Templestay at the Intersection of Buddhism, Business and Science in South Korea

Monday, Nov. 25, 5-6 p.m.

ED-4008

This presentation examines Templestay, a short-term retreat program held for lay people at traditional Buddhist monasteries in South Korea. Templestay interfaces with Buddhist practice, business development and tourism projects, along with health and science initiatives. In 2013, the Chogye Order, the predominant sect of Korean Buddhism, commissioned a group of specialists in neuropsychiatry and in brain and cognitive sciences to conduct research on the program’s effectiveness in enhancing mental and physical well-being. What would have motivated such brain-centered research?

This study sheds light on how secularized religious practices can address the psychological predicaments of society and what is compromised in the process.

About the presenter:
Dr. Kyoim Yun is an associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Kansas. An interdisciplinary scholar, she has published her research in journals for different fields such as Korean studies, folklore, anthropology, and ritual studies. As a Keeler Intra-University Professor hosted by the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science in the spring of 2023, she developed a course called “Happiness in East Asia” and wrote an entry entitled “Geography of Happiness,” published in the Encyclopedia of Human Geography in fall 2024.

Presented by Departments of Anthropology, Archaeology and Folklore

Event Listing 2024-11-25 17:00:00 2024-11-25 18:00:00 America/St_Johns Templestay at the Intersection of Buddhism, Business and Science in South Korea This presentation examines Templestay, a short-term retreat program held for lay people at traditional Buddhist monasteries in South Korea. Templestay interfaces with Buddhist practice, business development and tourism projects, along with health and science initiatives. In 2013, the Chogye Order, the predominant sect of Korean Buddhism, commissioned a group of specialists in neuropsychiatry and in brain and cognitive sciences to conduct research on the program’s effectiveness in enhancing mental and physical well-being. What would have motivated such brain-centered research? This study sheds light on how secularized religious practices can address the psychological predicaments of society and what is compromised in the process. About the presenter: Dr. Kyoim Yun is an associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Kansas. An interdisciplinary scholar, she has published her research in journals for different fields such as Korean studies, folklore, anthropology, and ritual studies. As a Keeler Intra-University Professor hosted by the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science in the spring of 2023, she developed a course called “Happiness in East Asia” and wrote an entry entitled “Geography of Happiness,” published in the Encyclopedia of Human Geography in fall 2024. ED-4008 Departments of Anthropology, Archaeology and Folklore