<DIV align=center><STRONG><BR>Putting up of the ridge-beam ceremony</STRONG></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><A href="http://www.koreanbuddhism.net/">www.koreanbuddhism.net</A>, December 20, 2006</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN lang=EN-US>Budapest</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN lang=EN-US>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Hungary</st1:country-region> -- Putting up of the ridge-beam ceremony of the traditional Korean temple was held near <st1:City w:st="on">Budapest</st1:City> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hungary</st1:place></st1:country-region> on November 11. There were about forty participants including many sunims from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region> lead by the Head Master Seoljeong Sunim, Hyeongak Sunim, the Director of Seoul International Zen Center at the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Hwagesa</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Temple</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Seoul</st1:place></st1:City> and others.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>The construction of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Wonkwangsa</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Temple</st1:PlaceType> was initiated by Cheong-an Sunim who has been operating Kwanum Monastery in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Budapest</st1:place></st1:City> since 2000. Cheong-an Sunim's plan is to purchase about one acre of land near <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Budapest</st1:City></st1:place> by 2007 to construct Seon monastery, and then purchase more land around the monastery so that he can continue the expansion of the monastery.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>Seoljeong Sunim, the Head Master of Hwagesa Temple in <st1:City w:st="on">Seoul</st1:City>, who wrote the record of the construction of the temple on the ridge-beam, wished that this temple would be the center of the Korean Buddhism in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>. In his reply to Seoljeong Sunim's congratulatory address, Cheong-an Sunim emphasized that one of the best ways to introduce the Korean Buddhism to Europeans is the construction of the traditional Korean style temple, and he sincerely hoped that many Korean Buddhist brothers to have more attention to his project.</SPAN></P>
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