SOUTH KOREA: RIVAL MONKS HOLD RALLY AROUND TEMPLES скачать в хорошем качестве

SOUTH KOREA: RIVAL MONKS HOLD RALLY AROUND TEMPLES

(7 Dec 1998) Korean/Nat Thousands of rival monks and their supporters have rallied in and around Chogye temple in downtown Seoul - accusing each other of profaning their religion. Some 700 people - including 100 shaven-headed dissident monks in grey robes - staged a rally in the temple, shouting slogans and accusing mainstream monks of corruption. Meanwhile, one-thousand others - including 100 mainstream monks - marched in streets near the temple, carrying traditional Buddhist lanterns, placards and pickets. For weeks now, rival factions from the country's largest Buddhist sect have been battling for control of a temple building in downtown Seoul. The dispute erupted over an attempt by the head of the Chogye order - Song Wol-ju - to seek a third four-year term. Dissidents in the sect said that violated a rule limiting the chief monk to two terms. They seized Song's office early this month, effectively blocking his re-election. Since their takeover, the streets of Seoul have seen repeated clashes between the dissident monks and supporters of Song. On Sunday, downtown Seoul was the scene of yet more rallies. Seven hundred people - including 100 dissident monks in grey robes - staged a rally in the Chogye temple. They shouted slogans and accused mainstream monks of corruption. Meanwhile, one-thousand monks - including 100 mainstream monks - marched in streets near the temple for three hours, carrying Buddhist lanterns, placards and pickets. Dozens of the monks sat on the street and lit up candlewicks. They placed the wicks on their arms and waited until they died out, leaving burns. The monks said this act was an apology to the people for the whole dispute. Wick burning is one of traditional method Buddhist monks have used in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment through enduring physical pain. The mainstream monks criticised their opponents for using violence to achieve their aims. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) "Dissolve the so-called reform committee that profaned the Buddhism through all kinds of violence." SUPER CAPTION: Ji Sun, a spokesman for mainstream monks With eight (m) million followers, Buddhism is the largest religion in this nation of 44 (m) million people. The Chogye order emphasises meditative practices and dates back some one-thousand years to the early Koryo period of Korean history. The order has often been engulfed in leadership struggles. The head of the sect controls an annual budget of nine point two (m) million U-S dollars, (m) millions of dollars in property and has the right to appoint 17-hundred monks to various duties. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...