Is Buddhist Practice Escape or Healing? Debate at the 20th Bright People Institute Conference
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
The Bright People Institute held its 20th symposium in Seoul to examine whether spiritual practice aims at transcending worldly life or healing it. The Nov. 29 event at Dongguk University brings together Buddhist scholars, meditation scientists, AI experts and other specialists to discuss “practice: transcendence or healing.” The institute, founded in 2006 with long-term support from Seobul (Ankuk) Temple abbot Subul (수불 스님) and led by director Park Chan-wook, has published a 20-volume series exploring binary questions in Buddhism (e.g., desire: motor of life or root of suffering?) and then convened academic forums. Organizers say the either/or framing drew public interest but the real answer lies beyond binaries in the Middle Way. Subul and other speakers emphasized that Kanwaseon (간화선) — a meditation method using hwadu (화두) or koan-like prompts — can open wisdom and foster a “great affirmation,” enabling both transcendence and healing. The institute plans two more conferences as part of a “Practice trilogy,” on śamatha–vipaśyanā (지관) and on the future of kanhwa (간화).
