A space to take a moment to breathe amid the busyness of downtown life has opened in Seoul’s Namsan. The People’s Peace Seon Meditation Central Headquarters (head monk Ilgam 스님) announced on July 2 that it has opened the ‘Seon Meditation Healing Center’ at Namsan Chungjeongsa and will begin operating permanent programs starting in July.
‘Seon Meditation in Everyday Life’ at a Downtown Temple in Namsan
The Chungjeongsa Seon Meditation Healing Center operates with the aim of “experiencing Seon meditation in everyday life at Chungjeongsa within Seoul’s Namsan.” Taking advantage of its location next to the Namsangol Hanok Village, it targets Seoul residents and office workers, as well as foreigners who want to experience Korean traditional culture. Using the strengths of an accessible downtown temple, the center focuses on developing programs tailored to tourism and healing.
The new opening is seen as a stepping stone for the Jogye Order’s key project, the “construction bonbu (fund-raising endeavor) for building a Seon meditation center.” Before the center is built, the plan is to operate Seon meditation programs at a downtown temple in real life and help expand them among the public. The move also carries significance as the first substantive project carried out by the Seon Meditation Central Headquarters, which launched in January 2026 to oversee Seon meditation research, education, and content operations.
Free Operation for One Month in July…Opens With a Special Lecture by Geumgang 스님
The opening ceremony will not be held separately, considering that it is a pilot operation period. Instead, on July 10 at 10:00 a.m., the Jogye Order’s Seon Meditation Committee chair Geumgang 스님 will be invited to deliver a Seon meditation special lecture marking the opening. As part of the opening celebration, all programs will be offered free of charge throughout the month of July.
Operations are handled directly by the Seon Meditation Central Headquarters. The headquarters will staff both guiding Dharma instructors and practical personnel on a full-time basis to manage the programs systematically, and will recruit professional instructors separately for each monthly program to add expertise. For programs for foreign participants, a dedicated guiding Dharma instructor is assigned separately and the programs are run in connection with temple stays (temple stay programs). It is also possible to rent out an individual experience hall for those who run Seon meditation programs.
From Seonmu-do to Seon Meditation for Companion Dogs
The programs are designed so they can be approached easily in daily life. Dynamic practice methods such as Seonmu-do, which involves practicing by moving the body, and Seon meditation together with companion dogs are drawing attention. Seon meditation is a meditation method that reinterprets kanhwa Seon, a representative practice in Korean Buddhism, so that modern people can practice it in everyday life. The core is a way of taking a brief pause to look back at the mind, such as “a 5-minute Seon meditation a day.”
Chungjeongsa Welcomes Companion Dogs Too
Chungjeongsa is a downtown temple located in the Namsangol Hanok Village, known as a space that goes beyond the fixed image of a traditional temple. It allows entry for pets, and the stray dog “Saekom,” adopted by presiding monk Deokun 스님, has taken on the role of a mascot that greets visitors. Inside the temple grounds, there is a gallery cafe run by a group of Buddhist devotees, along with a lacquer-seal Seon meditation room by master artisan Kim In-young, known for inlaid mother-of-pearl lacquerware (najeon chilgi). Every morning, Deokun 스님 posts a 5-minute Seon meditation video on YouTube, and has worked to help spread a culture of meditation by publishing “the path of a chonsugyeong practice performed together with 『Seon meditation』.”
“We hope it becomes a place of rest in the city”
Ilgam 스님 said, “Seon meditation is a mind-practice method that contains the wisdom of Korean Buddhism accumulated over thousands of years, and it is the mental-health solution most urgently needed by modern people,” adding that he hopes the practice will take root as a resting place where anyone can find peace for both body and mind in the city. Deokun 스님 also said, “I am happy that Chungjeongsa has become a temple ground where citizens can practice Seon meditation together,” and told that he will provide active support at the level of the entire Buddhist community.
How to Use
To apply for the Chungjeongsa Seon Meditation Healing Center and for program schedules, information can be found on the Seon meditation official website (seonmeditation.kr) and Instagram (@seon_meditation_summit), as well as on the Chungjeongsa blog (blog.naver.com/namsan_chungjeongsa) and Instagram (@chungjeongsa). For inquiries, contact the Namsan Chungjeongsa Seon Meditation Healing Center (010-5700-1842).