Soothing the Buddha's Heart, President Moon... "An Era of Harmony and Integration" (Comprehensive)

First Attendance at the Ceremony for the Appointment of the Supreme Patriarch as an Incumbent
Seemingly Aware of the 'Buddhism Neglect Controversy' and 'Jeong Cheong-rae's Outrageous Remarks'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, along with First Lady Kim Jung-sook, attended the ceremony honoring the 15th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, 'Jungbong Seongpa Daejongsa,' held at Jogyesa Temple on the afternoon of the 30th.

This is the first time President Moon has attended the Supreme Patriarch inauguration ceremony while in office. During the Lunar New Year holiday, only the First Lady visited Seongpa Daejongsa at Yangsan Tongdosa Temple to offer New Year's greetings and congratulations on the Supreme Patriarch's inauguration.

At the ceremony, President Moon delivered a congratulatory speech, stating, "Jungbong Seongpa Daejongsa has been inaugurated as the 15th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. I sincerely congratulate him with both hands joined."

President Moon said, "His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch has practiced the unity of Seonnong (Zen and farming) and Seonye (Zen and art), demonstrating that work and practice, life and art, nature and culture are never separate. He made traditional jang (fermented sauces) with the sunlight and wind of our mountains and fields, and crafted 16,000 ceramic Tripitaka Koreana tablets wishing for unification with our soil."

He also expressed gratitude for the Buddhist community's cooperation in COVID-19 prevention. President Moon emphasized, "Despite the pandemic, Buddhism practiced the spirit of compassion for all beings and lit a beacon of hope for the people. They made the noble decision to cancel the millennium-old Lotus Lantern Festival, and through generous donations, sharing, and volunteering, warmly held the hands of exhausted citizens and medical staff."

He added, "Following the teachings of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch, I earnestly hope our society moves beyond conflict and confrontation toward an era of harmony and integration," and "I hope he continues to provide much guidance to this country and society."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon's attendance at the inauguration ceremony for Jungbong Seongpa Daejongsa is analyzed as an effort to dispel previous 'religious bias' controversies and to consider the strained relationship between the ruling party and the Buddhist community.

The Buddhist community has long expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the Moon administration of favoring President Moon's religion, Catholicism. A representative example of this 'religious bias' was the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's budget support for a 'carol distribution campaign' ahead of last year's Christmas.

Additionally, last year, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae faced strong backlash from the Buddhist community after referring to Buddhism as 'Bongyi Kim Seondal.' In January, at the National Monk Assembly held at Jogyesa Temple, complaints about the Moon administration's 'religious bias' were voiced extensively.

A senior Blue House official said, "Seongpa Daejongsa is also the head monk of Tongdosa Temple, and I understand there have been various connections before," adding, "(The conflict between the Democratic Party and the Buddhist community) was likely taken into consideration."