Buddhist monk who died during retreat donates organs to four patients

Venerable Beomheo, who collapsed after suffering a brain hemorrhage on July 12, was able to help four patients, including a reported child burn victim.

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Venerable Beomheo's picture is present at his funeral held at the Hanmaeum Medical Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, on July 26.

A Buddhist monk in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, who died during a summer meditation retreat donated his organs to four patients, Seongju Temple said Monday. 

Venerable Beomheo, 67, collapsed from a brain hemorrhage on July 12 at the meditation center of Taean Temple in Gokseong County, South Jeolla. He received treatment but died Friday. 

The organ donation was carried out in accordance with Beomheo's wishes during his lifetime and with the consent of his family, his temple said. Four critically ill patients received the monk's heart, liver, lungs and skin, with his skin reportedly donated to a child burn patient.

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The funeral was held Sunday at the Hanmaeum Medical Center in Changwon. 

Beomheo was born in 1959 in Uljin, North Gyeongsang. He was ordained under Venerable Heunggy, who was the head monk of Beomeo Temple and the senior monk overseeing the conferral of Buddhist precepts. In 2003, Beomheo received full monastic precepts at Tongdo Temple under precept master Venerable Boseong.


BY HYEON YE-SEUL [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

brain hemorrhage buddhism changwon korea meditation monk organ donation social affairs seongju temple

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