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.
