On July 27, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, led by its president Most Ven. Jinwoo, hosted a “Temple Cuisine Banquet Commemorating the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting” at the Seon Culture Experience Center of Beomeosa Temple, the headquarters of the Geumjeong Lineage. The dinner, co-hosted by Beomeosa and the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, was attended by approximately 90 people, including Most Ven. Jinwoo and other Jogye Order monastics; Kim Young-soo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and delegations from twenty-one vice-chair and member states, led by Naef Al-Fayez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture.

“Buddhism teaches that ‘the world is a single flower,’ which encapsulates the doctrine of interdependence. This doctrine holds that you and I are never two separate entities,” said Most Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order, in his welcoming remarks. “Temple cuisine is not just a meal. It is a spiritual practice through which we learn harmony with nature and express profound gratitude for life. I hope today’s gathering will be an occasion for peace where we share wisdom on sustainable living in the face of the climate crisis and environmental change.”

Deputy Director-General Naef Al-Faez responded on behalf of UNESCO, saying, “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Most Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and the Korean Buddhist community for preparing such a thoughtful and beautiful temple cuisine banquet for the UNESCO World Heritage Committee delegation at Beomeosa Temple, where a thousand years of history lives on.”

The temple cuisine dinner served that day was organized in a three-step sequence based on the spirit of the traditional Buddhist pre-meal chant of the Five Contemplations. This allowed guests to empty their minds, appreciate the scents of nature, and share cherished memories.