New Year Celebration at Koryosa Temple in Argentina

On January 6^th, the members of the meditation group at Koryosa Temple in Argentina, who have been regularly participating in visitations and donations to a local orphanage, held a New Year celebration. The New Year celebration consisted of making Kimbap and sharing opinions on new communal projects for the New Year. Among many requests, there were requests for lectures on the sutras, morning meditation sessions, and lessons on cooking temple food and on Korean language. Also, there was an opinion that there should be a Templestay program and Balwoo Gonyang every month. The abbot also proposed a project saying “we should stop washing the walkway in front of our houses with detergents which is a custom of Argentinians and we should also enlighten our neighbors of the harmful effects to stop them as well,” while claiming that this is the purpose of Buddhism and practice. “Our habit without reflection becomes the main cause of water contamination, environmental pollution and waste of water. Ultimately, such action will destroy ourselves, therefore we should understand the causality, the cycle of birth and death, and be always awakened in our lives.”

According to Ven. Ilam, the abbot of Koryosa, Argentinians seem to consider life and practice as separate since they begin Buddhist practice with a bit of interest in mysticism. However, they should learn that practicing Buddhism in one’s life is the true practice. Even though there are many habits for individuals, and customs and habits built in to our modern day society that are not right, this seems to be one of the easier habit to be corrected. Therefore, the meditation group wishes to take it up as a project of practice in their lives in 2018. Ven. Ilam expressed that watching people wash their walkway with detergent every day concerned his very much of its effect on the sentient beings of the earth and the earth itself.  

Through the meditation sessions, the group hopes to become wise followers of the Buddha who also have consideration for the earth.

From Koryosa, Argentina