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Venerable Ji-kwan Passes Away At the Age of 79

Arirang News, Jan 3, 2012

Seoul, South Korea -- A revered Buddhist monk here in Korea, the Venerable Ji-kwan, has passed away at the age of 79 after battling chronic asthma for many years.

A former chief executive of the largest Buddhist sect in the country, the Jogye Order, Venerable Ji-kwan died late Monday evening at Gyeongguk temple in Seoul.

The Buddhist monk had been under medical treatment since September as his health rapidly deteriorated with age.

Venerable Ji-kwan was known as a studying monk in Korean Buddhism who founded the Kasan Institute of Buddhist Culture, a research institute dedicated to the study of Buddhism and devoting most of his life to publishing Buddhist books.

A memorial altar will be set up at the Haeinsa temple in South Gyeongsang province later this morning and a cremation rite will be held on the 8th of this month.

About Ven Ji Kwan

Ven. Ji-Kwan was born Dec. 9, 1932 and entered into the priesthood at Haein-sa Temple in South Gyeongsang Province in 1947. He served as head monk at the temple from 1970 to 1972 and has worked as a professor of Dongguk University. He was also president of the university for four years from 1986.

Ven. Ji Kwan became the 32nd top administrator of the Jogye Order, Korea's biggest Buddhist order in 2005, winning a majority 165 votes out of the order's 320 representatives.

Ven. Ji Kwan led the Jogye Order for the next four years, following his predecessor Ven. Bub Jang, who died of heart attack in September 2005.

The nation's largest religious sect runs 2,000 temples, with 15,000 Buddhist monks and nuns and around 8 million followers, making it the nation's largest religious sect. Buddhism is the biggest religion in Korea.

Related article: Buddhist Leader Stressed Simpler Lifestyle, Mind



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