“Meditate! Walk on DMZ (from left) Sr. Monk Sonsa, Sr. Monk Azan Bram, Sr. Monk Azan Kanha representing Taiwan, Sr.Monk Heiguk, Monk Kaksan

“Let’s Sow The Seeds for Peace,” shouted the monks from all over the world as they took a walk along the Demilitarized Zone near Paju, Gyeonggi Province. They were participating in the 2018 World Meditation for Peace on Oct. 13.

For the Korean side, Senior Monk Heiguk, the President of the Zen Institute at Seokjong Temple in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, and Senior Monk Gaksan, president of the True Zen Buddhist Institute, participated in the global Buddhist event designed to pray for peace on the Korean peninsula and in the world.

Monk Azan Kanha, in his sermon, said we can help spread world peace by preaching benevolence as much as we can around the world, although there may be huge sacrifices. But we can achieve both peace and benevolence around the world, when we continue to preach benevolence.

A country like Korea needs benevolence more than any other nation because it is divided into north and south. He said. An his sermon, Monk Heiguk recalled that Buddha said an elephant or dove, myself and other humans have the same precious lives, making them precious beings.

 
“We can redefine the principle of equality from the Buddha’s teachings and forget about the desire and obsession and shape up to be able to truly sow the seeds for peace,” he said.
He added: Buddha taught that the life that never dies is a shortcut to a true peace, and any Buddhist followers who believe in the Buddha’s words already have his blessings.

The senior monk said with today’s Buddhist teachings in mind, all should continue to pursue Buddhism, sow the seeds for world peace and welcome its achievement.

Some 5,000 civilians and Buddhist followers participated in the walk and the prayer session for world peace in the DMZ for about two hours, including a visit to the Ecological Exploration Road near the Imjin River on this side of the military demarcation line not far from Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Senior Monk Kaksan said the living is called a rough sea in Buddhism, but in paradise, too, having too much greed is considered a sin. As reaching peace freed from an agony, we should turn the Imjin River into a river of peace by praying for peace all the time, no longer as a symbol of division.

The global Buddhist event will move to the Hi-One Resort in Kangwon Land in Jeongson, Gangwon Province and continue its schedule until Oct. 16.

The remaining schedule included senior monks teaching the Buddhist followers the best way to pray, Buddhist sermons and discussion sessions.

North Korea has decided to support a proposed walk across the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas by prominent women, including Gloria Steinem, and organizers say they hope South Korea will give its approval as well.

Co-organizer Christine Ahn told the Associated Press that North Korea gave its permission this week after she visited Pyongyang. The walk proposed for May 24 is a call for reunification of the two countries.

The DMZ is the world’s most fortified border, with the two Koreas still technically at war. The walk would mark the 70th anniversary of the division of the Korean peninsula.

The walk would include two Nobel Peace laureates, and Ahn says North Korean women would walk with the group from Pyongyang to the DMZ.

Organizers of the effort called WomenCrossDMZ.org have said they hope for 30 women to cross from North Korea to South Korea on May 24, which is International Women’s Day for Disarmament.