A kindergarten with a temple inside

“We built a kindergarten, not a temple.” This is what Ven. Gyeseong, whom I met at Beobwangsa Temple in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, said when asked why the temple doesn't have a Mahavira Hall. Beobwangsa Temple is unique. Unlike most temples, it does not have a main hall, or Mahavira Hall, but only a kindergarten and a daycare center. Although the entrance says 'Beobwangsa Temple,’ the only temple-related facility is a Buddha hall on the third floor of the kindergarten building. “We didn't build the temple and then the kindergarten; we built the kindergarten building first,” said Ven. Gyeseong.

Always fond of children, he founded the Kokiri Kindergarten here in 1991 to improve the image of Buddhism and spread the word. When it started as a one-story building with a semi-basement, it didn't even have a Buddha hall. However, it was later expanded to include a hall on the third floor. “It serves as a Buddha hall, but most of the time, it's used as a gym where the children learn taekwondo and play," he said. "I think it's better for the Buddha to see children playing happily.”

"It's a kindergarten set up by a religious organization, but it never imposes or teaches religion,” Ven. Gyeseong said. The curriculum is the same as that of a regular kindergarten, except for a few hours spent explaining the meaning and origin of Buddha's birthday, just as children are taught the meaning and origin of Christmas and stories about Santa Claus. On the other hand, the tuition fee is very low, averaging around 50,000 won per month, including education, snacks, and textbooks. There is no intention or need to make a profit, so national, local, and city support is sufficient.

After more than 30 years, some of the children have grown up and sent their own children, while others have returned to become teachers. Although kindergartens and daycare centers in most cities, including Ganghwa, have difficulty recruiting students due to the declining birthrate, Kokiri Kindergarten is so popular that students have to be admitted by lottery. For the daycare center, even if you wait in line a year in advance, it's not easy to get in.

“There is no happiness like seeing children playing happily,” Ven. Gyeseong said. “And there is no better way to walk the path of the Buddha than to teach and nurture children well.”


Chin-Ku Lee sys1201@donga.com