A four-day expo held under the theme “Your Enlightenment! Buddhism Adventure” will take place April 3-6 at Coex in Seoul, inviting foreign monks in an effort to advance Korean Buddhism.
Some 150 Chinese monks will attend the Seoul International Buddhism Expo, an annual event initiated in 2013 by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in the country.
The push for participation from Buddhists from abroad is the latest effort by the Jogye Order to achieve global recognition of its seon meditation practices. Last year, the Jogye Order organized the nationwide Seon Meditation Summit, and Jogye Order President Ven. Jinwoo met with prominent US Buddhist thinkers and practitioners as well as Yale University students to promote seon during his visit to the US.
“We have our eyes not only on China but also on Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar to spread our cause,” a Jogye Order official said.
Meditation, at the heart of wellness, could easily unite monks of all origins, the official added.
As with last year, the expo is targeting a young audience, the official added, referring to last year’s record-setting attendance level which totaled 130,000 -- three times that of the previous year. Eight out of 10 visitors last year were in their 20s and 30s.
Introducing Buddhism with electronic dance music performances under the tagline “Joyful Buddhism” is believed to have played a large part in reshaping youngsters’ view of the religion. A comedian dressed as a monk DJ who has been at the center of growing popularity of Buddhism is planning to take the stage again in April.
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com
