Chapter 2. Establishment of the Institutions Working Toward the Objectives
3. Establishing the Three S?n Centers and Scholarship Projects
At the meeting of the Association of Ordained Clergy in January of the fortieth year of Won-Buddhism 40 (1955), three Sŏn Centers, under the direct supervision of the General Headquarters, were established and publicly announced. It was decided that the Advanced Sŏn Center in Iri, which had been established in June of the thirty-eighth year of Won- Buddhism (1953), would be transformed into the Dongsan Sŏn Center, the General Headquarters Sŏn Center would be renamed the Central Sŏn Center, and Yeongsan Institute would change its name to the Yeongsan Sŏn Center. Three Sŏn centers would be placed under the direct control of the General Headquarters to develop them into the base of operations for producing religious workers for the new Order. Hence, the Dongsan Sŏn Center first operated with Yi Wunkwon as its first director, (the former deputy director of the Advanced Sŏn Center). The first students of the Center graduated in March Won-Buddhist year 40. Afterwards, Jo Jeonkwon and Ahn Yijeong succeeded to the directorship. It continued to provide training in meditation, and every year produced ordained workers for the new Order. This was also done at the Won-Buddhism Department of Won-kwang University. The Central Sŏn Center, with Yi Wunkwon as its first director (who concurrently directed the Dongsan Sŏn Center), maintained its old system until Won-Buddhist year 42 (1957), when Yi Wancheol was appointed as the head director. On November 6th, it held its first pre-training ceremony. The basis for the Order`s independent maintenance and operation did not take root due to financial difficulty. Thus, it suspended operations and reopening did not occur until it was merged with the Dongsan Sŏn Center. From Won-Buddhist year 54 (1969), it maintained its minimal existence as a residential Sŏn center within the General Headquarters compound, and later evolved into the Central Training Center. The Yeongsan Sŏn Center was not inaugurated until Won- Buddhist year 47 (1962), due to necessary restoration work caused by war devastation and the Jeongkwanpyeong re-embankment. When the Yeongsan District restored the system in the form of an institution, Ahn Yijeong was appointed as the first director, in Won-Buddhist year 49 (1964). The Center opened as a Sŏn center offering dual agricultural training programs at the intermediate and advanced level. Then, in Won-Buddhist year 54 (1969), O Jongtae, the second director, by combining the two programs into one, opened a way for the trainees to progress to the advanced level Sŏn center, thus contributing to the training of the religious workers. Meanwhile, in April of the forty-second year of Won- Buddhism (1957), the Won-Buddhist Scholarship Foundation was inaugurated. The Order`s long-term wish to train the talented to become workers for the Order, since its early years, began with the activities of the Founding Group for the Education Department in Won-Buddhist year 12 (1927). This was followed by the Rules and Regulations of the Order established in Won-Buddhist year 19. These Rules and Regulations stipulated that the Education Department was one of the ten departments to have an agency whose sole purpose was to raise funds for education. However, due to the turbulent state of affairs at that time, the results fell short of expectations, and the Department was excluded from the Order`s list of organs in Won-Buddhist year 27 (1942). Since then, as the schools` and the Sŏn centers` activities of raising and training the religious workers gradually progressed, a scholarship foundation came to be established. With the revision of the Constitution (Won-Buddhist year 44 [1959]), the Department of Education (with Seo Daein as the department head) was reinstated, and the education and scholarship endeavor gained strength. Through his thank you speech, delivered at the inauguration ceremony for the Foundation, Head Dharma Master Chŏngsan said: "The Chu Dynasty was said to have cherished only the benevolent. Let us raise and train our fellow brethren who possess deep faith and devoted public spirit and truly cherish them as the treasures of our eternal work and the assets of the Order." In Won-Buddhist year 43 (1958), Kim Hyeonkwan of Mokpo, out of his desire to further the educational endeavors, began a large-scale ginseng farm in Sugye Farm as a yearly program. The profits from this went towards establishing Eunsan Educational Foundation in May Won- Buddhist year 46 (1961). In October of that year, the Articles of the Won-Buddhist Educational Foundation were enacted. This was followed by the formation of a substantially large-scale scholarship foundation through a campaign to enlist members for the foundation. In May Won-Buddhist year 47 (1962), the Board of Trustees of the Won-Buddhist Educational Foundation (with Kim Donghyeon as its chairman) was formed to continuously support the Order`s grand long-term education and scholarship programs.
The History of Won-Buddhism (Wonbulgyo Kyosa)
Part 3. Fruition of the Sacred Work
Chapter 2. Establishment of the Institutions Working Toward the Objectives
3. Establishing the Three S?n Centers and Scholarship Projects
At the meeting of the Association of Ordained Clergy in January of the fortieth year of ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhism 40 (1955), three ita_tSŏnitb_t Centers, under the direct supervision of the General Headquarters, were established and publicly announced. It was decided that the Advanced ita_tSŏnitb_t Center in Iri, which had been established in June of the thirty-eighth year of ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t- Buddhism (1953), would be transformed into the Dongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center, the General Headquarters ita_tSŏnitb_t Center would be renamed the Central ita_tSŏnitb_t Center, and Yeongsan Institute would change its name to the Yeongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center. Three ita_tSŏnitb_t centers would be placed under the direct control of the General Headquarters to develop them into the base of operations for producing religious workers for the new Order.-br-Hence, the Dongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center first operated with Yi Wunkwon as its first director, (the former deputy director of the Advanced ita_tSŏnitb_t Center). The first students of the Center graduated in March ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 40. Afterwards, Jo Jeonkwon and Ahn Yijeong succeeded to the directorship. It continued to provide training in meditation, and every year produced ordained workers for the new Order. This was also done at the ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhism Department of ita_tWonitb_t-kwang University. The Central ita_tSŏnitb_t Center, with Yi Wunkwon as its first director (who concurrently directed the Dongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center), maintained its old system until ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 42 (1957), when Yi Wancheol was appointed as the head director. On November 6th, it held its first pre-training ceremony. The basis for the Order`s independent maintenance and operation did not take root due to financial difficulty. Thus, it suspended operations and reopening did not occur until it was merged with the Dongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center. From ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 54 (1969), it maintained its minimal existence as a residential ita_tSŏnitb_t center within the General Headquarters compound, and later evolved into the Central Training Center.-br-The Yeongsan ita_tSŏnitb_t Center was not inaugurated until ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t- Buddhist year 47 (1962), due to necessary restoration work caused by war devastation and the Jeongkwanpyeong re-embankment. When the Yeongsan District restored the system in the form of an institution, Ahn Yijeong was appointed as the first director, in ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 49 (1964). The Center opened as a ita_tSŏnitb_t center offering dual agricultural training programs at the intermediate and advanced level. Then, in ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 54 (1969), O Jongtae, the second director, by combining the two programs into one, opened a way for the trainees to progress to the advanced level ita_tSŏnitb_t center, thus contributing to the training of the religious workers.-br-Meanwhile, in April of the forty-second year of ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t- Buddhism (1957), the ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist Scholarship Foundation was inaugurated. The Order`s long-term wish to train the talented to become workers for the Order, since its early years, began with the activities of the Founding Group for the Education Department in ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 12 (1927). This was followed by the Rules and Regulations of the Order established in ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 19. These Rules and Regulations stipulated that the Education Department was one of the ten departments to have an agency whose sole purpose was to raise funds for education. However, due to the turbulent state of affairs at that time, the results fell short of expectations, and the Department was excluded from the Order`s list of organs in ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 27 (1942). Since then, as the schools` and the ita_tSŏnitb_t centers` activities of raising and training the religious workers gradually progressed, a scholarship foundation came to be established. With the revision of the Constitution (ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 44 [1959]), the Department of Education (with Seo Daein as the department head) was reinstated, and the education and scholarship endeavor gained strength. Through his thank you speech, delivered at the inauguration ceremony for the Foundation, Head Dharma Master Chŏngsan said: "The Chu Dynasty was said to have cherished only the benevolent. Let us raise and train our fellow brethren who possess deep faith and devoted public spirit and truly cherish them as the treasures of our eternal work and the assets of the Order."-br-In ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 43 (1958), Kim Hyeonkwan of Mokpo, out of his desire to further the educational endeavors, began a large-scale ginseng farm in Sugye Farm as a yearly program. The profits from this went towards establishing Eunsan Educational Foundation in May ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t- Buddhist year 46 (1961). In October of that year, the Articles of the ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist Educational Foundation were enacted. This was followed by the formation of a substantially large-scale scholarship foundation through a campaign to enlist members for the foundation. In May ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist year 47 (1962), the Board of Trustees of the ita_tita_tWonitb_titb_t-Buddhist Educational Foundation (with Kim Donghyeon as its chairman) was formed to continuously support the Order`s grand long-term education and scholarship programs.
