The dynamic relationship between ordained clergy and laity has been a defining feature of Won Buddhism since its formative period. While ordained practitioners have historically assumed primary responsibility for spiritual guidance and doctrinal transmission, lay members have contributed an equally vital practical dimension, one shaped by their direct engagement with broader society. This complementary structure suggests that the vitality of the Won Buddhist community has depended not on the dominance of either group, but on their functional interdependence. It is within this broader context that the emergence of the wonmu (圓務), or lay minister, represents a significant institutional and spiritual development, particularly as Won Buddhism continues to take root in new cultural settings such as the United States.
Defined institutionally, a wonmu is a lay practitioner formally recognized for sustained commitment to practice, service, and spiritual maturity. The term itself conveys a holistic orientation—living and working in a way that reflects wholeness, balance, and integrity across all dimensions of daily life. Unlike ordained ministers, wonmus remain fully engaged in lay life while actively supporting Dharma propagation through education, community building, and outreach. This dual embeddedness positions wonmus as a distinctive form of religious leadership, one that reflects Won Buddhism’s broader pedagogical vision of integrating spiritual practice into the fabric of everyday existence.
The institutional roots of this role can be traced to the lay kyomu system established in Korea in the early 1980s, which sought to expand lay participation in Dharma propagation. Although that earlier model faced structural limitations and was eventually reorganized, the wonmu system formally emerged in 1996, since which time it has been recognized for extending the reach of the tradition, particularly in professional and civic environments where ordained ministers may have limited access. In this sense, the wonmu role did not arise in isolation but emerged from a longer institutional reckoning with questions of lay leadership, participation, and the evolving relationship between clergy and community.
These historical and structural dimensions, however, only partially account for the lived significance of the role. In the US, where the wonmu system remains in an early stage of development, its meaning is still being actively constructed through practice and experience. To better understand this emergent reality, I engaged in reflective conversations with two wonmus formally recognized in the US: Kathy Abeyatunge (Dharma name Won JiYeon) and Kathleen Herr (Dharma name Won HerrJu), whose accounts illuminate how this form of lay leadership is being shaped within a distinctly new cultural context.
For Kathleen, based in North Carolina, the role is captured most precisely by the metaphor of a bridge. Wonmus, she suggests, occupy a liminal position, living simultaneously inside and outside temple life, and in doing so connect the sangha with the wider community. This bridging function carries particular weight in the US, where many Won Buddhist temples are led by Korean-born ministers and where wonmus frequently serve as cultural and linguistic intermediaries, translating not only language but also lived experience and contextual expectation. Yet this structural function is inseparable from its relational dimension. Kathleen emphasizes the centrality of mentorship with a guiding kyomunim, describing the ideal as the cultivation of a shared “Dharma pulse,” an alignment of intention that allows the wonmu to respond intuitively to the needs of both teacher and community.
Kathy, based at the Won Dharma Center in upstate New York, extends and personalizes this metaphor. Rather than conceiving of the wonmu as standing between two fixed points, she reframes the role as one of accompaniment, a practice of walking alongside others, particularly those who feel uncertain or disconnected from the path. Where a gap exists, however subtle, the task is not to instruct or direct but simply to offer presence. As she articulates it, the gesture is straightforward: “I will walk with you.” This orientation toward companionship rather than authority reflects a sensibility that runs throughout both accounts and speaks to a defining quality of the wonmu role as it is taking shape in the US.
Much of the wonmu’s work, as both women describe it, unfolds quietly and often without recognition. It may take the form of preparing retreat spaces, managing logistics, or attending carefully to participants’ practical needs—ensuring, for instance, that dietary accommodations are thoughtfully arranged so that individuals can engage in practice without distraction or exclusion. Such acts, while modest in appearance, enact a theology of welcome that is integral to the tradition’s vision of an inclusive and accessible path. At other times, the work is immediate and unmistakably human. Kathy recalls retreat interviews in which participants disclosed experiences they had never previously voiced, moments in which the formal distinction between guide and participant dissolved into what she describes as a shared human capacity for connection and mutual uplift. These encounters suggest that the wonmu’s most essential resource is not institutional authority but the quality of presence, listening, and genuine care.
The emergence of the wonmu role in the US also raises broader questions about the future of Won Buddhist institutional life. As the number of ordained ministers declines, there is growing recognition within the tradition that sustaining communities will require not only the expansion of lay leadership but also a careful reimagining of training structures, role definitions, and the balance of institutional responsibility. In this respect, the wonmu system can be understood as a partial return to an earlier spirit within Won Buddhism, one in which lay and ordained practitioners collaborated more closely and more equally in building the community. The contemporary conditions that gave rise to the wonmu role may thus be prompting a structural reconfiguration that resonates with the tradition’s own founding commitments.
In a cultural environment where many individuals feel estranged from organized religion, the wonmu’s embeddedness in everyday life offers a distinctive point of entry. Encountered as colleagues, neighbors, or friends rather than as explicitly religious figures, wonmus create conditions for more unguarded and open conversations about meaning, difficulty, and practice. Over time, such encounters may cultivate a curiosity that draws individuals toward the path. In this way, wonmus do not simply extend the reach of an institution, they embody a way of being Buddhist that is not separate from ordinary life but is, as the tradition teaches, inseparable from it.
Related feature from BDG
A Future Task for Won Buddhism in America
Won Buddhism’s Turtle Chart
My Journey on the Path of Won Buddhism
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge—A Flowering of Buddhism in America
