Yale University has received a US$1 million donation from the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist order in South Korea, to support its Buddhist studies program. The contribution, received on 10 October, marks a significant milestone as the largest donation the Jogye Order has made to a foreign institution and the first time that the order has made a funding contribution to an overseas university.
The donation stems from the Jogye Order’s relationship with Hwansoo Kim, professor of Korean Buddhism and Culture at Yale. Prof. Kim, who became a monk in the Jogye Order at the age of 15, has maintained strong ties with the organization. The university said that the donation would be used to sponsor workshops, conferences, and events, and to bring in prominent speakers.
Prof. Kim has played a pivotal role in expanding Yale’s Buddhist Studies Initiative during his tenure as chair of the Council on East Asian Studies. “All my fellow monks and nuns know who I am and trust me to make good use of this,” he said. (Yale Daily News)
Prof. Kim explained that the Jogye Order had reached out to inquire about ways to support his academic work at Yale, particularly in the promotion of Korean Buddhism. He noted that the order had many priorities in Korea, making the investment all the more special. Prof. Kim added that the donation was part of the Jogye Order’s broader mission to internationalize its efforts.
A delegation of some 50 representatives from South Korea visited Yale for the donation ceremony, including Venerable Jinwoo, the head monk of the Jogye Order, and Prof. Jae-woong Yun, president of Dongguk University. The group was originally in the US to attend events in New York City, but decided to visit Yale to make the contribution after learning of the university’s plans to expand its Buddhist studies program. The 30-minute donation ceremony took place in the office of Yale’s president and was followed by a dinner hosted by MacMillan Center director Steven Wilkinson, attended by Yale professors and the visiting Korean delegation.
Following the ceremony, Ven. Jinwoo spoke at an event organized by the Yale Macmillan Center and the Council on East Asian Studies, discussing his journey as a Buddhist monk and the significance of the donation to the academic study of Buddhism in universities in the US. “Yale is one of the most prestigious universities in America, and Korean Buddhism, through Seon meditation, is working to spread the teachings of peace and happiness to everyone in the world,” said Ven. Jinwoo. (Yale Daily News)
Ven. Jinwoo also spoke on the importance of meditation and its practical applications in daily life. He encouraged students to integrate Seon meditation into their daily routines and led a five-minute silent meditation.
The following day, Ven. Jinwoo traveled to the United Nations to advocate for the establishment of a World Meditation Day, emphasizing his desire for all people to find peace and freedom from suffering: “In my approach to life, instead of living with both happiness and unhappiness, I chose to be free from both and be at peace. I am at peace anytime and anywhere.” (Yale Daily News)
Associate professor of religious studies and coordinator of the Buddhist Studies Initiative at Yale, Eric Greene, highlighted the broader academic significance of the donation. Prof. Greene noted that historically, relatively little attention had been given to the study of Asian religions, particularly Korean Buddhism, in the US. “Although Buddhist studies is only one part of this,” Greene wrote, “my hope is that by growing Buddhist studies at Yale, we can help contribute to making these fields of study more prominent at both the scholarly level and the level of undergraduate teaching.” (Yale Daily News)
The study of Buddhism at Yale has deep roots that date to the 19th century, but the addition of the new donation from the Jogye Order is expected to significantly enhance the university’s ability to advance the study of Korean Buddhism specifically, as well as Asian religious traditions more broadly.
See more
Yale receives $1 million donation for Buddhist Studies (Yale Daily News)
Buddhist Studies Initiative (MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale)
[Korea Beyond Korea] Buddhism scholar committed to expanding Korean studies at Yale (The Korean Herald)
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