Lantern festival to light up world for harmony

Making and hanging lotus lanterns is one of the oldest Buddhist traditions, which continues until today. Yeondeunghoe is a traditional Korean folk festival that goes back to the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-935 A.D.). It was inherited as the Lotus Lantern Assembly in Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and continued as the Lantern Celebration (Gwandeung-nori) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

For the welfare of the community and fulfillment of personal wishes, the Lotus Lantern Festival will be held May 6-8 just ahead of Buddha’s Birthday which falls on May 10 this year. Buddha’s Birthday is the biggest day of the year as Buddhists celebrate by attending the Buddha’s Birthday Dharma Service at temples.

More than 100,000 colorful lanterns in various shapes such as dragons, elephants, phoenixes, drums, turtles and lotuses decorate the main streets nationwide along with diverse programs and activities.

The lanterns are symbols of light, wisdom and compassion that dispel the dark and suffering of the world. Through the lotus lanterns, the dark become bright as Buddhists believe that the light brings enlightenment to those who are in pain and are lost.

Read more at Buddhist Channel.

Buddha’s Birthday in Korea, a preview

From Wake Up and Laugh!

The Buddha’s birthday celebrations won’t begin until this Saturday, but on Sunday we(Hanmaum Seon Center) had a preview of the activities our center’s groups are planning. There’s nothing else for it, but to say they were incredible! The planning and effort they’ve put into the designs and rehearsals really show up.

The Lantern Parade will begin at around 6pm or so from Dongguk University(Saturday, May 7). There will be performances beforehand, I think. The parade will go up to Dongdae-mun, and then down Jongno to Jogye Temple. On Sunday the 8th, there will be the street fair on the road in front of Jogye Temple, to be followed by more performances and a party in the evening. On the day itself, Tuesday May 10, there will be activities all day long at all the major temples in Korea.

View more photos here.

Korean ruling party and Buddhist order reconciles

In a possible breakthrough to the ruling Grand National Party’s (GNP) efforts to end a standoff with Buddhist circles, the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, has allowed a group of party officials to hold a Mass at one of its temples, a GNP official said yesterday.

Several GNP lawmakers who are Buddhists plan to hold the ceremony at Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul on Tuesday, according to the official at the office of GNP Representative Cho Yoon-sun. The official requested anonymity.

It would be the first time that lawmakers participate in a Mass at the temple since the summer of 2008.

In January this year, the Jogye Order sent a directive to its member temples banning government officials and GNP lawmakers from attending any Buddhist events. The action came after the GNP passed a budget bill in December slashing state aid for temple stay tourism programs from 18.5 billion won ($17 million) in 2010 to 12.2 billion won.

Government officials later explained that there was miscommunication in earmarking the budget and gave assurances that the funding would be reinstated to the former level. But that wasn’t enough to assuage suspicions of religious partiality after President Lee Myung-bak, a Presbyterian, took office in 2008. The Jogye Order also declared it would reject state funding until Lee’s term ends in February 2013.


Continue reading at The Buddhist Channel

Lanterns for Buddha's Birthday

The Buddha’s Birthday (April 10, this year) is far and away the most important celebration on the Korean Buddhist calender. The preparations start nearly a year ahead of time at our center, and by January preparations are in full gear. By the time things are finished in April, the lanterns and floats will be gorgeous!

For everyone in the Seoul area, there’s been one important change this year: the main lantern parade will begin at dusk Saturday, May 7th, and will go from Dongguk University to Jogye Temple. Sunday, May 8th, will be the street fair in front of Jogye Temple, with a celebration/party in the evening.

View more pictures at Wake Up and Laugh!

Buddhist temples, 'seowon' to go global

Seoul, South Korea -- President Lee Myung-bak called for overseas promotions of traditional Buddhist temples and “seowon,” the most common educational institutions during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), Friday, to help foreigners better understand the country’s culture and customs.

“We must find effective communication tools from our rich cultural heritage. Foreigners can experience the essence of our culture at traditional temples and seowon,” Lee said during a meeting of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding at Cheong Wa Dae.

“Temples demonstrate the country’s Buddhist culture while the seowon show Confucian values. We need to share such cultural assets with foreigners and make more efforts to preserve them.”

The council plans to launch diverse programs to promote the seowon abroad, according to its Chairwoman Lee Bae-yong, a history professor.
Seowon were private institutions that combined the functions of a Confucian shrine and a preparatory school.

Read the full article from The Korea Times

2011 Spring Taego Protocol Retreat/Precept Ceremony Photo Album

Click the link below to view the photo album online at Google's Picasa Web Album. You can download, print, and share any and all of the photos.

Click here to view the photo album online.

Slideshow

Dharma Talk - Different Conditions

Given By: Venerable Dr. Jongmae Kenneth Park, Bishop of the Taego Overseas Parish during the 2011 Spring Protocol Retreat/Precept Ceremony

April 3, 2011
Duration - 11:09