Buddhist ritual performed at Catholic cathedral compound

UCANews, April 24, 2006

SEOUL, South Korea -- The performance of a Buddhist dance ritual in the heart of the Korean Catholic Church added a new dimension to interreligious understanding and dialogue between the two communities.

<< Bara or the "cymbal dance" is part of the Yeongsanjae ritual

Pyeonghwa Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), the cable TV station run by Seoul Archdiocese, invited Buddhists to perform the Yeongsanjae ritual at Coste Hall in the Myongdong Cathedral compound on April 19. The performance was part of a mostly musical program for an audience of about 200 Buddhists and Catholics.

It marked the first time that Myongdong Cathedral has held such a Buddhist ritual in its compound, according to the cathedral office. Program producer Michael Sung Suk-ho told UCA News the Yeongsanjae was arranged for the occasion of Vesak, the holiday commemorating Buddha's birth. This year Korean Buddhists will celebrate Vesak on May 5.

"Buddhists and Catholics have exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasions of Vesak, Easter and Christmas in recent years. I hope this will be another chance to acknowledge and understand other religions," Sung said. According to the producer, the idea of presenting the Buddhist ritual drew good support from senior PBC staff. The cable station plans to broadcast the performance April 30-May 3.

Yeongsanjae, a local tradition, re-enacts Buddha's teaching of the Lotus Sutra some 2,600 years ago. Commonly performed with the intention of easing the passage of the dead into paradise, the ritual has been designated an Intangible Cultural Asset by the government, the 50th such designation.

The ritual includes Bara, performed by monks and known as the "cymbal dance," Nabi, performed by nuns and known as the butterfly dance, and Beopgo, the "big drum dance." The ritual usually takes a full day, but it was adjusted for a one-hour performance in the cathedral compound.

Venerable Daewoong, former head monk of Bongwonsa Temple in Seoul, said at the performance that Yeongsanjae shows the essence of Buddhist culture, so it is called the "flower of Buddhist ritual." Bongwonsa Temple has been designated as preserver and transmitter of this national cultural asset.

Father John Choi Ho-young, church music professor at Catholic University of Korea, underlined the significant of the performance at Myongdong Cathedral as an interreligious exchange.

"Korean Buddhism has a long history and Yeongsanjae encapsulates Buddhist culture. By experiencing the Buddhist ritual, Catholics can understand more about not only Buddhism but Korean culture," the priest told UCA News.

He added his hope that the church would have the chance to reciprocate. "It would be great if we could perform Gregorian chant at a Buddhist concert, he said. Father Choi studied organ music and Gregorian chant in Germany.

Venerable Unbong, who performed at the cathedral, told UCA News he was very pleased to show Buddhist culture to Catholics. The opportunity arose "thanks to the Catholic Church's open-mindedness," he said.

"It should not be a one-time event," continued the monk, who is secretary of Bongwonsa Temple. "I hope this kind of event will continue and be held regularly to deepen understanding of each other. I'll urge the Buddhist cable TV to invite a Catholic team in return."

Venerable Myoungkyu, a Buddhist nun also of Bongwonsa Temple, also praised the Catholic Church for its effort at interreligious dialogue.

A lay Buddhist devotee from the temple, Hwang Jeong-sook, told UCA News at the cathedral event: "It's good to see harmony among religions. Witnessing the effort for interreligious peace, I feel real peace in my mind."

A Catholic in the audience, Agapis Woo Nam-hee, admitted she is not familiar with Buddhist culture but said watching the performance was "meaningful."

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP