Won Buddhism

Won Buddhism of Philadelphia temple serves as a spiritual home for people of all walks of life who practice meditation and study Buddha-dharma in order to deepen their spirituality and invigorate their minds.

We gather to make our commitment to become free from suffering, help people with their spiritual growth and provide a safe and friendly space for nurturing holistic well-being.

• You are welcome to join regularweekly services, classes and annual events.
• We welcome everyone who wants to cultivate inner peace, joy and wisdom.

What is Won Buddhism?

Buddhism (佛敎) is the pathway to enlightenment. The word Won (圓) literally means ‘circle’ and symbolizes ultimate reality or our true nature. Therefore, the name Won Buddhism means the path to the enlightenment to our true nature.

Sotaesan, the founding master of Won Buddhism, attained enlightenment in 1916 in Korea at the age of 26, after many years of searching for the truth and doing many ascetic practices. Master Sotaesan, after his enlightenment, observed the modern world where the human spirit had become weakened and enslaved by the rapidly developing material civilization. He therefore established a communal life setting with the founding motto, “With this Great Unfolding of material civilization, Let there be a Great Unfolding of spirituality.” This was the beginning of Won Buddhism.

Won Buddhism, as a reformed Buddhism and as a new religion, transforms the traditional Buddhist teaching. It makes the Buddhadharma more practical, more relevant, and more suitable to contemporary society so that the many people in the secular world can utilize it to enrich their actual lives.