On April 15, Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, greeted his 200th day in office. Having started every day doing 108 prostrations since he began his term on Sep. 28, 2022, he continued his daily practice on this day too at Yongheungsa Temple in Damyang.

Reminding himself of his initial resolve to dedicate himself to reinvigorating Korean Buddhism based on communicating to others with a genuine heart and propagating the dharma with faith, he offered prostrations again today. His prostration practice, which took about 15 minutes, came to a close in accordance with the dharma. Afterward, Ven. Jinwoo gave a short dharma talk, his way of sharing his feelings on his 200th day on the job. He emphasized, “108-prostrations practice is a time to reflect on oneself. Buddhas are seen only by other buddhas. Likewise, the world is at peace only when one is at peace.”

Upon finishing his prostrations, Ven. Jinwoo visited the Faith and Practice Society of Compassion (FPSC) in Dong-gu, Gwangju, and created a special memory for 30 students participating in the Narsha Saturday Learning Class. “Narsha” is a native Korean term meaning “to soar high,” a name chosen by the FPSC—a major lay Buddhist organization that represents the faith and practice of devotees in southwestern Korea—out of their desire for students to soar as high as their dreams.

The day’s menu was square bread pizza. Ven. Jinwoo prepared diverse ingredients and spread pizza sauce on the bread together with the students while sharing animated conversation. Also participating in this joyful occasion were other monastics on administrative duty, including the heads of the general affairs office, planning office, cultural affairs office, and business office.

After receiving a cake and a bouquet of flowers to celebrate his 200th day on the job, both presented by the FPSC, Ven. President Jinwoo said, “By introducing Seon and meditation into the daily life of citizens, I will help them gain peace and tranquility of mind. By putting the plans I have prepared into concrete action, I will contribute to the reinvigoration of Korean Buddhism.”

Before the program at FPSC went into full swing, Ven. Jinwoo donated 20 million won to support FPSC’s activities, along with his encouragement, and gave presents to 100 children and youth, including Crocs brand shoes.

Ven. Jinwoo continued: “To have peace of mind, Buddhism must progress further. I will develop and distribute a standard meditation program for the Jogye Order based on Seon practice so that it can be more easily applied in daily life. For the past 200 days, I have prepared diligently to address diverse areas.” He also resolved, “As a dharma propagator, I will faithfully do my share to ensure the future prosperity of Korean Buddhism.”

The students who had helped make pizza with Ven. Jinwoo shared their feelings, saying, “Because this was our first time making pizza, we were a little worried it might not turn out well, but it turned out better than we expected. We had a good time with the Venerable.” Other students added, “We want to cook together with monastics in the next cooking class too. We appreciate that he came in person to our class today.”