Greetings.
I am delighted to welcome you to “An Encounter with Korean Traditional Buddhist Culture,” our fifth such event in New York since the first one in 2010. On behalf of the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, we have been sharing various aspects and celebrated features of Korean Buddhist culture through our Templestay program and Korean temple food events. Through Templestay, guests can experience the daily lives of practitioners in mountain temples that still preserve the vitality of Korean Buddhism’s 1,700 years of history and its culture. Guests can also taste the flavors and wisdom of Korean temple food that have been passed down over a millennium. I hope that cultural exchange between the U.S. and South Korea are revitalized through our events in New York City, the center of art and culture. Furthermore, I pray for the return of your vibrant daily life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ven. Wongyeong
Director of the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism
Who Operates Our Programs.
Ven. Jeong Kwan
(Abbess of Cheonjinam Hermitage, Baekyangsa Temple)
Known as “the Philosopher Chef,” according to a New York Times article in 2015, Jeong Kwan is a master of temple food, as designated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. She has received worldwide attention since her appearance in Netflix’s Chef’s Table Season 3. Recently, she received the prestigious Icon Award – Asia 2022.
Ven. Jigyeon
(Abbess of Wolmyeongsa Temple)
As a temple food specialist and abbess of Wolmyeongsa Temple in Chungju City, Jigyeon has been sharing her temple food with senior citizens in the local community, as well as the general public. She is the author of the cookbook Jigyeon’s Easy Vegetarian Kitchen (published in Korean).
Ven. Deung Gwang
(The Supervisor of the Templestay Integrated Information Center)
Deung Gwang Snim instructs the several experience activity programs in the Templestay Integrated Information Center.(e.g. Teatime&conversation with the monk, Making a lotus lantern, Making Buddhist prayer beads, etc.)
Photographer Ha Ji-kwon
With his deep connection to Korean Buddhism, he has participated in innumerable photography projects on traditional Korean temples. He was in charge of photography for the preparation stage of “Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea” to be registered on the UNESCO World Heritage, in addition to photographing for diverse books and magazines related to Buddhism.
01
The 5th Encounter with
Korean Traditional Buddhist Culture in NY
(Since 2010)
August 27 and 28, 2022
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
What You Can Experience
Photo Exhibition
Experience traditional Korean Buddhist culture through this photography exhibition. Comprised of 50 photographs, this exhibition features diverse photos on various themes, including full views of Korean mountain temples, traditional architecture, and sansa—Korean Buddhist mountain monasteries registered on the UNESCO World Heritage.
Baru Gongyang Workshop & Temple Food Sampling
Experience the culture and philosophy of Korean temple food right here in New York City! Ven. Jeong Kwan, who appeared in Netflix’s Chef’s Table, leads the Baru Gongyang Workshop, the formal monastic meal culture of Buddhist practitioners, which has been preserved to this day. Ven. Jigyeon, an expert in temple food, leads the temple food sampling sessions. Come taste Korean temple food full of healthy ingredients and culture!
Buddhist Cultural Experience
Experience traditional Korean Buddhist culture by participating in diverse activities, including sutra copying and making paper lotus flowers. Create your own beautiful memories through programs guided by monastic and lay
Buddhists from diverse Korean temples in the New York area and from the Korean Templestay Information Center in Seoul.
Buddhist Media Content Screening
Of the two videos to be screened, Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temple is a documentary film featuring monastic and lay Buddhists on a pilgrimage to three traditional Korean monasteries that represent the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (monks and nuns). Scenes of the solemn pilgrimage and various aspects of Buddhism are presented in the video. In addition, we will show The Flower Garland Ocean, a special production by the National Museum of Korea.
Day 1, August 27
| Time | Description | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 10 AM | Greetings and Introduction to the Photo Exhibition | Ribbon cutting ceremony |
| 11 AM | Temple Food Sampling | Ven. Jigyeon |
| 12 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
| 2 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
| 3 PM | Temple Food Sampling | Ven. Jigyeon |
| 5 PM | Temple Food Sampling | Ven. Jeong Kwan |
| 6 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
Day 2, August 28
| Time | Description | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11 AM | Baru Gongyang Workshop & Temple Food Sampling(Baru gongyang refers to a formal monastic meal) |
Ven. Jeong Kwan |
| 2 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
| 3:30 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
| 5 PM | Temple Food Sampling | Ven. Jigyeon |
| 6 PM | Screenings of two videos: Pilgrimage to Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and The Flower Garland Ocean |
Buddhist cultural experience |
02
Korean Templestay in NY
For the Tourism Industry on August 25
For College Students on August 28
At Wonkaksa Temple
WHAT IS TEMPLESTAY
Templestay is a traditional culture experience program presenting the opportunity to live the daily life of a practitioner in a mountain temple where the 1,700-year-old history and culture of Korean Buddhism are alive.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
| Time | Main Content |
|---|---|
| 09:30 – 11:10 AM | Travel from the meeting place (32nd St. and 6th Ave., Manhattan) to Wonkaksa |
| 11:10-11:45 AM | Information session (uniforms handed out) |
| 11:45-12 PM | Opening ceremony and introduction to Wonkaksa |
| 12-12:30 PM | |
| 12:30-1:30 PM | Baru Gongyang (Lunch) |
| 1:30-2:00 PM | Temple tour and walking meditation in the temple compound |
| 2:00-2:30 PM | Buddhist practice experience |
| 2:30-3:10 PM | Teatime with monks |
| 3:10-3:20 PM | Review of the day and photo session |
| 4:00 PM- | Travel from Wonkaksa to the meeting place (32nd St. and 6th Ave., Manhattan) |
03
Korean Temple Food Pop-up Restaurant
August 29, 2022
Oiji Mi
17 W 19th St., New York, NY 10011
What is Korean Temple Food?
Temple food, which has been passed down for a millennium,is spreading the philosophy of healthy food culture and respect for life through the taste and wisdom of practitioners.
Balwoo Gongyang Korean Temple Food Specialty Restaurant
Balwoo Gongyang is a temple food specialty restaurant directlyoperated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism to more widely introduce Korean temple food culture to the public. Balwoo Gongyang serves dishes strictly prepared according to traditional recipes passed down in temples, which have become popular as a healthy food that heals the body and mind of modern people suffering from stress.
SESSION SCHEDULE
| Session | Time | Description | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | 12:00~1:30 PM | Led by a culinary team from Balwoo Gongyang (temple food specialty restaurant in Seoul) |
General Public (up to 40 guests) |
| Session 2 | 2:30~4:00 PM | Led by Jeong Kwan, Master of Korean Temple Food | Local chefs and media (Invitation Only) |
04
Templestay & Temple Food Booths
at 2022 Discover Your Korea!
August 22 – 23, 2022
Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal
(East 42nd St. and Park Ave.)
CONTENT
- Temple Food Talk Show, Cooking Demonstration, and Sampling Led by Venerable Jeong Kwan, Master of Korean Temple Food At 12 PM on August 22 and 23
- Information on Templestay and Korean Temple Food
- Traditional arts and crafts programs, including lotus flower making and traditional pattern coloring
