Three nights and four days of practical training in Gongju in October, from hwadu Seon meditation to sound meditation — applications close on 30 September
The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Future Office will hold a Seon meditation instructor training course at the Korea Cultural Training Centre in Gongju from 6 to 9 October. The course is part of preparations for the globalisation of Seon meditation and aims to strengthen the practical teaching abilities of instructors who will lead Seon meditation programmes.
After four years of popularising Seon meditation, the focus turns to training instructors
Seon meditation is an initiative led by Venerable Ilgam, secretary-general of the Jogye Order’s Future Office, and has become a core project of the order since Venerable Jinwoo took office as its 37th executive head. It presents ganhwa Seon, a distinctive practice of Korean Buddhism, in the language of the modern age, placing greater emphasis on stopping thoughts than on immersion in a hwadu, or meditation topic. According to material published by the Jogye Order’s Future Office, the practice is rooted in Buddhism’s middle-way principle: when the mind, clouded by greed and anger, is calmed, its original wisdom emerges.
Four years after the initiative began, and following major events such as the International Seon Meditation Conference and the rollout of programmes at individual temples, it has now moved to the stage of training people who can teach directly in the field. A similar instructor training course was held in 2024 with places for 50 participants. The decision to recruit 60 this time suggests that the base of people interested in learning Seon meditation is gradually widening.
From hwadu practice to singing bowls: three nights and four days packed with practical sessions
[Image: hands practising tea meditation with a teacup in front of them, or a scene from a singing-bowl meditation session — candidates to be checked on Unsplash and Pexels using the searches "tea meditation" and "singing bowl meditation"]
The course emphasises learning through practice rather than theory. Participants will take part in six programmes: hwadu Seon meditation, compassion meditation, breathing meditation, walking meditation, tea meditation and sound meditation. Training in counselling techniques is also included, covering not only how to guide practice but also how to attend to participants’ emotional wellbeing. Trainees will rework the programmes in groups, run demonstrations and present their results. They will also work together to consider how Seon meditation can be expanded.
The lectures will examine Seon meditation’s place in the global development of meditation, how to plan and run programmes, and what is needed to make the practice more widely accessible. The aim is to build skills that can be used immediately in the field by moving between practical work and theory.
What the schedule looks like
On the first day, 6 October, registration begins at 1.30pm, followed by an opening ceremony at 2pm. Lectures in the main lecture hall of the Grand Seon Hall will cover what Seon meditation is and the global development of meditation. The second day will be filled with practical sessions in hwadu Seon meditation, compassion meditation and breathing meditation, followed in the evening by a lecture on programme planning and operations. The third day will feature practical sessions in tea meditation, sound meditation and counselling techniques. On the final day, participants will complete a walking meditation session before attending a closing Dharma talk and graduation ceremony. The certificate will also lead into the official certification process for Seon meditation instructors.
Course open only to monks affiliated with the Jogye Order, not the general public
The course is open to Dharma teachers already leading programmes at temples that operate Seon meditation or temple-stay programmes, as well as any monk interested in Seon meditation. It is not intended for the general public and is aimed at monks affiliated with the Jogye Order. There are 60 places, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be accepted via Google Forms from 9 September until 4pm on 30 September, following the instructions on the official Seon meditation website. The participation fee is 300,000 won.
Training leaders to guide Seon meditation and strengthening instructors’ skills
Each additional instructor means another place where people can encounter Seon meditation. The Future Office said it hoped the course would strengthen instructors’ abilities in propagation and education and, ultimately, lay the foundations for contributing to the peace of mind of everyone in Korea, including Buddhists.