NEWS

Jogye Order Of Korean Buddhism To Build Global Meditation Village

By Anne Wisman | | Buddhistdoor Global

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism plans to build a large-scale meditation complex in front of Bongam-sa, a temple in the city of Mungyeong, in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province. Mungyeong Global Meditation Village, the brainchild of the Jogye Order’s Bongam Temple and a group of Seon monks, is intended to facilitate and promote the Korean Seon (Zen) meditation practice. Bongam-sa was founded in 879 and is considered the center of Korean Seon meditation. The temple grounds are generally closed to the public as the monks meditate in closed quarters, with the exception of the public holiday to mark the Buddha’s birthday. In order to create a space where the public can experience Seon Buddhism without disturbing the monks’ practice, the temple drafted the idea of Mungyeong Global Meditation Village. The idea was first mooted in 2009, and in April this year the committee responsible for the project acquired 120,000 square meters of land for the project, and received approval from the city government for the first stage of construction. The complex will sit at the foot of Mount Heeyang and will include meditation and education facilities, accommodation, restaurants, and other amenities, and will be able to accommodate up to 300 people.