Teaching Lineage
ZEN MASTER SEUNG SAHN (Dae Soen Sa Nim), the 78th Patriarch of the Korean Jogye Order. Having received Dharma transmission at the age of 22 from Zen Master Ko Bong, he became the youngest Korean Zen Master ever. He attained enlightment upon completing a hundred days singing retreat and after another three years of silent meditation he committed to rebuilding the Jogye Order. As first milestone on this journey he brought the Teachings abroad and established Zen communities in the West that grew across all major cultural areas around the globe.
Zen Master Seung Shan is the author of a number of books, including “The Whole World Is a Single Flower: 365 Kong-Ans for Everyday Life”, “Dropping ashes on the Buddha”, “The Compass of Zen”, “Only don’t know”, “Ten Gates: The Kong-an Teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn” and “Bone of Space: Poems by Zen Master Seung Sahn”.
Dae Soen Sa Nim transcended to Nirvana on 30th November 2004, leaving dozens of meditation centers and hundreds of active practitioners behind, carrying his spiritual heritage.
SEOL JONG Sunim the Sudeoksa senior visited Won Kwang Sa three times: 2006, 2010, 2014, giving teaching as well as performing the initiating ceremony for the Zen Hall (2006) and the Great Buddha Hall (2014). He gave full Dharma transmission to Chong An Sunim in 2017, who continues to serve as founder and abbot of Won Kwang Sa and immerses himself in practicing and teaching Zen.
JONG MAE Sunim is the Head of the Taego Order, the largest order in Korea with a western branch that allows monks to marry. He kindly accepted Chong An Sunim’s application for membership in 2020, thus enabling Wonkwangsa to become affiliated with the Taego Order. Jong Mae Sunim is now Chong An Sunim’s Dharma instructor, while his original teacher remains Seung Sahn Haeng Won Sunim.
Chong An Sunim (淸眼) met the Dharma in 1990 and became a monk in 1994. He spent the next six years training under Zen Master Seung Sahn in Korea. He received teaching authority on August 26, 1999 from Zen Master Seung Sahn. Since 2000, his primary residence has been in Europe. In 2005, he launched the Won Kwang Sa Zen Temple project, and in 2010 the traditional Zen Hall was opened. Besides Hungary, Chong An Sunim teaches in South Korea, other countries in Asia and Europe, and the USA.
He received full Dharma Transmission on May of 2017 from Seol Jong Sunim, thus becoming the first Zen Master of western origin in the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.
He was born in Budapest in 1989 and graduated in pharmacy from Semmelweis University. His civilian occupation is university lecturer, biophysicist. Even as a high school student, he was keenly interested in philosophy, including Eastern philosophy and religions. He began learning about the practical side of Zen in 2016 at the Budapest center of the Original Light Zen Community under the guidance of Csong An Szunim. Gradually, he became a regular participant in church retreats. In March 2019, he took five vows, and in November he was appointed as a dharma teacher. Dharma name: Il Kwang, which means “light of unity”. In August 2021, Csong An Sunim initiated him as a dharma master, and from December, together with Marthy Barna, they restarted the Zen practices in Budapest. He is currently expanding his psychological knowledge at Semmelweis University’s mental health specialist training.
I was born in 1976 in Székelyudvarhely. I graduated from the English department of the University of Debrecen in 2001. My official qualification is English language and literature teacher, specializing in theater and literary translation. I’m not officially a singer-songwriter. I was introduced to music by my teacher Csong An Szunim in Budapest, I don’t even know when, maybe in 2013, and I’ve been practicing it ever since. My dharma name is Man Hwang, on August 21, 2021, I received Inka from Zen Master Chong An Sunim at the Original Light Zen Temple. Over the years, dharma has become more and more central in my life, and this is increasing, similar to the international situation. I live with my wife and daughter. Now that you’ve read these, have I become more or less? The sky is blue, my name is Barna. Marthy Barna.
