Latest news with #Jogye
Korea Herald
25-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Lotus lanterns to light up weekend
The annual Lotus Lantern Parade will take place over the weekend in central Seoul around Jogyesa, the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, ahead of Buddha's Birthday. The Saturday-Sunday parades will start in Heunginjimun, commonly known as Dondaemun, near Dongdaemun Station on Subway Line No. 4, moving west to Jonggak Station on Subway Line No. 1 and Jogyesa to the north. The Ven. Jinwoo, the Jogye president, will lead the procession, which will carry some 100,000 lanterns of colored paper and silk. Jinwoo will be joined by children, who will be the face of the procession this year, celebrating both Buddha's Birthday and Children's Day, which both fall on May 5 this year. The parade through central Seoul has been a fixture of the country for centuries, with the Jogye Order leading it for over half a century. Buddhists unite behind the annual event promoting Buddha's spirit of generosity, first among the qualities associated with him. 'Buddhism is all about finding bits of that spirit every day and acting on what we learn from it. That's the first step to comfort, peace and harmony,' Ven. Jinwoo said, adding Jogye is committed to helping more people realize them.
Korea Herald
19-03-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
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.
Korea Herald
19-02-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Jogye looks to bring seon meditation closer
Summit, expo on seon meditation set for April The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country's largest, is ramping up its push to make its signature meditation style part of a daily routine. Seon meditation has been at the forefront of Jogye promotions since the order held its first-ever meditation summit at Gwanghwamun in September 2024. The event drew over 30,000 attendees, including monks from overseas. 'We've tried almost everything to bring more people into Buddhism. There is still room for improvement, however. Seon meditation may be our last shot,' said Jogye president, the Ven. Jinwoo, at a workshop on launching seon-themed programs at Jinkwansa, a temple in Seoul. Jinwoo, president since September 2022, has been spearheading a movement for seon, making the practice accessible by educating monks on how to teach it to the public and inviting the public to try it during templestay. According to Jogye, templestay programs specializing in seon meditation will start in March at 30 of the 158 temples nationwide. 'Because seon meditation is the kind of intrinsically Korean thing foreigners are looking for, we know it will be a hit,' said the Ven. Mandang, director of Jogye's promotion arm running templestay, the Culture Corps of Korean Buddhism. Seon-exclusive programs mark one of the most profound shifts in how templestay has been run since 2022, Jogye officials said. Jogye also plans to guide practitioners with a book on seon that details 108 ways to approach the practice. From April 1-6, the second summit on seon will take place, this time around Bongeunsa, a temple north of Coex in Seoul. Jogye plans to bring in monks and meditation experts from abroad to expand participation. The annual Seoul International Buddhism Expo will follow at Coex from April 3-6, with 150 Chinese monks attending the event that explores everything about Buddhism, heavily focusing seon meditation. Outreach expansion efforts will culminate in the launch of an independent center on seon, according to Jogye officials. They have yet to provide a time frame on what the sect believes will be the definitive hub for those seeking meditation. 'Seon isn't just for Buddhists; it's for all people yearning for peace,' said the Ven. Kumgang, chair of the Jogye's seon committee, a 20-monk group launched last month to support the Jogye-led seon campaign.
Korea Herald
11-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Jogye steps up push for templestay, temple food
Korea's largest Buddhist sect will focus on templestay and temple food going forward, according to the Culture Corps of Korean Buddhism on Tuesday. The promotion arm of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said it would start templestay programs specializing in Jogye's 'seon meditation' by March at 30 of the 158 temples across the country. Seon meditation is what Jogye believes will set Korean Buddhism apart from Buddhist practices elsewhere in Asia. 'What foreigners look for most in templestay, and Korean Buddhism in general, is something intrinsically Korean,' said the Ven. Mandang, who took over as director of the Culture Corps of Korean Buddhism in February 2024. The group has been running templestay programs since 2002. A book to guide practitioners by outlining 108 ways to approach seon meditation will be published by spring, while the annual Seon Meditation Summit in April will further promote the practice. The Jogye Order will also introduce templestay to those attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. The event, to be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, will bring together over 6,000 people including global leaders and business executives. 'Our temples there will coordinate templestay tours for interested foreign nationals. Details about the plan will be out shortly,' Mandang added, describing the global meeting as instrumental in helping raise Jogye's global profile. Promoting awareness of temple food, its variety and health benefits will be another priority. 'We will revive our temple food festival this year,' Mandang said of the Jogye celebration that last took place in 2015. 'It will be a festival for not just Buddhists, but for everyone, including children,' Mandang added, saying the festival will be in June. Meanwhile, the Jogye Order will ramp up efforts to have the government officially recognize temple food as intangible cultural heritage. The sect will first begin standardizing methods of preparing temple food -- a key process essential to receiving state recognition, according to Mandang. In August, Jogye will hold an international forum on temple food, inviting food experts from the New York-based Culinary Institute of America and the University of Oxford in the UK. 'It's the universality of temple food that we want to double down on, so people of all origins can relate to it,' Mandang said. Making templestay more foreigner-friendly is a work in progress, Mandang noted, saying temples are constantly making changes to programs to better serve foreign visitors.
