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dharma talk

Dharma Talk to End the Summer Retreat 2009 Supreme Patriarch, Most Ven. Beopjeon

“Forget about collapsing and not collapsing. Do you even know properly what ‘that thing’ is?” A monk approached Seon Master Daesu Beopjin and asked, “It is said the fires at the end of time will rage and everything will collapse. At that time, will ‘that thing’ also collapse?” The master replied, “It will collapse.” The same monk asked the Seon Master Yongje Sosu the same question, “It is said the fires at the end of time will rage and everything will collapse. At that time, will ‘that thing’ also collapse?” The master replied, “It will not collapse.” The meaning of the word “collapse” here could not be expressed in writing even if the oceans were filled with ink, and we were to use all of it. If we were to establish the view with words, we will be 10 million miles farther from “that thing.” When the fish swims, the water will turn cloudy. When a bird flies, feathers will fall. To those whose wisdom eye is not open, saying it will collapse will be a hindrance, and saying it will not collapse will also be a hindrance. Even if Master Daesu says it will collapse, there is a way to know. Even if Master Yongje says it will not collapse, there is a way to know. It cannot be known by always being without thoughts. It cannot be known by always trying to know with our thoughts. If someone were to ask this mountain monk, “It is said the fires at the end of time will rage and everything will collapse. At that time, will ‘that thing’ also collapse?” I would reply, “Forget about collapsing and not collapsing. Do you even know properly what ‘that thing’ is?” One master said ‘that thing’ will collapse, while the other said ‘that thing’ will not collapse. It is false to say that it will collapse, and it is false to say it will not collapse. Then what is to be said? Always think on this deeply during the off-season as you travel around the countless worlds. In the remote field, the crane has wings difficult to fly. The horse will never travel a thousand miles with no reason. Buddhist Era 2553(2009) Last Day of the Summer Retreat

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New Stupa and Monument Completed at Jogyesa Temple A new stupa and monument have been erected at the Jogye Order’s main temple in Seoul, Jogyesa Temple.

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n October 8, a completion ceremony was held for the stupa called, “Stupa of the Relic of the

World Honored One” and “Historical Monument of Jogyesa Temple, the Headquarter Temple of the Jogye Order” Jogye Order head Ven. Jikwan began this project in February 2008 in preparation for the 100-year anniversary of Jogyesa Temple in 2010. It took one year and eight months to complete. The completion ceremony was attended by more than 5000 people including many eminent monks and nuns. The stupa contains an actual relic of Shakyamuni Buddha, brought to by Sri Lankan monk Dhammapala in 1913. The monk brought one actual relic of Buddha from the collection of relics of the royal family of Thailand. The relic was housed in a 7-tier stupa at Jogyesa Temple in 1914 during the Japanese occupation. After Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, there were constant complaints about the stupa being of Japanese style. The new stupa is octagonal (symbolizing the eight-fold path) and ten tiered (symbolizing the ten virtuous actions). It also contains 14,000 small

Buddha statues, a set of 7-volume Lotus Sutra from

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1660, and a Buddhist ceremonial robe (kasaya) with 25 sections. On the exterior, eight Buddhas and eight Buddhist deities are carved in relief to set a new standard for a distinctly Korean stupa. In addition, a historical monument, celebrating the history of Jogyesa Temple, was also unveiled this day. This monument contains the contemporary history of Jogyesa Temple from the struggles during the Japanese colonization of trying to establish a headquarters for Korean Buddhism to the modern, over 80-year-old history of the Jogye Order. The more than 9000-character inscription was written by Ven. Jikwan, the administrative head of the Jogye Order.

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Construction of School Complete in Myanmar by the Jogye Order A Myanmar elementary school was destroyed by Cyclone Nargis in May, 2008. Now the school has been completely rebuilt thanks to the aspirations and support of Korean Buddhists. By Um Tae-gyu

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n August 29, a completion ceremony for the Aungjabu Elementary School was held at

Aungjabu Temple near Yangon, Myanmar. The funds for the construction was raised by the Jogye Order with an emergency relief fund raising. Over 200 children will attend the new school. Monks from the Jogye Order, Myanmar monks, dignitaries and over 4000 in total attended the ceremony. Ven Seyoung read a message from the head of the Jogye Order Ven. Jikwan, “Having heard about the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, Korean Buddhists took the suffering of a fellow Buddhist nation as their own to raise the funds for this

Association of the Laity’s President Winaung said, “I

school. Although the school is not very big, we can

would like to express our gratitude to the Korean

take this as a symbol of the friendship and

Buddhist community on behalf of Aungjabu Temple

cooperation between our nations’ Buddhists and a

and the school children. We will do our best to watch

starting point (for future collaboration).”

over the school with great interest, now that the children have a better place to study.”

Korean Ambassador to Myanmar Pak Gi-jong said, “Myanmar has great potential since it has wonderful

Ven. Seyoung of the Jogye Order offered a donation

human and natural resources. As much as Myanmar’s

of school supplies at the end of the ceremony. The

future depends on education, I hope that Aungjabu

Jogye Order is building another school in the

Elementary School would produce great leaders.”

Irrawaddy region of Myanmar to be completed at the end of this year. The completion ceremony is to be

The Myanmar Sitagu International Buddhist

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held at the beginning of 2010.

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Researching New Renewable Energy to Resolve Global Warming

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sing fossil fuel has caused climate change and other global problems resulting in global warming. The Jogye Order is now researching using new renewable energy in temples to help the global warming trend.

Jogye Order’s Department of Social Affairs is working together with researchers to improve energy usage and renewable energy usage in temples. The Jogye Order will assess energy usage in temples. With this assessment, they will prepare measures to use energy more efficiently. They will research ways to use renewable energy. Ten temples have been selected for the assessments. Mountain temples, city temples, and some of the main temples have been selected including temples like Tongdosa (solar energy, geothermal energy), Cheongoksa (solar energy, geothermal energy), and Geumsansa (biomass) that are already using renewable energy. The assessments are to be

completed by October. From then, there will be research on policies in cooperation with the advisory council. With the research completed, the final report is to be submitted by January. The Director of the Department of Social Affairs Ven. Seyoung said, “This research is to prepare measures from the Buddhist community to deal with climate change and environmental problems stemming from the use of fossil fuel.” He also said, “In accordance with Buddhist principles on life, we are committed to find a way to resolve environmental issues and realize a way for the survival of society.”

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Renewable energy Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat?which are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning. Hydroelectricity was the next largest renewable source, providing 3% of global energy consumption and 15% of global electricity generation.

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New Buddhist Bookstore Opens The Jogye Order opens a new Buddhist bookstore on October 15 in the basement of the new Templestay Information Center across the street from Jogyesa Temple. The Jogye Order’s Buddhist Cultural Corporation will provide 30,000 books in 6000 categories for the bookstore. There will be books on Buddhist practice, philosophy, history, art, as well as yoga, tea tradition, fiction, and children’s books. There will also be some books in English.

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Gilt Bronze Incense Burner from the Baekjae Period

National Treasure 287 | Height 61.8 cm | Diameter 19 cm | Weight 11.85 kg

Made in the early 7 th century, this incense burner has many intricately carved figures on the main body and a dragon below supporting the burner with its mouth.

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korean temple

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n April 2005, Naksansa Temple with most of the surrounding temple buildings were burned to the

ground. Even the metallic temple bell melted in the fire. The fire could not be contained. Many national

Restoration of

treasures and precious artifacts were lost forever. The

Naksansa Temple Completed

responsibility upon himself, and now with the

abbot of Naksansa Temple Ven. Jeongnyeom took the donations of Korean Buddhist and government assistance, the temple has been fully restored. The new temple compound resembles the original temple of a thousand years ago. This is the completion of phase two with 12 buildings and facilities being restored. Phase one was completed in November 2007 with also 12 buildings restored. The completion ceremony was on October 12 with Ven. Jikwan, head of the Jogye Order in attendance. Naksansa Temple is the temple of Avalokiteshvara (Kwanseum Bosal). The name Naksansa comes from

“Potalaka,” the abode of Avalolkiteshvara. Naksansa Temple is on Naksan (Potalaka) Mountain, which is topped by an Avalokiteshvara statue 15 meters tall. This immense statue facing the East Sea (Sea of Japan) along with a small seaside hermitage, Hongryeonam were not damaged by the fire. Naksansa Temple has

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numerous images and statue of Avalokiteshvara including a thousand-hand Avalokiteshvara statue.

Korean Temples are good places to see dragons and monsters.

Chinese dragons _ with horse-like heads, deer antlers, flowing whiskers, and long serpentine bodies _ the

Naksansa is one of the few large temples located on

You can always see dragons at Korean temples.

dragons in Korean temples do not share the same

the eastern coast facing the East Sea. This scenic area

They’re everywhere. They can be colourful and bright,

origins.

has been designated one the Eight Great Scenic Sites of eastern Korea. The great master Uisang founded

or graceful and elegant, or even grotesque and frightening _ but they are always awe-inspiring. For

ancient Indian snake spirits were adopted by early

Naksansa Temple in 671 during the Shilla Period. He

many people, these mythical creatures are

Buddhists as protectors of the Dharma truth. Often

was meditating near the seashore when

synonymous with Buddhist art. For many people, the

depicted as king cobras or many-headed snakes, they

Avalokiteshvara told him to build a temple there. Now

generic, stylized dragon is a symbol representative of

were changed into dragons as Buddhism and its

a pavilion (Uisangdae) commemorates the very spot

Asian art and culture in general. However, despite

imagery moved from India to China, and from China

where the master meditated.

their resemblance to the more familiar, traditional

to Korea. To this day, the dragons seen in temples all

According to Heo Gyun in Korean Temple Motifs,

Ven. Jeongnyeom said, “I bow my head and humbly thank all the monks and nuns of the Jogye Order, Buddhists faithful, and Korean citizens for helping in the difficult four-year restoration process. We will do our best to continue in the restoration to return Naksansa Temple to the hearts of the Korean people. It is important to not only restore the buildings, but the 1000-year cultural heritage and the spirit of the ancestors.”

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Temple Dragons and Monster Masks

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Words and Pictures by Kelly Shepherd

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over Korea are direct descendants of those snake

sometimes the tail of the dragon is even seen pro-

monster masks present in one place, and their eyes are

spirits from 6 th century India (24).

jecting from the back of the building like the stern of

carved or painted to stare in different directions,

These same guardian dragons are found outside

a ship. When people come to prostrate, pray, or chant

thereby keeping watch over as wide an area as

Dharma Halls and other temple buildings, on the tops

in a temple, according to this symbolism, they are

possible.

of pillars and the sides of staircases, and under eaves.

embarking on a journey on a Wisdom Dragon Ship

Inside the temple structures, they are always associ-

(28).

Dragons and Monster Masks are only two of the countless potent and fascinating symbols hiding

ated with the canopies found over Buddha altars, and

Dragons are said to be shape-shifters, and indeed

can also be seen on the altars themselves, on the inner

they do serve a great many ritual and symbolic

walls, crossbeams, and ceilings. In addition, they are

purposes in Korean temples. Dragons are believed to

sometimes carved under the stone bridges that lead

control the weather, including fog, dew, clouds, and

to the temple grounds. Depending on the setting,

rain. Furthermore, the countless scales of dragons are

dragons might be painted, carved out of wood, or

a metaphor for eternity. The bell-hook is yet another

hewn out of stone. The dragon’s role here, again, is

example. At the deep and melodic sound of the temple

that of guardian. From the vantage point of the bridge,

bell, all sentient beings are invited to awaken. These

it can keep watch over the stream and prevent evil

huge, heavy bells are hung with a hook shaped like a

forces from entering the temple via the water. In

small dragon. It is always facing downwards, with its

Korean temples, the dragon preserves the sanctity of temple buildings and protects the halls where there

mouth wide open as if crying out in fear. This is the dragon “Poroe” and in fact he is afraid _ of whales!

are Buddha images and teachings.

The log bell striker was traditionally carved or painted

always depicted with foliage (in particular, lotus plants or

Buddhist temples in Korea. Statues of Buddhas and

Heo Gyun points to another role for the dragon,

to resemble a fish or a whale, and examples of these

flowers) in their mouths, which sets them apart (38).

Boddhisatvas, paintings depicting mythical or

though, aside from that of guardian or protector. He

can still be seen in some temples today. As the story

Not as impressive or as well-known as dragons,

describes the “Wisdom Dragon Ships” that sail to

goes, Poroe would cry out in terror whenever a whale

these demon or monster figures nonetheless have an

historical people, murals that tell the life story of the Buddha _ these are just the beginning. There are

Paradise. These ships carry believers across the sea of

struck him, and so it was decided that his loud voice

interesting history and an important purpose. Like the

birds, flowers, fish, tigers, turtles, specific patterns

would be perfect for the ringing of the temple bell.

dragons, they also serve as temple guardians; and they

of latticework on doors and windows. The number of

samsara (illusion; the endless cycle of birth and

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within the intricate histories and architectures of

rebirth) to the other shore, where the

As if all of these watchful and versatile dragons

also originate in ancient India. Heo Gyun relates the

levels on a pagoda, the seemingly abstract patterns

Pure Land is said to exist (26).

weren’t enough, Buddhist temples in Korea are also

myth of the Indian god Siva, who once allowed his

painted on wooden beams and pillars, even the colors

Heo suggests that temple

decorated with “Monster Masks.” These glaring,

vengeful anger to take on a life of its own. It took the

of paint used, all of these are imbued with specific

buildings themselves rep-

grimacing faces peer out at visitors from under rooftop

form of the horrible lion-headed demon Kirttimukha

meanings and metaphors. And the temples them-

resent the cabins of these

eaves, from the tops of pillars, and from temple altars.

(39 - 43). This beast had an insatiable hunger. When it

selves are everywhere, of course, from the most

symbolic vehicles, and

They have bulging eyes, wide noses, unruly manes of

was finished serving Siva, it remained hungry, and

remote peaks to the busiest cities. These particular

that the dragon heads

hair, horns or antlers, and fearsome teeth or tusks.

proceeded to feast upon its own body! Soon only its

photographs were taken recently at the beautiful

represent the ships’

Like the dragon, the monster mask can also be spotted

head remained, and Siva rewarded its faithful service

mountain temple Beomeosa, located in the southern

prows. Indeed, on

outside of temples: have another look at the “Red

to him by appointing it as the ferocious guardian of his

city of Busan, but similar beasts lie in wait at every

many temple build-

Devils” face of the Korean national soccer team! Their

temple doors. Like the snake spirits, this image was

corner of Korea.

ings the dragon heads

appearance is occasionally humorous, but more often

adopted by early Buddhists who brought it with them

do project forward

frightening or even disturbing. They are also seen as

to Eastern Asia. It is this same personification of Siva’s

from the top central

both carvings and paintings. The monster masks

anger that we see today throughout Korean temple

pillars like a ship’s

might bear some resemblance to the faces of the

buildings, still serving as a guardian and preventing

figurehead, and

dragons, but as Heo Gyun points out, they are nearly

the entrance of evil. Indeed, there are often several

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Heo Gyun and Timothy V. Atkinson (trans.). Korean Temple Motifs: Beautiful Symbols of the Buddhist Faith. Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do: Dolbegae Publishers, 2005.

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education

Hangja (Postulant) Training Course The The Hangja Hangja (candidate (candidate preparing preparing to to become become aa monk monk or or nun) nun) training training course course took took place place from from September 5~18 at the newly built Korean Buddhist Cultural Center near Magoksa Temple September 5~18 at the newly built Korean Buddhist Cultural Center near Magoksa Temple and and Gongju Gongju City. City. One One hundred hundred fifty fifty one one Hangjas Hangjas participate participate in in this this year’s year’s course. course.

Hangja Life The hangjas (monastic prospects) put aside their past lifestyle, to begin life as a renunciate at a new and unfamiliar temple. There is a need for the elder monastics to show exceptional interest, consideration, and guidance, so that the postulants acclimate well to temple life and correctly pursuit the monastic path. The temple’s elder monks, while living together with the postulants, must observe whether they have what it takes to make future monastics by thoroughly examining the hangja’s resume, maturation process, past awards and reprimands, family situation, and health history. After closely observing the attitude and behavior of the postulants to determine that they have the sincere motivation of a renunciate, only then are they allowed to stay as postulants. The hangja (postulant) who has taken the first step, must choose a vocation master (Unsa Sunim) that will lead them, and guide them properly as practitioners. Once the vocation master is selected, the relationship cannot be cancelled without mutual agreement. Therefore, this selection should be done cautiously. The vocation master must have been ordained for at least 10 years, is over 30 years old, passed the third level monastic examination, and must be of at least a Joong-deok or Jeong-deok monastic rank.

Hair-cutting Ceremony and Hangja (Postulant) Robes Hair-cutting ceremony is meaningful because it officially confirms the hangja as a member of the order. Therefore, this is a formal ceremony, which follows ceremonial procedure with the monastic community in attendance. After this ceremony, the male hangjas wear the brown robes and the female hangjas wear orange robes.

Admission into the Hangja (Postulant) Training Course The hangja’s (postulant’s) qualifications are: high school graduate, over 15 years old, and under 50. Once the hangja is trained at the home temple for at least five months, he/she enters the group hangja training course. The main contents of the training course are: novice vows, the “Admonitions to beginners” text, life of Buddha, elementary doctrine, and Buddhist ceremonies. After the completion of the training course, by passing the fifth level monastic examination, the postulant takes the Shramanera/Shramanerika (Sami/Samini) vows and becomes a novice.

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dharma fellow

Seon (Zen) Master Dae Bong

Four Great Vows

Avatamsaka Sutra says, “The whole universe is created by mind alone.” This world is made by thinking. You make your world. I make my world. Dogs make dog’s world. Buddha taught all suffering comes from craving and attachment. Craving and attachment come from our thinking. If we cut off our thinking, then this world is already paradise. We can use all things to help others. This brings great happiness and peace.

Every morning in our international Zen temples and centers and at the end of ceremonies in Korea, we all recite the Four Great Vows. So, it is important to understand the meaning and how to use them in our practice.

Buddha said, “Everything is appearing and disappearing. That is the law of appearing and disappearing. When appearing and disappearing both disappear, that stillness is bliss.” Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within.” Many people think paradise is some place outside they go to, like Hawaii. But Buddha and Jesus taught paradise is inside. So when you cut thru delusions, that is paradise.

The Third Great Vow: The Teachings are infinite; we vow to learn them all. This does not mean the 84,000 sutras. It means every moment is a great teaching, I vow to attain them all. So this means we

The First Great Vow: Sentient Beings are numberless; we vow to save them all. This means our correct direction.

vow to pay attention moment-to-moment.

When practicing, many people worry about what technique they should

Enlightenment. Future mind cannot get Enlightenment.” Past, present and future are not yours. Also

use; which is the best, which is the fastest. But most important is our

your body, your family, your house, your country, your things are not yours. Only one thing in this life

direction. If our direction is clear, then everything will help our practice.

is yours: moment. This moment. That is zero divided by infinity second. Very short. If this moment is

Then, any technique, any situation, any condition will benefit our effort.

clear, your life is clear. If this moment is not clear, your life is not clear. All wisdom, love and

But if our direction is not clear, even the best technique will not bring the

compassion appear in this moment. If we want to attain Great Love, Great Compassion and Great

correct result.

Wisdom, the Great Bodhisattva Way, we must pay attention moment to moment, non-stop. That is

It is like this: you are in Seoul and you want very much to visit your

our practice.

The Diamond Sutra says, “Past mind cannot get Enlightenment. Present mind cannot get

mother who is in Busan. You can take a plane, a train, a bus. You can drive a car or walk. You can go in a wheelchair. Any vehicle will help you. If you

The Fourth Great Vow: The Buddha Way is inconceivable; we vow to attain it. Buddha had a Great

direction is correct, then you will eventually arrive. But if your direction is not correct, even if you have

Question: What is life? What is death? What is human being? What am I? And he didn’t know. He

a Ferrari, you may arrive in Pyongyang.

only went straight don’t know for six years. One morning he saw a star and got Enlightenment. So this

This vow teaches us the correct direction. Why do you practice? For yourself? To feel peaceful? To be

vow means only go straight don’t know.

happy? To be famous? For your family? For your country? Why? For Enlightenment? If you get

So, Buddha’s “Don’t Know,” Bodhidharma’s “Don’t Know” and your “Don’t Know,” are they the same

Enlightenment, then what?

or different? If you say “same,” you become blind. If you say “different,” you lose the way. If you say

We don’t practice Buddhism for myself. We practice to realize our true nature and save all beings

“don’t know,” you are only a parrot. So what can you do?

moment-to-moment. That means, when you are with your spouse, help them. When you are with your children, don’t just push your idea. Understand their mind and help them. It means help nature.

Outside, the mountains are high; white clouds float back and forth.

Help the air, the water, the animals, the insects, all beings. Human beings think this is “my world.”

A young person helps a halmoni cross the road.

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That is crazy. This world belongs to all beings. So we must appreciate, help and take care of all beings. That is human beings’ true job. If you find human beings’ true job, then any kind of body job is OK. We practice Buddhism to realize our true nature and help all beings.

The Second Great Vow: Delusions are endless; we vow to cut thru them all. This means everything is made by our thinking, but originally our thinking is empty, everything has no self-nature.

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Seon (Zen) Master Dae Bong was born in Philadelphia, USA in 1950. He studied psychology at the university. He later met Zen Master Seung Sahn and became his student. He has lived in Zen centers and temples in the US, Europe and Asia since 1977. He became a monk in 1984 and received inka from Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1992 and Transmission in 1999. Since 1999, he has been Guiding Teacher (Joshil) of Mu Sang Sa Gyeryong San International Zen Center in South Korea.

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Oxford Univers ity to

Seon Master Seo Publish ngcheol’s Teachin gs

Bongeunsa Temple Abbot Conclude 1000-day Prayer Retreat “Everyday has been a little nerve-wracking trying to keep the promise of the 1000-day prayer retreat. However, now, I’m a little sad that it’s coming to an end. I will endeavor to finish my duties as an abbot with a prayerful heart,” said Abott Ven. Myeongjin.

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aster Seongche ol’s teachings have been tran Hundred Day slated under th s Part One.” It e title of “Serm is to be publis on of One 20,000,000 w hed on Decem on (US $16,368) be r 31 , fu 20 nd 09 in . g from the M It received Department fo inistry of Cultu r the Translati re, Sports, an on of K d or Tourism’s ean Literature University of O . Boden Profes xford, Richard so r G of om Sanskrit at th brich is the ed Hwang Soon-i e itor in charge. l is the translat Dongguk Unive or of the text w rsity professor of proofreading ith Oxford Uni versity’s Dr. Li and editing. Th nda Covil in ch is is the first tim by a Korean Se arge e a major fore on master. ign University publishes a bo ok Oxford Centre for Buddhist St udies (OCBS) w Equinox Publis ill publish the hing. The book book through is already on A the well-know 31, 2009. The m az n on.com with th book’s content e pu bl is h is da fr om te on th D e ec 10 ember 1967 at Hains 0 days of teac hings during th a Temple afte e summer retr r master Seon (Bangjang). M eat in gcheol was ap aster Seongche pointed the sp ol covers such ir it ual director important topi Only School, M cs as Theravad adhyamika, Chi an ne B se ud C dh ha ism, Mind n Buddhism, an around the M d the future of iddle Way ap Buddhism all proach. The te centered knowledge of B xt will demon strate the exte uddhism poss essed by maste nsive and thor also a great sa r Seongcheol. ough ge of high spir He was not on itual realizatio ly a great scho lar but n. He was resp He was arguab ly the greatest ected by Korea Korean Buddh ns of ev er y religion. ist master of th e last century. An expert on Korean Buddh ism, UCLA pr Buddhism’s lo ofessor Rober ng history, it t Buswell said has not been , “Despite Kor noticed by the literature to w ean esterners.” He world due to th added that this e la ck of av ailable Seongcheol to would be an im the foreign acad portant text to emic world. introduce mas ter The second vo lume is to be pu blished at the en d of 2011. L

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n December 5, 2006, Ven. Myeongjin began the 1000 days of prayer. It ended on August 30, 2009. Except for attending the funeral of former President Roh Mu-hyun on May 29, 2009, Ven. Myeongjin did not

leave Bongeunsa temple. He offered 1000 bows everyday to make Bongeunsa Temple a place of genuine practice. Ven. Myeongjin said, “To keep this promise with Bongensa Temple members as well as Korean Buddhists, I would often set two alarm clocks on the days I went to bed late. There has not been a single day that has passed in leisure.” He continued, “There were times of distress, but with the faith and support of the faithful I will finish in good shape.” Within the 1000 days of prayer, there were noticeable changes at Bongensa Temple. All financial records have been made available to the public, making for transparent accounting. Members of the laity attended important temple meetings. The number of Bongeunsa faithful increased as did the temple income. In 2006, there were 200,000 faithful members of Bongeunsa Temple. Currently, there are 250,000 members. In 2006, the fund was 8.6 billion wons (US $7 million). There’s been an increase of 20% each year. Now, the fund is at 12.2 billion wons (US $10 million). There were some events, which the abbot wanted to attend like the candlelight vigils and the Yongsan incident. He did finally exit Bongeunsa Temple to attend the historic funeral of former President Roh Mu-hyun. The former First Lady, Kwon Yang-sook is also a member of Bongeunsa Temple. Ven. Myeongjin had a Dharma service on the morning of August 30 for an official end to the 1000-day prayer retreat. He took 1000 sacks of rice that has been collected for underprivileged children in the “1000 bags of compassionate rice” campaign to Gangnam District and Gyeongi Provice Departments of Education. He also visited Yongsan to console the bereaved of the Yongsan incident. He also had plans to do a two-month retreat at Yonghwa Meditation Temple. He said, “I want to use the energy from the 1000 days of prayer for meditative introspection. It’s something I decided to do a long time ago.”

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1 Eulogy for Kim Dae-jung

3 73 Year-old Buddhist Woman Offers Entire Wealth to Dongguk University

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism offers its deep condolences for the death of former President Kim Dae-jung, a pioneer

Choi Yeoni, a 73 year-old Buddhist woman will donate her entire fortune, which is an apartment valued at 215,000,000 won

of Korean democracy. He is a symbol of freedom, human rights, and democracy on the Korean peninsula. The hardships of

(US $170,000) to Dongguk University, which belongs to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. She also will donate her body

his life parallel the hardships of the Korean people. He overcame imprisonment, exile, and a death sentence by the power of

after death to the medical department of the university.

his resolute faith in democracy and concern for the people. Together with the citizens, he overcame the great economic crisis

In her 30s, Mrs. Choi made her living working at a textile factory in Busan. After that, she worked in the kitchen of Hainsa

and established the IT industry in Korea. He improved human rights and social welfare. He also established mutual respect

Temple. Her only living relatives are a younger brother who is a monk and a nephew. She hopes the money will be used as

between North and South Korea with the Sunshine Policy. There is an emptiness and sorrow that such a being is no longer

scholarships for underprivileged students. Dongguk University will follow her wishes. Mrs. Choi is granted free medical

with us. However, if there is birth, there is death. If there is coming together, there is parting. May the spirit of the former

examinations among other privileges offered by the university.

President Kim Dae-jung find peace. Through this, may all Koreans unite to become one in spirit. - By Ven. Jikwan, Head of Jogye Order 4 Korean American Student Korean Cultural Tour The Jogye Order sponsored a Korean Cultural Experience Tour for Korean American Students from June 26 to July 2.

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2 Seminar Held to Commemorate One-Year Anniversary of the Religious Bias Protest Rally

Twenty students from eastern United States aged from 13 to 26 were invited to experience Korean Buddhism and culture.

Over 200,000 Buddhists gathered in front of Seoul City Hall on August 27, 2008 to protest the religious bias of the Lee

The tour was co-sponsored by the Korean government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Jogye Order of

Myeong Bak Administration and rally for religious harmony. Now one year later, a seminar was held to commemorate the

Korean Buddhism. Junior High School, High School, and University students of Korean descent living in New York, Virginia,

event and discuss religious bias.

Connecticut, North Carolina, and New Jersey toured Korea, starting with a templestay at Woljeongsa Temple. The tour

At the seminar, Ven. Jikwan said, “During my four years (as administrative head), there have been numerous events. However,

included another templestay at Tongdosa Temple, a tour of Hyundai (Ulsan), Samsung (Gangnam), KBS (Yeoeiudo), the

I think the biggest event was the protest rally. This rally proved to be a bulwark to stop the flood of religious bias.”

National Museum (Yongsan), Hahoe Folk Village, Kyungjoo area, and Myong-won Tea Ceremony House. The students also

There were awards given to those who have contributed greatly to this cause. Ven. Wonhak, the executive organizer of the

had a diverse array of Korean food such as Samgyetang, Jjim-dalk, Ssam-bap, temple food, and mandu.

rally received the Supreme Patriarch’s award. Five received the Executive Director’s award. In addition, 20 students from the

The tour was accompanied by members of the Jogye Order, the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders, and the president

Korean Buddhist University Student Association were appointed as “Monitors of Religious Harmony.”

of the Korean Buddhist Laity Association of New York.

The theme of the seminar was, “Living together in a hopeful world.” The seminar focused on ways we can bring about social

Most of the students were from Buddhist families, yet none could identify themselves as Buddhists before the trip. After the

and religious harmony. The following are some resolutions that were made. To resolve religious bias, we must overcome the

trip, the students were more confident of what Buddhism is. They could identify themselves as Buddhist with greater

combative attitude, and develop actions for religious harmony. Develop a plan to encourage greater tolerance to overcome

confidence. This trip clearly indicated that children from Buddhist families had very little knowledge of Buddhism. The trip

sectarianism and the exclusivist attitude that leads to religious discrimination. Preserve Korean traditional culture and

proved very informative as to what Buddhism is and how temple life is. Such experience was received very well by the

develop ways to preserve the Korean cultural legacy with modern innovations.

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5 Korean Temple Food Database to be Produced One of the hidden jewels of Korean Culture is the natural vegetarian food served in Korean Buddhist temples. Temple food is healthful, delicious, good for the environment, and kind to our animal friends. It is food of the future enlightened civilization. Temple food is considered to be a healthy alternative, especially in the midst of the worldwide wellbeing trend. It is considered a “meal of life,” because there is no use of artificial flavor enhancers and refined sugars. Instead, natural flavor enhancers and fruit are used. With this background, the Jogye Order launched plans to construct a database. Beginning with Beopjusa Temple, they will collect data from different temples. Jogye Order Department of Cultural Affairs held the first meeting with the database research team at Beopjusa Temple. Abbots from Chungcheong Province were also present. There was a presentation of 70 recipes from over 600 temples. Some recipes were old cucumber soybean soup from Mitasa temple, lotus leaf cold noodles from Jeongtosa Temple, ginseng preserve from Geuklaksa Temple, and lettuce leaf wrap from Borisa Temple. The need for building a database is that the recipes have been passed down by word of mouth and there has not been a recorded system with collected data. The Korean government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has allotted a budget of more than 2,000,000,000 won to research for the next five years until 2014. Jogye Order Department of Cultural Affairs Ven. Sukyeong is in charge of this project. The first area for the research is Daejeon City and Chungcheon Province. From May 1 to the end of this year, 220,000,000 won budget has be allotted to research at over 220 Jogye Order temples and over 380 temples of other order. The first stage is to survey them through phone and letter inquiries. The second stage is to visit the temples. The third stage is make menu

6 “Friends on the Path,” Offers 116,000,000 won ($94,000 US) to the Less-fortunate Jogye Order’s social welfare foundation gave 116,000 won to 111 low-income and disadvantage people in a ceremony on July 23 at the Jogye Order Administration Building. Jogye Order Head Ven. Jikwan personally handed out the offering along with a mala to the recipients. The money is to be used for medical and living expenses. Ven. Jikwan said, “The essence of the Buddha’s teachings is altruism. Although it is a small amount, I hope it will be of some benefit. It has the altruistic and compassionate will of Buddhists who want to live and share together.” ‘Friends of the Path’ has raised 723,171.440 won to be used to help the less-fortunate members of society.

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