First African-Born Monk Ordained in Korea... 22-Year-Old Deokhyo

Ordination Training After Graduating from Boriram College of Agricultural Technology
All 33 Who Completed the Precepts Program Passed the Fifth-Level Monastic Examination

For the first time in the history of Korean Buddhism, a monk from Africa has been ordained.

Dukhyo Sunim from Tanzania (secular name Jimmy John Mwakatumubula). Provided by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

According to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on September 14, during the completion ceremony for the 71st class of novice monks and nuns (Sami and Samini) held at the Mandeokjeon Hall of Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on September 13, Monk Deokhyo, a 22-year-old from Tanzania (birth name Jimmy John Mwakatumbula), along with other graduates, received the Sami or Samini precepts.

The Sami precepts are a set of monastic rules that novice monks (male: Sami; female: Samini) must uphold as part of the ordination rituals. Usually, an aspirant undergoes a period as a postulant and receives education before being granted the Sami or Samini precepts. After completing further training and meeting other requirements, they are eligible to receive the full monastic precepts (Gujokgye), officially becoming ordained monks (Bhikshu for males, Bhikkhuni for females).

Although Sami and Samini are considered trainee monks, they are generally referred to as “monks” in a broader sense. At the ceremony, 33 individuals—including 22 male and 11 female trainees—received the Sami and Samini precepts.

Monk Deokhyo, born in 2003 in Mwanza, Tanzania, is a 23-year-old youth whose secular name is Jimmy John Mwakatumbula. After losing his father in childhood and facing difficult family circumstances, he nonetheless remained committed to his studies. While attending middle school, he learned Korean at the Sejong Institute affiliated with Boriram College of Agricultural Technology, which was established by the Jogye Order in Tanzania. Thanks to the school’s support, he received free education and was admitted to the Department of Horticulture at Boriram College of Agricultural Technology in September 2023.

It has been reported that he had a great interest in the Korean language, acquiring Level 2 on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) and winning first place in a Korean speaking contest. After graduating from secondary school, he needed to support his family, but he chose to come to Korea, motivated by a desire to help those facing even greater hardships. His relationship with the monks who taught him Korean ultimately led him to the monastic path.

He studied Buddhist doctrine, the Korean language, and Korean culture to prepare for full ordination, and in March completed the registration process as a postulant. He received postulant training for a month at Baekyangsa and Yongheungsa temples. During the remainder of his training period, he performed morning services, chanting and wooden fish training, and assisted with meditation classes at the Boriram College temple.

After graduating from college this August, he came to Korea and began his training for the 71st class of novice monks and nuns. Following the completion of ordination education, he plans to continue his training and studies by living in the community at Baekyangsa and Yongheungsa temples until November. Afterwards, he will return to Tanzania to obtain a religious visa (D-6), and then re-enter Korea in December to begin his life as a fully ordained monk.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.