(Mandag Sunim)
(Seoul = News1) Cultural specialist reporter Park Jeong-hwan = Mandang Sunim, head of the Korean Buddhist Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and a member of the Central Council, passed away on the 4th. He was 61 years old in regular age, and had been a monk for 33 years.
Mandang Sunim was found in a state of cardiac arrest in the abbot’s room at Bulgapsa Temple in Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do early this morning. He was urgently taken to the hospital but eventually passed away.
A representative from the Korean Buddhist Cultural Affairs Bureau stated, “The sunim was scheduled to depart on a pilgrimage to Tibet with Buddhists from Bulgapsa Temple today. However, when he did not appear by the departure time, the Buddhists went to the abbot’s office and found him collapsed.”
Mandang Sunim, born in 1964, graduated from Korea University’s law school and entered the monastic life in 1991 under the guidance of Sunim Jijong. He received novice ordination in 1992.
Since then, he has served as the Planning Director of the Executive Office of the Jogye Order, Chairman of the Religious Peace Committee, a member of the 15th to 17th Central Council, and Deputy Speaker of the 17th Central Council. He was currently a member of the 18th Central Council, the head of the Korean Buddhist Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the abbot of Bulgapsa Temple.
A memorial altar has been set up at Manselu Hall of Bulgapsa Temple in Yeonggwang. The funeral will be held as the Central Council’s funeral of the Jogye Order, with the farewell ceremony and cremation being observed at Bulgapsa Temple on July 7th at 10 AM.