Monk Gyeongu announces bid for Jogye Order chief, vows decentralized management

Monk Gyeongu, the head of Seonun Temple, has officially declared his candidacy for the 38th Chief Administrative Officer of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. At a press conference held at the Korean Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall in Seoul, Gyeongu announced his intention to usher in an era of significant advancement for Korean Buddhism, working alongside monks and laypeople.

A core tenet of Gyeongu's platform is the establishment of a decentralized, temple-centric joint management system. He stated his commitment to creating an operational framework for the order that is based on consensus and cooperation, drawing upon the collective intelligence of senior monks and temple heads. "We will establish a temple-centric joint management system based on the collective wisdom of the heads of regional temples and other esteemed monks," Gyeongu said. He aims to address the limitations of current management, where authority is concentrated, and ensure that the wishes of the monastic community are broadly reflected.

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We will establish a temple-centric joint management system based on the collective wisdom of the heads of regional temples and other esteemed monks.

To achieve this decentralization, Gyeongu plans to enact regional temple laws to realize a "locally-empowered regional temple autonomy system." This includes transferring powers such as appointing heads of subordinate temples to the regional temples themselves. He also outlined plans for both short-term and long-term strategies to bolster regional temple finances, enabling each region to lead in practice, propagation, and teaching within their local areas.

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The public is weary from their difficult lives and desperately seeks new spiritual values. Facing this stern era's questions, our order cannot remain in yesterday's position.

Gyeongu also emphasized the importance of inheriting traditional meditative practices and improving the environment for spiritual training. His proposals include establishing a meditation support fund, modernizing monastic facilities, and creating an international center for GanhwaSeon (contemplative meditation). He aims to spread the Jogye Order's traditional meditative heritage as a form of "spiritual culture" for the nation through the popularization of Seon culture.

Further initiatives include expanding the participation of nuns in the order's affairs, promoting digital innovation, and enhancing Buddhist cultural content. Gyeongu plans to increase opportunities for nuns to participate in ceremonies and administrative roles, and to formalize policy consultations with the National Association of Nuns. He also proposed establishing a dedicated department for nuns within the order and developing a unified temple IT system, an AI policy committee, and an AI-powered archive of Buddhist scriptures. Additionally, he pledged to improve systems related to traditional temples and cultural heritage, such as designating religious land for core preservation areas of historic temples, abolishing self-funded contributions for temple repairs, and converting cultural property entrance fees into preservation funds. His 12 major policy pledges also encompass youth outreach, strengthening monastic welfare, fostering Buddhist cultural content, and promoting K-Buddhism globally.

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We will build a 'temple of consensus and communication' that gathers the will of the disciples and a 'temple of trust' based on transparency, and vigorously build the next 100 years of Korean Buddhism.