The revered Korean Dharma master and prominent socially engaged Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, founder of the Jungto Society community and social movement, led an opening ceremony for the Baek Yongseong Memorial Hall at Jukrimjeong-sa, a Buddhist temple in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, on 4 December. 

The memorial hall celebrates the life of Seon (Zen) Master Baek Yongseong (1864–1940), a pre-eminent scholar of the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) who played an instrumental role in the restoration and reformation of the Buddhadharma on the Korean Peninsula, and was also a key figure in the historic March First Movement for Korean independence in 1919, in opposition Japanese colonial rule.

Set in the green tranquility of Master Yongseong’s Birth Park (formerly Mulbit Park), the ground floor of the newly opened Baek Yongseong Memorial Hall features a multipurpose event hall and café, with the second floor containing an exhibition space for audiovisual exhibits tracing Master Yongseong’s many achievements, alongside an intimate collection of personal items and relics belonging to Master Yongseong and collected throughout the life of the living senior master Ven. Bulsim Domun.

Master Baek Yongseong was born during a tumultuous period in Korea’s history, when the national people’s uprisings were unfolding. At the age of 14, he received ordination as a monk under the guidance of Ven. Hyewol Daeseonsa. He notably undertook a determined and committed approach to practicing Soen meditation and studying and translating the Tripitaka. Beyond being a devoted Buddhist practitioner, he emerged as a pioneer committed to the concept of a nation in which the people are the masters of their own destiny. Master Baek Yongseong dedicated his life to the reformation of Buddhism and the independence movements to reclaim Korea from colonial rule as one of the 33 signatories of the March First Independence Declaration, representing the Buddhist community.

The occasion was attended by a host of senior monastics, alongside many local dignitaries, including Vice Minister Kang Yoon-jin of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, North Jeolla Provincial Governor Kim Kwan-young, Jangsu County Mayor Choi Hoon-soo, and National Assembly members, and other public figures.

As about 400 guests gathered together in the main Dharma hall of Jukrimjeong-sa, Ven. Pomnun Sunim offered his keynote remarks:

“I find it very meaningful that we are opening the Independence Fighter Baek Yongseong Memorial Hall today and sharing this joy with all the distinguished guests present here. . . .

“As I toured the memorial hall, I felt somewhat empty. This is probably due to generational differences. Since the younger generation prefers digital-centered exhibitions, the facility has been designed so that everything can be viewed through video. As a result, for our generation, there’s a sense of emptiness as if the space is somewhat vacant due to the lack of visible physical objects. . . .

“The artifacts left by Master Yongseong have not yet been fully exhibited. Due to our focus on promotion and education, we have opened the memorial hall while the artifact exhibition is still somewhat incomplete. Most of Master Yongseong’s belongings were not kept at temples but were preserved through generations by the family of Layman Im Dong-soo, who was Master Yongseong’s Dharma friend and supporter. Layman Im Dong-soo used his family’s entire fortune . . . for the independence movement and Buddhist reform. . . .

“Until now, the memorial hall was too small to adequately display Master Yongseong’s artifacts. I wanted to display more artifacts through this expansion, but I followed the opinion that spreading Master Yongseong’s ideology is more important than displaying artifacts. When you go inside, you’ll find that most of it is digital, so there isn’t much that you can touch or see with your eyes. . . .

“I ask for another round of applause to express our deep gratitude to Venerable Bulsim Domun, who has upheld Master Yongseong’s will throughout his ninety years of life and transmitted it to us, enabling us to undertake this Buddhist project. 

“Dedicating one’s entire life to spreading the teachings and legacy of a single teacher is an extremely difficult task. When people grow even a little, they tend to talk about themselves, but whenever the Venerable Master opened his mouth, he spoke only of Master Yongseong. I believe that his great vow to preserve and transmit Master Yongseong’s patriotic spirit and Buddhist philosophy in solitude has borne fruit today. . . .

“I believe that Buddhist philosophy today should not be just for Buddhists but should be useful for all citizens. Beyond Buddhist terminology and formalities, I am working to ensure that the Buddha’s teachings are well utilized to heal the mental suffering of sentient beings for the happiness of the people. The person who first pioneered this path was Master Yongseong.

“During the 500 years of the Joseon Dynasty, when Buddhism was suppressed and looked down upon, he advocated for the ‘intellectualization of Buddhism.’ When temples were isolated in the mountains and Buddhist scriptures were written in Chinese characters, preventing the public from understanding Buddhist thought, he translated Buddhist scriptures into Korean so that anyone could understand Buddhism, championing the ‘popularization of Buddhism.’ Furthermore, he led the way in the ‘practical application of Buddhism,’ arguing that Buddhism should be active in society and become a religion respected by the people, participating in patriotic movements and various social action movements. 

“All the work that Jungto Society is doing today is ultimately cultivating the seeds that Venerable Yongseong planted. I hope that today’s meaningful expansion of the Yongseong Memorial Hall, established by the Great Master, will serve as an opportunity for all of us to pledge to spread more widely the grace of the Great Master and the teachings of Venerable Yongseong for our country and people.” (Jungto Society)

Master Yongseong was the 68th Patriarch in the lineage of Shakyamuni Buddha’s Dharma transmission and the Sixth Patriarch of the Korean Buddhist Revival. Although most official records of Master Yongseong’s achievements as a Budddhist scholar and social activist were destroyed during Japanese occupation of Korea, detailed oral records were passed down from Master Yongseong to Master Dongheon and then to Master Bulsim Domun, the teacher of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.

“Ven. Bulsim Domun has made it his lifelong vow to spread Master Baek Yongseong’s ideology widely and has practiced the 10 wishes left by the Master, while preserving and managing his relics,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained. “With this great vow, he built Jukrimjeong-sa at Master Baek Yongseong’s birthplace and, following his wishes, accomplished numerous Buddhist projects including Cheollyongsa Temple on Namsan a mountain in Gyeongju Province, Ado Moryewon in Gumi, the site of the first turning of the Dharma wheel in Silla Buddhism, Bonglimsa, a temple site in Changwon, and Daeseongsa Temple in Seoul, the site of the first turning of the Dharma wheel in Baekje Buddhism. If we had tried to start such projects anew today, we wouldn’t have dared to attempt them. However, because the Venerable Master established this great vow 60 years ago and prepared the sites, we in the later generation can carry on this work one by one.”

After congratulatory messages were heard from guest dignitaries and officials, Ven. Bulsim Domun shared a rare Dharma teaching:

“Master Yongseong transcended the intellectual understanding composed of the six sense organs, attained the path of seeing, practiced the path of cultivation without being bound by emotions, opened true wisdom in the realm of the path beyond learning, attained enlightenment, and taught sentient beings as a great master. Let me recite Master Yongseong’s verse on attaining the path:

“In the mountain of five aggregates, a traveler seeks the ox-nature (五蘊山中尋牛客)
Sitting alone in an empty hall, a single moon shines bright (獨坐虛堂一輪孤)
Square or round, long or short—whose path is this? (方圓長短誰是道)
A ball of flame burns up the great heaven (一團火炎燒大天)

‘In the five aggregates of body, thought, and mind, a traveler seeking the ox-nature of  the Buddha sits alone in an empty house where the round moon shines brightly. Square and round, long and short—whose path is this? A ball of flame from “What is this?” burns away the great heaven of afflictions.’

All people and humanity must uphold this enlightenment of Master Yongseong. I urge all of you to make this Mulbit Park become Master Yongseong’s Birth Park and a center for world Buddhist youth education. With this, I conclude my teaching.” (Jungto Society)

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim is a widely revered Korean Dharma teacher, author, and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives, and projects across the world, among them: JTS Korea, an international humanitarian relief organization working to eradicate poverty and hunger; Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddha’s teachings and dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering; EcoBuddha, an organization focused on environmental ethics and sustainable living based on the teachings of the Buddha; and Good Friends, which promotes reconciliation and cooperation between the North and South Korea, and provides humanitarian aid to North Koreans. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim also works closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB).

In October 2020, the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of his international humanitarian work, intensive environmental and social activism, and his tireless efforts to build trust and goodwill between communities of different faiths and cultures, toward the goal of world peace.*

* Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)

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