Three child monk preschoolers come out of the main hall of Sinheung Temple on Mount Seorak in the eastern coastal city of Sokcho on April 28, 2015, after taking part in a British ritual to have their heads shaved and receive their Buddhist names. The ritual is part of a 30-day program to experience the life of Buddhist monks on the occasion of Buddha’s Birthday that falls on May 25. (Yonhap)
From the Joong Ang Ilbo:
Two weeks before New Year’s Day, Eun Deok Cultural Center was covered in snow. Located next to Changdeok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, the cultural center is the cradle of Won Buddhism – modern Korean Buddhism.
There, Dathane Turner, the first American believer in Won Buddhism’s 100-year history, sat quietly at a coffee table. He visited Korea to conduct a spiritual ceremony and was scheduled to fly back to the United States shortly after.
There was sadness in his family affairs.
The question “Why is my life is so arduous?” has lingered in his mind since he was a young boy, Turner said.
To find the answer, he tried to study positive psychology at graduate school and looked around asceticism centers.
But all those attempts turned out to be in vain.
One day when he searched for “meditation” on the Internet, he was randomly taken to a webpage that introduced him to Won Buddhism. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link.
