... from the Abbot's office
June 26, 2003
Fr. Gerard, as Master of Young Professed, and I attended a meeting at Sujong monastery in South Korea for the Asian-South Pacific Region from June 15 to 22. I was the representative of the two Presidents of the Region. I had left on the 11th since I was asked to give conferences to the community of Trappistine nuns at Sujong prior to and during the meeting. There were 25 of us participating in the sessions including three translators. The communities from India and New Zealand were unable to attend. Participants were Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Philippines, Australian and the largest group was Japanese. The participants seemed to feel quite trusting to judge from the freedom with which they discussed the difficulties and challenges they have been encountering in their work of teaching and raining postulants, novices and junior professed. There were a number of sessions divided into language groups to allow for more intimately and culturally less diversified discussions. One day was devoted to the visit of the largest, oldest and most influential Buddhist monastery in Korea, Tongdo Sa. Here is a foto of the Mun, that is, the entrance gate, taken as our group was on our way to the museum and the many temples and other buildings that make up this extensive complex.
The second foto of myself displays a typical lantern and a classic building on the monastery grounds. In the afternoon we had an informative dialog with a leading Zazen master at a temple situated some few miles distant from the main complex. This monastery owns extensive grounds much of it in woods that preserve fine forests. It was encouraging to discover that one Japanese monastery, Nasu, has 16 novices of whom 12 are young Vietnamese; the other four are Japanese. The Korean sisters also have a good number in formation. In traveling back to the Philippines we had occasion to observe how well organized the airports are in Korea and how efficiently operated.
The last two days here were devoted on the farm to planting rice. I attach a foto of the operation that pictures only a portion of our rice fields, which are moderately extensive. The workers have a striking facility for planting the rice tillers and advance with surprising speed
Various pieces of equipment have now arrived at our Food Manufacturing building and are being assembled. In particular, the water purifying equipment is being readied for operation by two technicians sent by the company in Cebu. In a few days we expect the major pieces of machinery to arrive from Manila. This includes a large steam kettle, a filling machine, a pulpier, and a drier for the dried mango. Work on the road and the fence and entry gates is advancing and is expected to be largely advanced in a week or so. Thus the end of the building program for this project is in sight. Accordingly, we shall bring to an end our financial drive on July 31st. With gratitude and thanks to all who have contributed to make this building possible. It should prove a source of livelihood for this community for many years to come and also be a blessing for the students who we hire to work with our monks in the plant.
Abbot John Eudes Bamberger