Buddhist Diplomacy: History And Status Quo. - USC Center on ...

34 BUDDHIST DIPLOMACY: HISTORY AND STATUS QUO1. The Jogye Order’s <strong>Buddhist</strong> diplomacy initiativesSince 2011, South Korea’s largest <strong>Buddhist</strong> sect Jogye Order hasbeen actively globalizing Korean Buddhism through overseas visitsand the establishment of administrative networks in the world. Itsleader Ven. Jaseung consciously related Korea’s <strong>Buddhist</strong> diplomacyto South Korea’s nation branding. He said, “if Korean Buddhismwas known to the world, the national brand and status could bespontaneously uplifted together”. 140 He told the media at a pressconference in Paris that the Order would concentrate on promotingKorean Buddhism to the world through a long-term plan to come tofruition either 10 to 20 years or 40 to 50 years later. 141The Jogye Order attempts to differentiate Korean Buddhismfrom Japanese Zen and Chinese Chan by promoting Korea’s SeonBuddhism (Zen). 142 One of Korea’s eminent monks argued that“Korean Seon Buddhism preserves the original form of the traditionalBuddhism more than any other.... Now it is the right time to promoteour Seon culture to the world”. 143 The Jogye Order aspires to thesuccess of Tibetan Buddhism and is trying to adopt its propagationmodel. For example, Dharma talks by the masters of the Order havebeen translated and published in English, edited by English speakingmonks and Korean experts. 144According to the Korea Times, the Jogye Order has provided asmuch as $100,000 in grants to attract foreign students majoring inKorean studies and foreign monks to practice Korean Buddhism.Other programs include setting up a school of Zen named afteran eminent Korean monk, assimilating and training foreign-bornmonks, meeting with UNESCO officials to promote Korean <strong>Buddhist</strong>cultural heritage such as the lotus lantern festival, performingKorean <strong>Buddhist</strong> rituals and music on foreign university campuses,and founding a temple led by non-Korean monks with the purposeto serve as a bridge between Korean Buddhism and the West. 145The Order also plans to open the first temple food restaurant on therooftop at Galeries Lafayette in Paris to globalize Korean <strong>Buddhist</strong>temple cuisine. It has held seminars on temple food in the U.S.