South Korea marked Buddha's birthday on Friday, with hundreds of thousands of Buddhists flocking to temples across the nation.
Around 20,000 temples, including those in North Korea, organized celebratory services to commemorate the birth of Buddha 2,550 years ago, according to a national Buddhist organization.
In a congratulatory message, President Roh Moo-hyun urged South Koreans to build a country based on coexistence through cooperation.
"At a time when South Korea is facing daunting challenges, we need to iron out differences over what we have to do for the future" Roh said."To that end, we need to create a culture of cooperation through conversation and concession."
At Chogye Temple, one of the most popular places for Buddhist worship in central Seoul, about 10,000 people gathered to celebrate the occasion.
"We are living in a world where invasion and aggression are commonplace. Let Buddha's spirit descend on all the people and introduce change without guns or swords," said Ji Kwan, a leading member of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
Along with Christianity, Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in South Korea. About one-third of the nation's 48-million population are believed to be Buddhist.
Buddha's birthday coincides this year with Children's Day in South Korea, also a national holiday.(Yonhap News Agency)
South Korea Celebrates Buddha's Birthday |
