Others

Korea's largest Buddhist sect in chaos

Jogye Order wrestling with decades-old factional strife By Kang Hyun-kyungUnder the monster heat wave that has gripped the nation for weeks, Venerable Seoljo, 88, has gone on a hunger strike. His fast ― albeit he drinks water with bamboo salt ― marked its 40th day on Sunday.The senior monk's sit-in protest in a tent set up near Jogye Temple in central Seoul reflects the lingering factional strife inside the nation's largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order. Under the monster heat wave that has gripped the nation for weeks, Venerable Seoljo has gone on a hunger strike. / YonhapThe Jogye Order is poles apart as a few monastics who control the money and power inside the sect clash with the rest following the outbreak of the corruption scandals surrounding its President Seoljeong. Seoljeong, who is under fire for various allegations, and Venerable Seoljo are two iconic figures representing the two opposing factions. Being elected Jogye Order president last year, Seoljeong is portrayed as representing the mainstream and the vested interests of the sect, whereas Seoljo is a vocal critic

Vatican's envoy delivers pontiff's donation to support Yemeni refugees on Jeju

The Vatican's top envoy in South Korea has delivered Pope Francis's donation of 10,000 euros ($11,626) to a local bishop who has advocated for the rights of Yemeni asylum seekers on the southern resort island of Jeju, his office said Sunday.Archbishop Alfred Xuereb made an official visit to Jeju on Saturday to renew the pontiff's support for Bishop Peter Kang U-il, who has said that rejecting refugees and migrants amounts to a "crime that shuns the least responsibility one should take as a human being."During his first visit to the island since he took office in late May as the Vatican's apostolic nuncio for South Korea, Xuereb also met Yemeni refugees and celebrated a mass with the bishop at a cathedral."The purpose of his visit is to reiterate the will of Pope Francis, who wishes to uphold Bishop Kang U-il, who recently published a pastoral letter with regard to the 527 Yemeni refugees that arrived recently on the island, which is in perfect harmony with the Papal teachings and documents on refugees," Xuereb's office said in a press release.Pope Francis has been supporting refugees

DAILY FORTUNE - July 28, 2018

(384) Saju: Saju portrays many images

By Janet ShinSaju masters, if they are properly educated and trained, have an ability to visualize saju letters either by shapes and zodiac signs or by their intrinsic meanings that are interpreted by the analysis of yin, yang and the five elements. This often reveals vivid images about people's lives, including their appearance, occupation, residence, ancestors and even before their birth.A woman visited me to have her daughter's saju read. I plotted her saju and immediately found she was pretty before I got into a pensive topic. It was because her day master was representing a flower, yin wood, and another saju letter representing the sun, yang fire was shining next to the day master. It may sound trivial but can be a significant clue to untangle complicated problems.This kind of simple inference is available in various cases. A lady who wanted to participate in a beauty pageant asked me whether she could be a winner. My answer was no. She was obviously beautiful as her day master was yin metal, which symbolizes jewelry. Then a letter of yang fire illuminates the day master. Howeve

DAILY FORTUNE - July 27, 2018

DAILY FORTUNE - July 26, 2018

DAILY FORTUNE - July 25, 2018

DAILY FORTUNE - July 24, 2018

DAILY FORTUNE - July 23, 2018

34th day: Senior Buddhist monk on life-threatening hunger strike to fight corruption

Ven. Seoljo, 88, in Jogye temple in central Seoul, July 18. He has been on a hunger strike since June 20. / YonhapBy Park Si-soo A senior South Korean Buddhist monk has been on a hunger strike for more than a month, calling for the ousting of the “corrupt” chief of the nation's largest Buddhist sect Jogye and for the reform of the sect.Ven. Seoljo, 88, started the hunger protest in the compound of the Jogye temple in central Seoul on June 20. Sunday marked the 34th day of his protest. His health is reportedly satisfactory, but his supporters want him to end the protest because of his “declining vigor.” Many of the monk's followers have been staging candlelit vigils with him every Thursday and Friday. Jogye temple and its scandal-hit chief, Ven. Seoljeong, remain calm. Jogye has fallen into an internal dispute since October with allegations that Ven. Seoljeong, who was then running for Jogye sect's top job, had fabricated his academic background and even had a “hidden” daughter. After being elected as Jogye chief, Ven. Seoljeong admitted a “pa