The Lotus Lantern International Meditation Center in Ganghwa is a place where foreign monks and nuns are practicing Seon (Japanese: Zen) and lay Buddhists from Korea and abroad can experience Korean Buddhism.
The center was founded in 1997, due to the vow of the late Venerable Wonmyeong Sunim, who was a disciple of Seon Master Seongcheol. At the time of its founding, it served only as a Seon practicing ground for foreign monks, but gradually transformed itself into a temple for practice, dharma propagation, and Buddhist cultural experience. Foreign monks who have resided and practiced here are from America, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russia, and European countries, as well as monks from Asian Buddhist countries. Recently, it opened the Gogyeong Seonwon (Zen center) for both Koreans and foreigners, which can host about 100 practitioners.
The center is an open place for practice where people exhausted by city life can breathe fresh air in the midst of the forest and rest their minds through Seon practice and prayer. It also teaches Seon to foreigners, providing English Seon instructions and a one week training program. Recently, Buddhist college students as well as international dharma instructors are practicing together with the foreign monks and nuns, discussing dharma propagation abroad.
People can experience practice and leisure at the same time at the Lotus Lantern International Meditation Center. It has a traditional Main Buddha Hall, Seonbang (Zen room), guest rooms, a training center, a dining hall, and an organic farm raising many kinds of vegetables. Besides, it is running a variety of programs for resident foreigners in Korea, including the tea ceremony, formal temple meals, lectures on basic Buddhist doctrines, and Seon education on the Gong-an (Jap: Koan). Aside from the existing family oriented programs for Buddhist cultural experience, the center is planning to develop a weekend program for office workers who are now free on Saturday. (Saturday was not an official day off in Korea until recently.) All these programs are intended to help people understand Buddhism the way it really is, even in a short period of time.
For foreigners, the center is planning to run a special program about Korean Buddhist art that will be open to both groups and individuals. It represents the center’s hope to be a temple not only for Koreans but also for foreigners to experience Korean Buddhism. The Lotus Lantern International Meditation Center at Ganghwa is currently one of the official ‘temple stay’ temples designated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
Requests for temple experience are coming in from groups from France, Germany, and other countries. The center has already prepared a residential hall that can host as many as 150 people. Furthermore, the center is also interested in teaching Buddhism to resident foreign laborers in Korea, making a constant effort for the welfare and human rights of those workers.
Address
85-1, Giljik-ri, Gilsang-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, South Korea.
Tel: 010.68751955 (For English speaking visitors)
