Thursday, February 20, 2025

[HWPL] HWPL's Religious Peace Camp in Korea!

                                                   

[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL's Religious Peace Camp in Korea!


Chairman ManHee Lee is the head representative of the global peace organization HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light), which is striving for the enactment and implementation of the international peace law 'Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)'. The  DPCW is a legal instrument comprised of 10 articles and 38 clauses that can end wars and hostilities throughout the world. HWPL is also spreading a culture of peace and implementing peace education.

Chairman ManHee Lee experienced the cruelty and tragedy of war as a veteran of the Korean War. This is one of the reasons why he founded a global peace campaign as the head of HWPL. He has traveled the globe more than 35 times to meet and persuade politicians, legal experts, journalists, professors, peace activists, civil organization leaders, heads of tribes and others to unite them for the work of peace. The significant fruits borne out of his hard work are the World Alliance of Religions' Peace (WARP) Summit and HWPL Peace Committee. The DPCW was drafted and finalised by the HWPL Peace Committee.

How, you may wonder, do I know this? About 10 years ago, when I had just been discharged from military service, I came to know HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee while researching the topic of civil conflicts to satisfy my curiosity in ongoing global issues. At that time, the island of Mindanao in the Philippines was suffering from a major civil conflict that lasted more than 40 years, and Chairman ManHee Lee and HWPL resolved this conflict through non-violent means.

Chairman Lee brought an end to the conflict in Mindanao by holding a peace talk between the warring Catholic and Islamic groups. Before the talk, HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee held a Peace Walk to spread the culture of peace in Mindanao with the many locals who had gathered out of a desire for peace.

Chairman ManHee Lee's pressing appeal today is that humanity unites for sustainable peace in order to pass on the legacy of peace to future generations worldwide. He doesn't just talk peace, but has worked tirelessly for it through practical peace campaigns for over a decade.

I decided to become a supporter of HWPL and Chairman ManHee Lee's peace initiatives because I also desire a world of peace for all posterity.

Today I'd like to introduce an article regarding HWPL's Religious Peace Camp in Korea :)


The Voice of Harmony at the 2nd Daeyaksa Temple Religious Peace Camp – We Are One!

On November 2, 2023, the 2nd Daeyaksa Temple Religious Peace Camp was held at the Daeyaksa Temple of Korean Buddhism in Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk Province. The successful religious peace camp was co-hosted by HWPL Global 10 Branch. About 76 people participated, including leaders from various religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, and the Unification Church. Religious leaders from Hindu, Islam, and Protestant churches in India and Pakistan were also present.

▲ Religious Peace Camp at Daeyaksa Temple with domestic and foreign religious leaders

Venerable Myung-an, the abbot of Daeyaksa Temple, co-organized the event. He actively attends and supports various peace events organized by HWPL. He also co-hosted the first religious peace camp at Daeyaksa Temple in February 2023.

This HWPL Religious Peace Camp was held to find and resolve the causes of wars and conflicts that are taking place all over the world, and to resolve them while transcending religions and ideologies.

The camp consisted of various programs such as the 2nd World Religious Unity Prayer Meeting, thematic discussions and presentations, and Buddhist cultural experiences. It was a time for participants to interact with other religions, understand each other, and seek ways to achieve world peace as a global family.

At the beginning of the camp, Myung-an, the abbot of Daeyaksa Temple, introduced Buddhism. There was a celebration performance of Haram Pungmuldan, a Korean traditional musical performing group consisting of Korean middle and high school students. The participants listened to traditional Korean music and vowed to pass on peace to future generations.

▲ Celebration performance of the Haram Pungmuldan

The second Prayer Meeting of the United Religions of the World was held around two main themes. First, they prayed for the cessation of war, world peace, and harmony among religions. There was also time given to remember the victims of war and offer condolences to bereaved families. Local religious leaders and others from abroad joined in the prayer with an earnest hope that peace would be achieved in the global village.

▲ Prayer Meeting for the End of War and Religious Harmony

In the Buddhist cultural experience that followed, participants had time to write a wish for the cessation of war and world peace on a small lotus lantern and hang it on a peace tree.

▲ Religious leaders attaching a prayer on a lotus lantern and hanging it on a peace tree

“Through today’s event, I witnessed that everyone who participated in the event became one. We are one,” said Myung-an, the abbot of Daeyaksa Temple, who hosted the event. “It may be difficult to become one, but in Buddhism, there is a saying, ‘Segeilhwa (The world is one flower), Yookhwa jeongsin (the six Buddhism harmony spirits). Today, HWPL has confirmed that you and I are one, that the global village is one family for world peace, and that we are united for the end of war. I promise to work together not only for the end of global wars but also for world peace through more visionary work in the future.”

The event participants realized that although each religion expresses itself in different ways, there is one truth. They experienced firsthand that unity among religions contributes substantially to the achievement of world peace. It was also a valuable time to confirm the will of the people of the world for the peaceful reunification of South Korea and North Korea.

We who love peace are one. We are one!


Interested in HWPL's peace work for the world? Please visit following link :)

No comments:

Post a Comment