New leader of Buddhist sect emphasizes harmony, revival

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Ven. Jaseung, the new head of South Korea's largest
Buddhist order, was inaugurated Thursday with a pledge to chart a new direction
for the religion by enhancing communication and harmony among its different
sects.
"I will strive to present a future of peace and coexistence to our society by
achieving harmony among different Buddhist orders and rehabilitating Buddhism,"
said Jaseung, the 33rd elected chief of the Jogye sect, during his inaugural
ceremony joined by top political and religious leaders.
Jaseung, 55, was elected the new leader on Oct. 22 and is one of the youngest
monks to hold the post that administers 2,501 Buddhist temples nationwide, 13,860
priests and an annual budget of some 30 billion won (US$25 million). The former
head of a Buddhist scholarship foundation, Jaseung will hold the post for four
years.
Korean Buddhism has its roots going back some 1,200 years to the ancient Unified
Silla kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.) that adopted the religion from China. Buddhists
currently account for roughly 23 percent of the South Korean population while
Christians account for nearly 30 percent.
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism was officially established in 1962 with the
three main goals of training and education, translation of religious texts from
Chinese into Korean, and propagation of the religion.
The Jogye Order will also focus on education and missionary work, Jaseung said.
"Through active education, I will strive to build a growth engine for the future
of Korean Buddhism," he said.
Thursday's ceremony was attended by leaders of the country's three largest
political parties including Chung Mong-joon of the ruling Grand National Party
and Chung Sye-kyun of the main opposition Democratic Party, reflecting the
influence of the order in local politics.
President Lee Myung-bak and Ven. Boseon, a senior member of Jogye, sent
congratulatory messages to Jaseung.
Born in 1954 in Gangwon Province, Jaseung joined the Jogye Order in 1986 and has
served as chief of the order's financial and administration affairs bureaus. He
took over the post from Ven. Jigwan.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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