound of monks beating on 'moktak,' a handheld wooden percussion instrument, wakes up participants. They are led to 'Beomjongnu,' a pavilion where monks play, in turn, four Buddhist instruments to 'save souls.' Beating a leather drum called 'beopgo' is believed to save the souls of four-legged creatures, while a fish-shaped wooden drum called 'mogeo' is said to do the same for underwater creatures. 'Unpan,' a cloud-shaped bronze plate, is linked to liberating anything flying from suffering. 'Beomjong,' a Buddhist bell, overpowers all because it 'saves all the souls.' A morning Buddhist service follows, in which participants chant mantras and bow before the Buddha and bodhisattvas. Bogak leads an early morning stroll around the Jogyesa compound, occupied by no one but the templestay participants. The walk is done in silence. The 7 a.m. breakfast essentially concludes the two-day Jogyesa stay. Participants have to check out by 10 a.m. after cleaning up their rooms and leaving a review of their time at the temple. First-timers, many of whom joined out of curiosity, expressed general satisfaction with the program. Kim Ye-ji, 25, said she was drawn to the program by online postings about it. 'The reason I chose Jogyesa was that this main temple had the best reviews,' said Kim, an office worker from Gyeonggi Province. But Kim wasn't entirely without regrets, noting she had hoped for more direct engagement with the chief monk overseeing the program. 'Meditation by definition should be done alone, but beginners have more questions than answers. They want a personal touch that leads to something they can take home,' Kim added. Seon templestay is offered at many temples throughout the country, including Naksansa in Gangwon Province; Magoksa in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province; Baegyangsa in South Jeolla Province; and Tongdosa in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.
