"Those who light a lantern for oneself will be entrapped in darkness, but those who light a lantern for others will be considered to have done it for Buddha and the Bodhisattvas," said the Venerable Jinje, the lead monk of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, on May 25 during the celebration marking the 2559th birthday of Buddha. He emphasized the importance of a life dedicated to helping others. "We should light one lantern to pray for unification on the Korean Peninsula and world peace, one more lantern to share the sorrows of our neighbors and another one for all the lives in the Land of Bliss, to make shine with beautiful lanterns the path that Buddha will follow," he prayed.





The Ven. Jaseung, chief of the Jogye Order, said, "This year marks the 70th year of the nation's independence and, at the same time, of its separation. We should do our best to build mutual trust through dialogue and exchanges, and to be united as one." He also asked people to pray for and send heartwarming messages to the people of Nepal who were recently plunged into deep sorrow.



A congratulatory message was also delivered on behalf of President Park. In it, she said, "Buddhism has led to the development of the national spirit and to our true ethnicity, based on mercy and the theory of harmonizing different concepts, ever since its arrival in Korea some 1,700 years ago. When the nation was going through hardship, Buddhism played a central role in encouraging the determination of our people to rise above our difficulties."

She emphasized that, "I believe that we can create a new era, full of dreams, when all Buddhists unite their minds together and try to become one. I would like to ask you to gather wisdom and power by reconciling it with the mercy and peace given by Buddha and his modest teachings. These will help us move forward into a bright future."

By Jeon Han, Lee Seung-ah
Photo: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr