Jogye Order head Ven. Jinwoo begins second term, vows to lead Buddhism 'into the age'

Ven. Jinwoo has formally begun his second term as head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

The Jogye Order held the inauguration gobul ceremony — a ritual in which the new leader reports his assumption of office to the Buddha — for its 38th head at Jogyesa in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Monday morning.

Ven. Jinwoo, who secured reelection in the head's election earlier this month, said in his gobulmun address that he was "taking a second step toward the revitalization of Buddhism and a new future, building on the achievements of the 37th administration."

He pledged to move beyond stability and transform Korean Buddhism into a faith that "leads the age," committing to build an order in which "every diocese is alive and breathing" and in which practice and the spread of the teachings stand on firm ground.

Ven. Jinwoo also promised to "advance toward a Buddhism that heals the suffering of the world and leads the times," adding that he would "build the future of Buddhism together with youth and illuminate the shadows of society through the practice of compassion."

A formal inauguration dharma assembly is scheduled at Jogyesa on Thursday. His term runs four years.