Opening of Nursing Hospital for Monks... Jogye Order "Responsible Until Nirvana"

Amita Buddhist Nursing Hospital, a specialized nursing hospital for monks of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, will open on the 3rd of next month in Chuksan-myeon, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do.

According to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the opening ceremony of Amita Buddhist Nursing Hospital, which has 10 patient rooms, will be held on the 3rd of next month. The ceremony is expected to include a congratulatory address by Venerable Jaseung, Honorary Chairman of the Medical Corporation, and a ritual conducted by Venerable Jinwoo, the Chief Executive of the General Affairs Office, with about 500 attendees. Congratulatory speeches will be delivered by Venerable Jagwang, Chairman of the Council of Elders; Venerable Jeongdo, President of the Council of Head Monks of District Temples; Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Kim Hak-yong, Member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party; Choi Hye-young, Member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party; and Ahn Jung-yeol, Chairperson of Anseong City Council.

At the press conference related to the opening ceremony of Amitabulgyo Nursing Hospital held on the 26th at the Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Hosan Sunim (right), the representative of the medical corporation 'Daehanbulgyo Jogyejong Seungnyeo Bokji,' and Director Seonghwa Sunim are speaking.
[Photo by Daehanbulgyo Jogyejong]

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Amita Buddhist Nursing Hospital was established to support the elderly monks who spend their final days due to aging and illness during their spiritual practice. Starting with Venerable Gakhyun’s Paramit Nursing Hospital in 2008, it developed into a specialized nursing hospital when Venerable Seongun of Samcheonsa Temple was inaugurated as chairman in 2018. Subsequently, the 37th Chief Executive Jinwoo strengthened efforts to establish the nursing hospital as part of monk welfare, leading to its opening.

Since last month, Amita Buddhist Nursing Hospital has remodeled the 4th floor of the building to create 10 exclusive patient rooms for monks and a relaxation park. The 2nd and 3rd floors, general wards, will be remodeled sequentially to establish a specialized nursing hospital for monks with a capacity of 165 beds.

Monks of the Jogye Order can use the facility virtually free of charge. Venerable Hosan, representative of the Medical Corporation Jogye Order Monk Welfare, explained at a press conference on the 26th, "Recently, some monks have been living in solitude in hermitages or homes and passing away alone. A nursing hospital that takes responsibility until the monks’ passing is essential. We will ensure that no one is unable to enter due to financial difficulties. We currently support monks’ medical expenses at an annual scale of 2 billion KRW and plan to provide 500 million KRW annually for the nursing hospital in the future. However, remodeling and operation require significant costs, so much sponsorship is needed." He also added, "We plan to provide conditions for 'Dabi,' the traditional Buddhist funeral rite."

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