Latest news with #JogyeOrder
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- General
- 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.
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
25-03-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Raging wildfires damage natural monuments, scenic heritage sites
Five counts of damage to cultural heritage maintained by the government have been reported so far, as wildfires continue to rage in southern Korea, according to the Korea Heritage Service Tuesday. A scenic site in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province; a natural monument in Hadong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province; two structures at a Goryeo shrine compound in South Gyeongsang Province; a natural monument in Ulju-gun, Ulsan; and a fortress site in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, have been damaged by the wildfires, which have burned for days. The wildfires in the Gyeongsang provinces are a greater threat to natural monuments than other forms of heritage because recovery is harder, a KHS official said. The Hadong gingko trees in South Gyeongsang and the Ulsan evergreen trees -- the natural monuments that sustained partial damage -- will need some time to grow back, the official added. The evergreen shrubs in Ulsan, one of a kind along the country's eastern coast, are significant ecologically as well as historically. 'We've already dispatched a team that surveyed the damage,' another KHS official said of the agency's responses now underway. 'The core shrubs haven't been affected and the damage doesn't affect our long-term preservation plans.' The damage at the Ulsan fortress site is still being investigated, the official added, saying how the fires started remains unknown. The KHS, handling government-recognized heritage across the country, is currently distributing fire-resistant materials to local governments and assisting groups in moving objects at greater risk of fire damage. Gounsa, a temple in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, run by Korea's largest Buddhist sect, is the latest to have moved out its artifacts, including Buddhist paintings, books and statues. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism said it is closely monitoring for spillovers from raging fires, adding that it has sent out a team of volunteers to help displaced residents in the Gyeongsang provinces. Whether more Jogye Order temples will follow Gounsa in relocating their artifacts remains undecided, according to both the Jogye Order and the KHS. Any further precautions will be implemented in light of the latest developments, according to the agency. The KHS is releasing the tally of damage to cultural heritage every day at 6 p.m.
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
08-03-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Spiritual, but not religious: For more Koreans, mindfulness matters more than membership
In Korea, being 'spiritual but not religious' means trading rigid doctrine for personal rituals, from temple meditation to shamanistic traditions South Korea, at least in modern times, has never had a religious identity centered around a single faith. People have followed various major established religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and shamanistic traditions, often mixing and matching beliefs to suit their needs. Despite this diversity and fluid approach, nearly half of the country's population called themselves believers. In recent years, however, formal religious affiliation is clearly declining. In 2021, Gallup Korea found that 60 percent of South Koreans identified as religiously unaffiliated, up from 50 percent in 2014 and 47 percent in 2004. Data from the Korean National Association of Christian Pastors and government census records show the same trend -- fewer people, especially younger generations, are tying themselves to organized religion. Churches that once overflowed with congregants now see attendance dwindling, and the number of monastic recruits in Korean Buddhism's Jogye Order has declined significantly since the late 1990s. But the visible decline in organized religion might not mean spirituality itself is fading in South Korea. It might simply be taking new forms. "Some call it 'de-religionization,' but I see it as 're-religionization.' Koreans aren't abandoning spiritual practice; they're just distancing themselves from dogma, hierarchy and traditional institutions,' said Brian Somers, a Buddhist studies professor at Dongguk University, one of Korea's best-known Buddhist-affiliated institutions. 'What they want is something personal, experiential ― something that helps them in their daily lives," he added. This shift is especially clear in the growing number of Koreans who identify as 'spiritual but not religious,' or SBNR, a global trend of individuals pursuing spiritual practices without aligning with traditional religious institutions. In South Korea, this trend is reflected in the growing popularity of templestay programs, meditation retreats and even shamanistic practices -- each of which offer meaning and solace outside of formal religious membership. Professor Chung Jae-young of the Graduate School of Practical Theology in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province has closely examined the rise of SBNRs in Korea. His 2024 study of 1,000 individuals who identified as religiously unaffiliated found that while more Koreans reject institutional religion, many still engage in spiritual activities. 'Our data shows that 24 percent of religiously unaffiliated Koreans still consider themselves spiritual,' he explained. 'Some continue to practice meditation or prayer privately, while others explore alternative spiritual paths, including shamanism and fortunetelling. The key difference is that these practices are now seen as individual choices rather than obligations tied to a religious identity.' One of the clearest indicators of this trend is the surge in participation in South Korea's templestay programs. Originally designed to introduce visitors to the Buddhist monastic life, these programs have evolved into secular retreats that attract people from all walks of life. In 2024 alone, nearly 620,000 people took part in templestays, marking a record high. 'People come here for many reasons ― stress relief, self-reflection, a break from daily life,' said the Ven. Mandang, director of the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, which oversees the program, during a press conference on Feb. 12. 'It's not about converting to Buddhism; it's about finding inner peace.' Lee Ji-hoon, a 29-year-old graphic designer in Seoul, is among those who have embraced this form of spirituality. Raised in a Christian household, he stopped attending church in his early 20s but never lost interest in exploring life's deeper questions. 'I don't believe in God the way my parents do, but I still feel a need for something beyond the material world,' he said. 'A friend recommended a templestay, and I was surprised by how much I connected with the experience. Meditation helped me clear my mind, and I felt a sense of peace I hadn't felt in years. I wouldn't call myself a Buddhist, but I definitely see the value in these practices.' Why Buddhism is adapting more easily Buddhism is South Korea's second-largest faith. A 2024 Hankook Research survey of 22,000 respondents found that while 51 percent of South Koreans have no religious affiliation, 20 percent identify as Protestant Christian, 17 percent as Buddhist, and 11 percent as Catholic. Unlike Christian churches, which have struggled to retain younger members, Buddhism in Korea has found ways to engage the SBNR demographic. Much of this success stems from its emphasis on direct experience rather than doctrine. 'Buddhism, particularly the Seon (Zen) tradition, has always placed personal realization above rigid belief systems,' explained professor Somers. 'This aligns well with the modern spiritual seeker, who values self-discovery over institutional authority.' To accommodate this growing interest, Korean Buddhist institutions have increasingly framed their teachings within the language of wellness and psychology. Mindfulness and meditation programs, once confined to temples, are now offered at universities, corporate offices and even via mobile apps. Dongguk University has integrated meditative counseling into its psychology programs, and the popularity of K-meditation -- a secularized form of Korean Buddhist meditation -- continues to grow. However, not everyone sees this shift as entirely positive. Some worry that Buddhist principles are being diluted to fit the demands of the wellness industry. 'There's a fine line between making Buddhism accessible and turning it into just another self-help trend,' said Somers. 'The question is whether these new approaches maintain the depth and ethical foundation of Buddhist teachings or if they simply serve as individual stress-relief techniques divorced from their original context.' Protestant Christianity faces growing distrust While Buddhism is adapting, Christianity — especially Protestantism — is struggling. Another 2024 Hankook Research survey on religious attitudes showed Buddhism as the only major faith viewed positively on average, scoring 51.3 points, compared to 48.6 for Catholicism and just 35.6 for Protestant Christianity. Public trust in Protestant Christianity has eroded largely due to concerns over aggressive evangelism (31.8 percent), corruption (25.9 percent) and discrimination or hate speech (13.3 percent), according to a 2024 study by Korea's Christian Institute for the Study of Justice and Development. Even among Protestants, 32.5 percent cited corruption as a key issue, with others pointing to a lack of social responsibility. High-profile figures like Protestant pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon have further damaged Christianity's reputation. The far-right leader of Sarang Jeil Church has been at the center of political controversy, openly supporting President Yoon Suk Yeol's December 2024 declaration of martial law. His inflammatory rhetoric has fueled division even within Protestant communities. A hybrid spiritual future? As institutional religious affiliation continues to decline, will spirituality in Korea become entirely individualistic? Professor Chung doesn't think so. 'Korea has always had a syncretic approach to religion -- people mix and match beliefs to fit their needs. If we define religion strictly as organized institutions, then yes, it is losing ground. But if we define it as humanity's search for meaning, then no -- it is simply evolving,' the professor said. One possible future is the emergence of new spiritual communities that operate outside the framework of traditional religion. 'Small meditation groups, online spiritual networks and even hybrid practices blending Buddhism, shamanism and psychology could become more common,' Chung added. For some, like graphic designer Lee, this fluid approach is freeing. 'I don't feel pressured to belong to a specific religion, but I still have a spiritual life,' he says. 'I meditate, I reflect, and I try to live with mindfulness. Maybe that's enough.' For others, like Kim Min-ji, a 35-year-old marketer who identified herself as agnostic but who regularly attends meditation retreats, the question of spirituality remains open-ended. 'I don't know if I'll ever commit to a religion,' she said. 'But I do know that when I sit in silence, focusing on my breath, I feel connected to something bigger than myself. Maybe that's all I need.' mjh@
