The Korean Dharma master and socially engaged Buddhist leader Ven. Pomnyun Sunim led a six-day interfaith Sri Lanka Peace Pilgrimage from 30 June–5 July, bringing together religious leaders from Korea and Sri Lanka to strengthen interfaith harmony and cooperation, national reconciliation, and long-term collaboration.
Organized by the Peace Foundation, an independent research institute founded by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, and Dharma Shakthi, a Buddhist foundation working to empower human values and undertake social services, the 17-member delegation included Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim representatives. Beyond symbolic dialogue, the pilgrimage explored practical cooperation in peacebuilding, humanitarian work, youth engagement, and community development.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim is a widely revered Korean Dharma teacher, author, and social activist known for decades of interfaith and reconciliation work, including efforts to build dialogue between North and South Korea. He is the founder of Jungto Society, JTS Korea, and several other humanitarian and environmental organizations, and works closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). In 2020, the Niwano Peace Foundation awarded him its Niwano Peace Prize for his international humanitarian work and efforts to build trust between communities of different faiths.*
The pilgrimage took place in a country still healing from decades of ethnic conflict. Although Buddhism enjoys constitutional recognition as Sri Lanka’s majority religion, the nation is also home to significant Christian, Hindu, and Muslim communities, making interfaith cooperation an important component of ongoing reconciliation efforts. According to the 2024 census, 69.8 per cent of Sri Lankans identify as Theravada Buddhists, followed by Hindus (12.6 per cent), Muslims (10.7 per cent), and Christians (6.9 per cent). While Buddhism enjoys constitutional recognition, Sri Lanka’s constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and equality before the law.
During a gathering and dialogue to mark the beginning of the pilgrimage, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs shared some words that reflected the aspiration of the pilgrims.
“Sri Lanka has made great efforts in recent years to develop interfaith relations. Over the past two years, not a single case of religious or ethnic conflict has been reported,” the deputy minister noted. “The government is also continuously working to achieve harmony between religions and ethnic groups. We hope that through such meetings, peace and harmony will continue to expand.”
The Sri Lankan religious leaders emphasized that interfaith harmony was more than religious issue, but was directly connected to the national economy. They said that social trust and peace should be the foundation upon which foreign investment and tourism could flourish, bringing greater prosperity for all communities.
Venerable Pomnyun Sunim shared some opening thoughts:
“Those who have come with us today are senior leaders representing the religious community in Korea. They have been active in their respective religious orders for a long time and have had a great influence on Korean society. Going forward, we will work to enable more young religious leaders to engage in exchanges as well. We will also invite Sri Lankan religious leaders to Korea and continue these meetings on an ongoing basis.
“For Sri Lanka’s economy to develop, Sri Lanka’s own efforts are important, but foreign capital and technology also need to come in. We will play our part so that the capital and technology that Korea has can help Sri Lanka’s economic development. I also understand that about 30,000 Sri Lankans are currently working in Korea. Korean companies could invest more in Sri Lanka as well. . . . Through interfaith exchange, I hope we can build channels for more active exchanges between our two countries.”
The pilgrimage was focused on laying the foundations for dialogue and inter-religious cooperation through mutual respect and trust between senior religious figures in Korea and Sri Lanka, spanning economic, environmental, and social peace and harmony concerns.
The delegates also discussed ways to expand community participation development projects in partnership with Dharma Shakthi, and considered ways to support impoverished vulnerable populations in Sri Lanka, such as in regions affected by civil war, as well as establishing a foundation for self-reliance, guiding the direction of the youth movement, and the social role and cooperation of bhikkhunis.
The itinerary for the pilgrimage included Malwathu Maha Viharaya (Malwatta Temple) and Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy, and Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple.
In Kandy, the pilgrims met with Ven. Thibbotuwave Sri Sumangala, the supreme patriarch and highest authority in Sri Lankan Buddhism, representing the Siam Nikaya, the largest and most historically significant of the three major Theravada schools in Sri Lanka.
“[The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic] also works to build good relationships with the Tamil and Muslim communities in this region,” the supreme patriarch remarked. “Additionally, the nearby Silver Temple has paintings and sculptures symbolizing interfaith harmony. I sincerely support the activities you are doing for interfaith reconciliation and peace. If there is any help you need, I will support you anytime.”
The delegates took in the Islamic Museum, Rajitha Mosque, and the Harmony Building, Sri Lanka’s first building dedicated as a space for people of different religious and cultural backgrounds to meet, engage in dialogue, and resolve misunderstandings.
The pilgrims stopped in Anuradhapura, considered the most important city in Sri Lankan Buddhist history, to visit historic Buddhist sites including Ruwanweliseya Temple, and then moved on to Jaffna for a meeting with Hindu priests and to distribute relief supplies to 300 households in nearby Mankulam.
Local Buddhist leader and long-time peace activist Ven. Assaji explained: “During the last war, so many people left this place. About a million people migrated overseas or sought asylum. Even after the war ended, many still come back to their hometown once or twice a year to clean and maintain their houses. But in many cases, they cannot return to live here.
“I once gave a lecture to about 3,000 Tamils in the UK. Among them were people who had been criticized as ‘those who did not fight for freedom but fled overseas.’ So I said to them there: ’The true heroes are not the leaders nor the religious leaders. The ordinary people who lost their homes and were driven out to live under palm trees—they are the true heroes.’ In fact, I have many stories to share because I was involved in various activities for mediation and reconciliation during this war.”
They also spent time in Nallur Kandaswamy Devasthanam, the representative Hindu temple in Jaffna and the center of the Tamil Hindu faith in Sri Lanka and the All Ceylon Hindu Congress.
The group subsequently traveled to Colombo, where they met with representatives from the Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.
After thanking the members of Dharma Shakthi and other religious leaders for their warm hospitality during the pilgrimage, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim acknowledged that members of so many different religions gathering to work together was by no means easy because each religion has its own beliefs, philosophies, and cultures.
“When you create a space for dialogue for peace, it is easy to be criticized from both sides,” said Ven. Pomnyun Sunim. “We too were criticized from both sides when we worked for the reconciliation of North and South Korea. It must be the same with inter-religious dialogue. You must have also been criticized within your own denominations or communities.
“I imagine that Buddhism, as the majority religion, may have received even more criticism for leading the dialogue. In that respect, I highly value Ven. Assaji’s courage. For reconciliation to happen, the majority side must first open its heart and be inclusive—only then can reconciliation and cooperation become possible. I pay my respects to everyone who has participated today. I hope you will continue this precious work. . . .
“I hope we can continue our dialogue and discuss together what role we can play for peace in Sri Lanka, peace on the Korean Peninsula, world peace, and for people who suffer. I hope this meeting will not end merely as inter-religious exchange, but will become an opportunity for the people of Korea and Sri Lanka to interact more actively.”
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).
* Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
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