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Guiding the Dead: Tradition and Transformation in Korean Buddhist Funeral Rites

 

SPEAKER: Brian D. Somers

 

DATE: Tuesday, October 20, 2026. 7:20PM (Seoul)

VENUE: Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터). ‘다목적홀’ (For more information, see below.)

 

SUMMARY: 

This presentation examines how Korean Buddhist ritual and cosmology have been reshaped by contact with the modern world. This topic is approached through the lens of Buddhist modernism, examining how reformers and practitioners have reinterpreted Buddhism for a secular age. Building on this foundation, the presentation turns to the Buddhist afterlife, tracing the realms of samsara and the liminal state between death and rebirth into the Pure Land. Next, Korea’s 49-day funeral rites are examined, focusing on the step-by-step procedures involved and how these rituals function. Drawing on two case studies, the presentation highlights the spiritual needs of Koreans with respect to these rituals and how they meet the needs of grieving families today. The talk closes with a look at contemporary adaptations of these rites. Together, these examples reveal how tradition and modernity negotiate one another — and what that negotiation tells us about spiritual life in 2026.

BIO:

Dr. Brian D. Somers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, specializing in Buddhist psychology, meditation, and comparative philosophy. He earned his Ph.D. in Seon (Zen) Studies from Dongguk University and his M.A. in Comparative Philosophy from Brock University. His academic research explores the intersection of traditional Buddhist pedagogy and modern scientific models of the mind, mindfulness meditation, Korean Buddhist funeral traditions, and the adaptation of Buddhism within contemporary spiritual movements.

 

ADMISSION (Online & In-person): Free for RAS Korea Lifetime and Annual Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)

• If you would like to attend online Zoom,
• RSVP by 19 October (Monday). Zoom Link Request ☞ CLICK
• We will email you the link on the morning of the lecture day.
• For Non-member, payment to be remitted to the following account:
• SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)
• To attend in-person, RSVP is not required.

 

VENUE:

Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터)  is located at Yongsan Verdium Friends #101 (용산베르디움프렌즈 101동) B1, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Walk 2-3 minutes from ‘Exit 8’ of Samgakji Station (LINE 6 & 4) and take the elevator down to the B1 Floor.