May 2, 2011
South Korean boys usually have their head shaved by senior Buddhist monks wearing the red-yellow or grey robes. Some boys have a happy time while others cannot help crying.
Twelve children will stay at the Jogye temple to learn about Buddhism for twenty days ahead of celebrations for Buddha's birthday on May 10, according to AFP.
There are more than 3,000 branch temples and Buddhist centers in twenty five districts nationwide (as cited at http://www.buddhism.org). More than 90 percent of the 870 traditional temples belong to the Jogye Order.
Most of them are supported by the Korean government. These temples house over 65 percent of the country's national and local treasures.
Various programs are held for laypeople. Different teaching and training programs are provided for them as well. Children, teenagers, young as well as older adults play an important role in the temples and their existence.
Focusing on inner peace through meditation, Jogye Buddhism did not flourish much during the Joseon Dynasty when Confucianism dominated (as cited at http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org).
Jogye Buddhism was also influenced by Japanese Buddhism when Japan tried to conquer Korea to include Korea in its map.
Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea, has a population of more than ten million, according to wikipedia website. It is also one of the world's largest cities.
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