2021 Seoul International Buddhism Expo to Be Held Under the Theme of ?Wisdom for a Sustainable Life' From Buddhism and Tradition

A special expo is held to explore the wisdom of sustainable life. The 2021 Seoul International Buddhism Expo, hosted by Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and organized by Buddhist Newspaper and Bulkwang Media will be held from November 11th to 14th at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC), the online website (https://bexpo.kr) and through the mobile application at the same time.

This year's theme of the Seoul International Buddhism Expo, a place that encompasses traditional culture and the Buddhist culture industry, is 'Green Life, Wisdom for Sustainable Life'. It will put a spotlight on eco-friendly elements of Buddhism and traditional culture based on 'Eco Dharma', which is based on the Buddhist theater that everything is connected.

The 2021 Seoul International Buddhism Expo will feature themed exhibitions in Halls 1-3, two planned exhibitions, relay lectures, live commerce, and stage programs. 360 booths from 212 companies will also participate in the industrial exhibition focusing on housing; tea/teaware; temple food; art/cultural products; asceticism/social activities; cultural services; Buddha Art Festival.

The themed exhibitions are organized with novel ideas of the fields of Buddhism, culture and art to respond to climate change. The exhibition ?Green Buddhism is the Future' in Hall 1 prepared with the Buddhists' Solidarity for Environment proposes life-saving activities based on the Buddhist philosophy of respect for life. In particular, it plans to provide mentoring on ?making a green temple' that can be practiced on the field, attracting the attention of monks and Buddhists. ?Green Meditation Meets with the Sound of the Field and Art' exhibition in Hall 2, decorated with Ssamzie Nongbu Ltd., shows a new concept of meditation exhibition that combines the sounds recorded in nature with the works of artists Park Jin-gyu, Im Ok-sang, and Choi Young-wook. ?Green Life' exhibition, created with the social enterprise Touch4Good, introduces the works and activities of recycling companies from home and abroad that use garbage as a resource.

Planned exhibitions are divided into a Guest Country Exhibition highlighting the Buddhist countries and a special exhibition at the Buddha Art Festival. The Guest Country Exhibition introduces ?The Happiest Buddhist Kingdom in the World: Bhutan'. In collaboration with the Korea Bhutan Center, it exhibits the culture, art, and life of Bhutan, a small Buddhist country in the Himalayas with a national happiness rate of 97. Buddha Art Festival's special project ?300,000 won Exhibition' presents works at a reasonable price to revitalize the Buddhist art sector, which has been stagnant due to the COVID-19. It is a golden opportunity to support active artists suffering from the economic downturn where consumers can purchase great works at a relatively low price.

The ?Buddha Stage' of the Seoul International Buddhism Expo, where you can listen to lectures by popular speakers, is divided into relay lectures and stage programs. The relay lecture series that starts every morning with a book are:

Monk Yongsu's ?How to find peace of mind, like a lion not surprised by sounds'; Monk Wonbin's ?Goodbye to anger for a green life!'; Monk Wonje's ?Changing the focus of the mind: Zen and Ganhwaseon'; Monk Jahyeon's ?Everything in meditation: a meditation method that fits me'; Monk Kwangwoo's ?Prayer and meditation: the value of prayer and the correct way to pray'; Monk Munkwang's ?Prayer: The power for persistence without getting tired'; and Monk Boil's ?Harmony and coexistence: the age of AI, how to live without losing me'

The Buddha stage programs prepared with BTN Buddhist TV and BBS Buddhist Broadcasting System consist of:

Live Opening Ceremony; [BTN] Special Lecture with Buddhists' Solidarity for Environment (by Ahn Byung-ok, former Vice Minister of Environment); [BTN] Monk Jinmyeong's ?a room for rest' (Jeong-gil Yoo, Chairman of the Steering Committee, Buddhists' Solidarity for Environment); Invitational lecture by Monk Jahyeon; [BBS] Eco-Dharma lecture with Buddhists' Solidarity for Environment (Director Su-yeol Hong, Director of Social Economy Center for Resource Circulation Research Institute); [BBS] Invitational lecture by Monk Mun Kwang; and [BBS] Monk Maga's public broadcast on ?It's still okay'

Three companies are participating in live commerce. You can find products of ?Tea from Mohusil', who produces tea in the top stream of Juam Lake near Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon, a vegan candle company ?Seonhaeng', and ?Ilji Incent', a domestic fragrance brand, at an affordable price.

As it is an exhibition in which Korean Buddhists and practitioners of traditional culture participate, concerns to create a venue where producers and consumers meet directly were also reflected. Crowdfunding projects for the winners of the 2021 Contest for Korea Traditional Cultural Product will also be conducted on the online website (https://bexpo.kr/cloud/list).

You can donate a small amount to Yeongcheon Moktak's wooden percussion object 'Obangsaek' which won the grand prize in the contest and the products of Seongjongsa who won the second prize, the Bud that won the third prize, Sea.eun, Ibseon's Gogojodam, Dayegam Workshop, Ori-Studio, Celluver, OtnOt, and others.

Pre-registration for this exhibition, where you can look back on the climate crisis, carbon neutrality, and moderate and content life, will be performed on the website of the Seoul International Buddhist Expo (bexpo.kr) until November 8.