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Buddhist priests from S. Korea, China, Japan gather to pray for peace

November 19, 2014
Buddhist priests attending the 17th annual conference of Buddhists of South Korea, China and Japan march for peace on a road near South Korea's border with North Korea, waving a flag symbolizing a reunified Korea. (Yonhap)

Buddhist priests attending the 17th annual conference of Buddhists of South Korea, China and Japan march for peace on a road near South Korea’s border with North Korea, waving a flag symbolizing a reunified Korea. (Yonhap)

PAJU, South Korea (Yonhap) — Hundreds of Buddhist priests from South Korea, China and Japan prayed for peace on the Korean Peninsula during a joint religious service held at a place just south of the heavily armed inter-Korean border on Wednesday, organizers said.

Held at a lecture hall of the Dorasan Observatory overlooking the North Korean border town of Kaesong where the only South Korea-run industrial complex is located, the service was given in three different languages — Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

It was part of the 17th annual conference for goodwill exchanges between Buddhists from South Korea, China and Japan. The conference is being held in South Korea with some 350 Buddhist priests from the countries attending.

After the service, Buddhist leaders of the three countries issued their own messages for peace.

Participants then adopted a joint declaration vowing efforts to help promote peace on the peninsula and elsewhere in the world at the end of the event.

“We oppose any form of conflict and will make efforts to build a world of unity and peace and fully support the stability of Northeast Asia through the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas and the promotion of world peace,” they said in the declaration read by Venerable Jaseung, head of South Korea’s largest Buddhist order, Jogye, which led the South Korean delegation to the conference.

Before the joint service, participants marched along a 1-kilometer road from Imjingak, a park near the border, to a nearby bridge, waving a flag symbolizing a reunified Korea and praying for peace.

One Comment

  1. ven sumangal shramon ( bhikkhu)

    May 15, 2015 at 9:11 PM

    Dear Dharma friend
    How are you. I am buddhist monk of Bangladesh and lord abbot Khaiyakhali Ratnankur vihara. So I attend you conference. Thwnk you.
    Witb best regards and we remain
    Ven sumangal
    Info@krvihara.org

    Reply