The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few.* As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.
This column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.
The following teaching was given at Giac Ngo Temple in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 1 July 2024, at the invitation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Council.
Giac Ngo Temple
When Ven. Pomnyun Sunim arrived at Giac Ngo Temple, resident monastics were waiting with flowers and bells to greet him as he entered and proceeded to the temple’s main hall.
After performances by two choirs, Ven. Thich Nhat Tu, director of the international department of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Council and vice president of Ho Chi Minh Buddhist University, introduced Ven. Pomnyun Sunim with a warm words: “Venerable Pomnyun Sunim is famous for his Dharma Q&As in Korea and has more than a million YouTube subscribers. You don’t need to ask him about content from books or about knowledge that can be found through web searches. Instead, feel free to ask about the difficulties you face in life. Sunim is very intelligent, so there’s no need for lengthy questions. Please keep your questions simple.”
After enthusiastic applause, Sunim began the conversation.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Today is not a formal Dharma talk, simply a conversation with all of you. This conversational approach wasn’t specially developed by me—it’s what the Buddha did.
When people came to the Buddha with their suffering, he would engage in dialogue tailored to each individual. This is called “teaching according to the listener’s capacity.” In other words, he taught the Dharma according to each person’s level of understanding. These conversations were recorded and preserved as sutras. At that time, the religious language was Sanskrit. The Buddha didn’t use the scholarly Sanskrit but instead he used Pali, the everyday language of ordinary people. However, later scholars, when interpreting and studying the sutras, reverted to the difficult Sanskrit.
The Buddha’s teachings aren’t difficult, but the language used to explain them became complicated. So I want to converse with you in everyday language, just as the Buddha did.
Enlightenment is not impossible. Anyone can attain enlightenment. The reason you suffer from various problems is because you are still ignorant. Even if you pray to the Buddha for blessings and obtain great wealth or high position, these will eventually disappear. Those who understand the Buddha’s teachings do not pray for blessings but strive to attain nirvana. This is because when you attain nirvana, you will not suffer under any circumstances. The purpose of Buddhist practice is not to go to paradise after death, nor to be reborn wealthy in the next life, nor to receive blessings, but is solely to attain nirvana. Through your practice, you should live without suffering. Even in the midst of tears, you should be able to smile.
Please feel free to speak comfortably, just as you would with a friend!
Following Sunim’s invitation, people raised their hands to engage in conversation with him.
I want my son to become a monk
Q: I am a Buddhist and I have a 10-year-old son. I would like my son to become a monk. However, his mother opposes this, saying it would be too difficult for him. Still, I want my son to become a monk. Should I continue arguing with my wife about this?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Did you have this child by yourself, or did you have him with your wife?”
Q: I had him with my wife.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When running a business with a partner, do you make important decisions or dispose of the company on your own? Or do you discuss and decide together?
Q: I believe that even in a business partnership, if one person has more authority, it’s right for that person to use it. It’s the same in our family. Since I have more authority than my wife, I plan to make the decision. I’m planning to send my son to the temple anyway, so I’m considering whether to continue arguing with my wife until the end or just send him without further discussion.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Are you a Vietnamese citizen?
Q: Yes, I am.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: As a Vietnamese citizen, should you follow the Vietnamese constitution and laws? Or can you disregard them?
Q: I should follow them.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Then, do Vietnamese laws state that men have more authority than women?
Q: No, they don’t.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: You are trying to do something illegal. If you had been born 200 years ago during the dynastic era, you might have been able to do this, but in today’s Vietnamese Republic, you cannot. You do not have even 1 per cent more authority than your wife. As someone who has chosen to follow the Buddha’s teachings, do you think it’s right to act illegally?
Even in the Buddha’s time, for minors below the age of 20, parental consent was required for ordination. At that time, women had no rights, so parental consent meant the father’s permission. But now, men and women are equal. In a company, you may have a larger share, but in a marital relationship, you don’t have a larger share. If we were to compare shares, the child’s mother has more. This is because raising a child requires more effort from the mother. Therefore, the child’s mother has a larger share.
You must discuss and decide with your wife. Don’t act illegally. If you were to transfer all your property to your wife and then beg her to allow your child to become a monk, she might agree. You would need to transfer your house, shop, everything to your wife’s name. Can you give all your property to your wife?”
Q: I can’t do that.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Then there is no solution. The only way would be to act illegally, and then you can go to jail. No matter how good something might be, couples must discuss and decide together. If an agreement cannot be reached, the child should decide when he becomes an adult. At that time, the child will have the right to decide. Or, if you live so exemplarily that your child prefers you over his mother, he might listen to you. But from what I can see, he will probably prefer his mother. In that case, your wish seems impossible to fulfill.
Q: Thank you. I understand now.
The questions continued. The final questioner expressed concern about growing public criticism of Buddhist monks in Vietnam.
My mind wavers when I hear criticism of monks
Q: Recently in Vietnam, there have been continuous incidents on social media where monks are criticized and Buddhism’s image is tarnished. Vietnamese Buddhists are worried about this issue and our minds are wavering. I would like to hear Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s teaching on this matter.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Was the Buddha a more excellent person than us? Or less so?
Q: The Buddha was more remarkable and greater.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Then, was the Buddha occasionally criticized in his time? Or was he never criticized?
Q: He was criticized.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: If even the Buddha was criticized, how can we expect not to be criticized?”
Q: I understand that point well, but Buddhism’s image has become so negative that families tell us not to go to temples, and people around us even prevent us from going. This creates obstacles to our practice. What mindset should we have as Buddhists?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Do you personally think Buddhism is good or not good?
Q: Buddhism is very good.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Then, is your family right or wrong?
Q: They are wrong.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Then why do you listen to them? Why does your mind waver when you hear their words? They can say such things. Even in the Buddha’s time, there were people who criticized him. There are times when we too will be criticized. Just as the Buddha was misunderstood, there are times when we will be misunderstood. In the Buddha’s time, many people were moved by his teachings and became his disciples. Some people’s sons became monks, someone’s husband became a monk, and disciples from other sects became monks. As a result, voices criticizing the Buddha grew louder in society.
“Yesterday he took someone’s son, today he took someone’s husband. Whose disciple will he take tomorrow?”
Such talk was rampant. Not only was there much criticism, but public sentiment was also unfavorable. When disciples went out to receive alms, people would curse at them and refuse to give food. So the disciples came to the Buddha and complained about these difficulties. The Buddha then said:
“Go and tell them this: who would not listen to and follow someone who teaches the right path?”
Following the Buddha’s teaching, the disciples did not make excuses for people’s criticism but simply said the above. After a week, the criticism subsided.
There were many other false accusations against the Buddha. Some claimed that his disciples had killed a woman, and others hired a woman to stuff a gourd under her clothes and interrupt the Buddha’s Dharma talk, claiming, “I am pregnant with the Buddha’s child.” All kinds of slander occurred. However, these false accusations naturally disappeared with time.
When people criticize us, we should reflect on whether we have done something deserving of criticism. If we have, we must reflect on our actions. However, if we have not done anything wrong, we should simply wait for the criticism to pass, like a sudden shower.
A practitioner should live modestly no matter how wealthy, and remain humble regardless of high status. Practitioners should not pursue fleeting pleasures. If we have been criticized for being excessively extravagant, treating others arrogantly, or pursuing superficial pleasures, we should reflect on our behavior and make improvements.
We cannot easily judge worldly criticism as “good” or “bad.” If their words are correct, we should make changes; if not, we simply need to wait. We are merely walking the path of practice. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much. People may temporarily view us negatively, but through such experiences, positive outcomes may arise as a counterbalance.
Let’s look at a historical example. In the past, the Vietnamese government under Ngo Dinh Diem severely oppressed Buddhism. It was an extremely difficult situation. Under these circumstances, Thich Quang Duc performed self-immolation. This event became a catalyst that strengthened Buddhism significantly. This shows that we shouldn’t hastily judge a situation as “good” or “bad.” If something bad happens, we can transform it into something good. Practice isn’t about praying, “May bad things go away and good things come.” If something good happens, we continue with it. If something bad happens, we work to transform it into something good.”
Q: Thank you.
* Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
See more
Pomnyun
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