[2] Faced with the many phenomena that accompany climate change, in 2009 Zen Master Daewon established the International Union to Prevent Desertification (IUPD).
When Master Daewon was 12, his father died in front of his eyes, and this experience left an indelible imprint on the young man's view of the world.
As soon as he was able to leave his house, in 1954 he entered into the large monastery, Hae-in-sa temple under the mentorship of his preceptor Master Pak In-gok.
All the gathered monks stood still with their lips pursed in silence as Daewon sunim turned around and walked away.
The next day after breakfast, Myeongheo sunim, who was serving as monitor for the retreat, called a temple hearing to find out why the monks had been absent without notice the night before.
During the hearing, all that had happened up on the mountain was laid out in the open and as a result, the monks who had been absent during the sitting meditation session assumed their formal robes and bowed in penance before Zen Master Jeongang, who was serving as the Josil of the temple at the time.
To this, Daewon sunim recited the second Song of Enlightenment he had composed when he saw the sun and the moon in the setting sky while passing the fields of Gimje.
"If I was Emperor Wu of Liang, I'd respond by saying 'Even though there is no such thing as a saint, wouldn't it be much better to enjoy the flowering of my virtue together, just like this?'
In this manner, the reverend Daewon, received Dharma Transmission from the Master Jeongang and in 1962 became the 78th patriarch in the Korean tradition of Zen.
As of 2015[update], Zen Master Daewon is translating 80 volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra and is also preparing to publish more Buddhist texts.