Awardees

#Spreading awareness of creativity, talent development,
sacrifice, and spirit of service, POSCO TJ Park Prize

2008 Community Development and Philanthropy Prize Winner

2008
Community Development and Philanthropy Prize Buddhist Priest Dobub
1995 ~ 2003 Chief Priest of Silsangsa Temple (Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism)
2002 ~ Present Co-Representative of Mt. Jirisan Saengmyeong Yeondae
1998 ~ Present Principal of School of Returning of Farming of Silsangsa Temple
1999 ~ Present Representative of the Indramang Life Community
2004 ~ Present Head of the Religious Mendicancy Mission for Life and Peace
Achievement
"Pilgrim Dedicated to the Local Community and the Environment
Buddhist Priest Dobub / Representative of the Indramang Life Community"

Buddhist Priest Dobub of the Silsangsa Temple in Mt. Jirisan has attracted attention more for his regional community activities and his practical comments concerning new visions for recovery of the agricultural community than for his religion.

Mankind, having strived for a brighter future with ample materials, has come face to face with difficulties caused by the destruction of nature and the loss of humanity. Reckless developments can easily be seen amongst our community. And both nature and mankind have been neglected in the race to develop society. Buddhist Priest Dobub has recognized these difficulties and is taking the lead in trying to resolve them.

With the ultimate goal of transforming neglected and poor agricultural villages, Buddhist Priest Dobub established a school specializing in education on returning to farming after having donated a 99,000㎡ (approximately 30,000 pyeong) site that had once been a part of Silsangsa Temple in Mt. Jirisan. He has supported the efforts of adults - in their prime but wandering and aimless after being laid off - to settle in these rural areas.

Buddhist Priest Dobub has also strived to promote his work and has continued to maintain a religious mendicancy mission for life and peace for the past four years. He started out from Silsangsa Temple in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do in 2004 and walked 28,000 ri (1 ri = 0.4km) around the country, with the exception of the capital. During his mission, he met with some 70,000 people and discussed various topics with them, including local problems, the difficulties that our farmers face, and the ongoing destruction of our environment. Dobub also strives to obtain social support from the people he meets and to expand the Local Community and the Life and Peace Community that has been established in the Sannae Village at Mt. Jirisan. We can discover our hope for the future through the ascetic practices of Buddhist Priest Dobub.