Written by Audrey Anderson
Local weekly magazine reporter
We recently held a fun Lotus Lantern Workshop at Sherborne Library. The workshop was led via the Internet by Shin Yun-hee from the New York City office of the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project. Local participants have the option of attending in person at the library or via Zoom from home.
Ms. Singh began the workshop by sharing information about her organization. The Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project is a global organization run by volunteers from several countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, this project led to his 2,600 events, attended by 1 million people.
Mr. Singh then focused on the importance of the lotus flower in Buddhism. The roots of the lotus flower are in the mud, the stems rise out of the water, and the flowers are above the water, bathing in the sunlight. For Buddhists, the lotus flower represents rebirth, self-purification, and spirituality, and is a symbol of Buddhism itself. The color of lotus petals represents different qualities such as:
White man’s spiritual perfection and spiritual purity.
Pink is the best color for Buddha himself.
Blue serenity and peace.
Purple – self-awakening, harmony, balance.
On Yeongdeunghoe, or Buddha’s birthday, lantern festivals are held at Buddhist temples across Korea. Mr. Shin showed photos of the lantern festival and parade held in Seoul. These included brightly lit dragons, lighted towers, people carrying lanterns, and lanterns decorating temples.
After introducing the importance of lotus flowers and lanterns in Korea, Mr. Shin skillfully guided participants in making their own lotus lanterns. Participants, both in-person and via Zoom, were given a kit containing a lantern frame made of wire and paper, a package of petals and leaves made of thin paper, and adhesive. After everyone finished unpacking their kits, Shin explained how to prepare the petals. Apply glue to the lower white part of the petals and paste them in a specific pattern to the lantern frame. This he did in five stages to cover the frame. Attendees laughed and chatted as they worked on the lanterns, wiped the glue off their fingers, and watched the lanterns come to life. Everyone seemed very happy with the results of their efforts.
Once the glue was dry, Mr. Shin provided some information about South Korea’s history and Seoul’s evolution into the world-class city it is today.
During the colonial period, Japan conquered Korea and tried to assimilate the people into Japanese culture. People were forced to do unpaid work.
During the Korean War 70 years ago, 80% of South Korea’s infrastructure was destroyed. South Korea was the poorest country in the world, and its people were struggling to survive. By 1997, South Korea was bankrupt.
Both women and men donated gold jewelry and items to the government, even though they themselves were in need. People worked together for everyone’s benefit. The government used donated money and other sacrifices of the people to pay off its huge debt.
Impressively, South Korea today is prosperous. The population of this country is 50 million. The average life expectancy in South Korea is 82.7 years, one of the highest in the world. Infant mortality rates are among the lowest in the world. Healthcare costs are among the lowest in the world. Crime rates are below the world average. South Korea hosts her four major sporting competitions in the world and is a major destination for business meetings and tourists.
At this point in the workshop, the glue was dry enough to move the lantern, and Shin bowed and said goodbye to everyone. Participants were pleased to learn about the lotus symbol in Buddhism and receive updates on the current situation in Korea. They were also excited to have made colorful lotus lanterns to decorate their home.
