In early December 2025, the revered Korean Dharma master and prominent Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim led a small delegation of volunteers and advocates from the Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) to the Philippines. The journey would become a weeklong expression of socially engaged Buddhism and compassion in action—compassion reflected in the radiant faces of children receiving the transformative gift of education.
From 8–14 December, the two dozen delegates held completion ceremonies for eight schools established by JTS over the past year in the mountains of the country’s second-largest island, Mindanao: five for indigenous communities in remote mountain villages and three special education centers for children with disabilities. Each ribbon-cutting was the culmination of months of collaborative labor, material transported on the backs of villagers where road were impassable, and the quiet determination of communities who refused to let geography or circumstance deny their children an education.
An observer might have mistaken the band of activists for intrepid Buddhist pilgrims: a 4 a.m. departure from Seoul; navigating the check-in desks and terminals of Manila’s crowded airport; delayed connecting flights; long, bumpy hours driving along highways and dirt roads; river crossings and forest hikes to reach remote indigenous communities. Yet what unfolded was a demonstration of what compassion looks like when it rolls up its sleeves.
The significance of those few days extended far beyond inaugurating construction projects. When Ven. Pomnyun Sunim waded across rivers, when he called forward the Datu (indigenous community leader) who donated land or the education coordinator who fought for budget allocations, when he placed garlands around the necks of staff members who made repeated trips to remote construction sites, these gestures embodied the qualities of karuna (Skt. compassion) and dana (Skt. generosity) in an interconnected web of mutual dignity and shared responsibility.
In Pangalay-ayan Village, reached only after crossing 11 streams and hiking mountain trails, parents and teachers had carried construction supplies themselves when trucks couldn’t reach their community. At Lugayaran, residents remained stubbornly determined to see the project through despite the area’s history of armed conflict. The schools that emerged were collaborations built on the engaged Buddhist principle that alleviating suffering requires the active participation of the communities themselves.
What made this manifestation of engaged Buddhism particularly profound was its refusal of simplified narratives. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim acknowledged the inherent tensions: how formal education opens horizons yet risks eroding indigenous languages and traditions; how progress measured in classrooms must be balanced against preserving the traditional worldviews; how building for the future requires protecting land and agency from corporate encroachment. This nuanced approach reflects a Buddhist practice that walks alongside communities, listening, honoring tradition, and building networks of trust.
The journey to Pangalay-ayan Elementary School began before dawn. After an hour and a half by bus, the JTS team continued on foot until they encountered a broad river with strong currents. The local community had built a raft, yet when it was suggested that Ven. Pomnyun Sunim should ride across, he declined with wry humor: “I’m not old enough to need a raft yet. I haven’t even reached 80—I should walk across.” He rolled up his pants and led the way, testing the depth with his walking stick.
An hour-long trek through mountain forest and across several more streams followed. A path that told the story of why this school mattered. It took four months to determine how to construction materials could be brought to the site. In the end, as JTS Philippines Representative Jaekuk Roh explained, “The entire village stepped forward, saying ‘We will carry them ourselves.’ The children pitched in, collecting gravel and sand from the river, and bricks were made by hand to build the school.”
When the delegation arrived at the village at 7:30 a.m., students in traditional clothing lined the entrance, dancing and drumming in welcome. The new school stood on a low hill—three bright classrooms, with teacher accommodation and restrooms, built on land donated by the village Datu. At the ceremony, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim honored not just the building but the people who had made it possible. He called forward Edwin, the Indigenous Peoples Education coordinator, who had advocated to the provincial government for technician funding. “Things like this happen because there are people who roll up their sleeves for children,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim observed. “Edwin has played a very significant role in the process of building numerous indigenous schools.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim also recognized JTS staff volunteer Gayoung Kim, who made repeated site visits to oversee construction, and most importantly, the Datu who donated the land: “Many people contributed to completing this building today, but among them, the Datu’s role was especially significant. I sincerely thank you.” Each received a flower garland while the community applauded.
The Bukidnon Provincial Schools Superintendent Victoria Gazo, who accompanied the delegation that week, exclaimed: “Distance often caused children to fall behind in education, but thanks to all of you who crossed the sea from Korea to come to this faraway place, even that distance no longer means anything.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s message to the community emphasized their own agency: “At that time, I said, ‘To build a school here, transporting materials won’t be easy. I wonder if you, the villagers, can do this. I think it might be a bit difficult.’ But you all shouted in unison, ‘We can do it!’ Coming here today, I see you really did it. You all worked so hard.”
At three special education (SPED) centers inaugurated that week, a different kind of barrier was being dismantled. At Kadingilan Central Elementary School, the mayor greeted the JTS delegates and explained the deeper significance of the project: “This classroom is not just a building, but a place of learning where children with special needs can feel safe and be respected.”
The SPED schools, carefully positioned adjacent to regular classrooms rather than segregated, embodied the principle that all beings possess Buddha-nature and deserve equal opportunity for development. At each ceremony, children with various disabilities performed, singing in sign language, dancing and singing in expressions of joy. Rather than simply applaud politely from their seats, the JTS members moved to the courtyard and celebrated with the children as equals.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s message to the parents acknowledged that most families in the region are Christian: “According to the religion you believe in, everything that happens in this world is God’s will. Sending these lovely children to you is also God’s will, so I hope you will joyfully accept that will and care for your children with love.” He shared his own experience with temporary disability: “I recently had eye surgery and had to cover my eyes for several days, which caused many inconveniences in daily life. I needed help from others for all my daily activities. When someone has a disability like this, they need more help from those around them.”
Provincial Schools Superintendent Victoria Gazo offered a touching observation on what was changing: “Why are the numbers of special education students increasing these days? Actually, the number of students hasn’t suddenly increased. These children were simply invisible to us before. Children who couldn’t come out and were hiding are now finally beginning to emerge into the world. This is because the community has started to change its perspective, little by little.”
She emphasized that transformation happened because communities created spaces of safety and acceptance: “The biggest reason this change was possible is thanks to the beautiful special education classrooms built by JTS. The most beautiful classroom in this school is the special education classroom created by JTS.”
Perhaps the most striking aspect of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s approach was his constant attention to what could be lost even as opportunity expanded. At Degebdeb Elementary School, after praising the students’ performance of traditional Manobo dances, he made an unusual request to the assembled officials and teachers: “I hope you will also pay attention to helping the children preserve their tribe’s traditional culture—the dances, songs, and clothing—so they don’t forget their unique heritage. The advantage of formal schooling is that students can receive systematic education. However, in that process, tribal identity, traditional culture, and beliefs can be neglected. I hope you will also pay attention to preventing such side effects.”
In conversations with Edwin, the Indigenous Peoples Education coordinator, Sunim learned that large corporations were expanding pineapple plantations in indigenous areas, with some tribes already willing to sell their ancestral land. The Datu at Degebdeb had resisted: “Large corporations including Del Monte are trying to expand pineapple plantations in this area. Some tribes are already willing to sell their land, but our tribe has absolutely no intention of selling our land.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim praised this stance: “You did well. If you sell the land, the tribe will eventually be driven from this land and become laborers. While there are many good things about having a new school, there is also the risk of losing traditional culture and faith because of it.”
Edwin acknowledged the crisis facing indigenous communities: “As large corporations infiltrate and we are influenced by what they teach and show, conflicts are growing. Our tribe wants to protect the land, air, and sky, but we are very concerned that we keep losing them to outsiders. If we cannot protect nature, our identity will also disappear.” He emphasized: “We believe that even a single tree has a soul dwelling in it. I would also like to conduct educational programs that can preserve this spirit.”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s response demonstrated how engaged Buddhism addresses root causes rather than symptoms: “First, we must protect the land and nature; second, we must protect our faith; and third, we must protect our culture. Only then will self-esteem arise in our hearts. In fact, having self-esteem in our hearts is more important than building buildings.”
He proposed traditional dance competitions where all indigenous tribes gather, speech contests where children discuss the importance of traditional culture, and tree-planting campaigns. “The reason for the global climate crisis is that humans have destroyed nature,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained. “We have now entered an era where becoming one with nature is more important than religious distinctions like Christianity or Buddhism.”
The week’s eight ceremonies represented just over half of JTS Philippines’ work in 2025—15 schools total, 10 for indigenous communities and five special education centers. But in meetings with volunteers, it became clear that Ven. Pomnyun Sunim vision was more comprehensive than construction projects. The discussion ranged from teacher training to disaster relief to medical camps providing cataract and cleft lip surgeries.
Challenges were acknowledged. JTS is manned by volunteers rather than paid staff, which limits capacity but keeps operating expenses at just three per cent of donations. Finding volunteers willing to live simply in rural conditions, especially among those with technical skills, remains difficult. Yet the model persists because it embodies the principle that genuine service requires personal sacrifice and a direct relationship with those being served.
Provincial Schools Superintendent Victoria Gazo’s presence at each ceremony spoke to the partnership that had developed. At the final event, she offered gratitude that recognized something beyond material support: “Generosity knows no borders. Kindness knows no limits. If we teach children this spirit of generosity and solidarity, they will become greater leaders than us in the future. This school is not just a building—it is the ‘future’ of the children of this region.”
When the week ended and Ven. Pomnyun Sunim departed from Mindanao, the true infrastructure left behind was measured in the trust built between the volunteer activists and Filipino officials who had learned to work as genuine partners. It was the compassion of teachers trained to teach children previously hidden from sight. It was the unwavering belief in every child’s right to learn.
The week in Mindanao offered a living example of the bodhisattva ideal. JTS did not “deliver” schools to grateful recipients. Rather, villagers, teachers, local officials, and volunteers discovered their shared capacity to act for the common good. The result was a small widening of possibility in places where distances, armed conflict, and poverty have long inhibited children’s opportunities. The work of compassion unfolded in the smiles of students, the grateful tears of local elders, and in the weary, satisfied silence of volunteer activists.
Beyond the ribbon-cutting and unveiling of plaques, the true significance of this week lay in the Dharma seeds planted and cultivated. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim consistently redirected the focus from the physical structures to the living purpose they serve: the preservation of indigenous culture and identity, the inclusive embrace of children with disabilities, and the fundamental right of every child to education. He spoke not as a benefactor but as a practitioner on the path of awakening, enjoining parents to value learning, teachers to nurture potential, and communities to protect their land and traditions.
This is socially engaged Buddhism: addressing immediate suffering at the grassroots level and nurturing the conditions for long-term liberation.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, a widely respected Korean Dharma teacher, author, and social activist, has founded numerous socially engaged organizations, initiatives, and projects across the world. Among them are: 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. 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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