Temple Leader Takes International Journey Toward Buddhist Priesthood

May 23, 2005

Source: Ann Arbor News

http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-13/111686283989110.xml

On May 23, 2005 the Ann Arbor News reported, "They chanted Buddha's name, then they did the hokey pokey. It was serious fun at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Ann Arbor Saturday morning as about 80 children and their parents kicked off a weekend celebration of Buddha's birthday with a Peace and Happiness parade. Leading the parade, which included a raffish assortment of kids on streamer-decorated bikes and grown-ups in clown costumes, was Haju Sunim, the temple's resident priest. The temple, housed in a three-story Victorian house and a brick annex next door on Packard Street, is growing, largely because of young families. The Ann Arbor temple is somewhat unusual because it includes one of the few Buddhist education programs for children in the country. Sunim, 61, the temple's resident priest, is a mother herself and formerly a schoolteacher. ('Sunim' is the Korean word for 'teacher.')"