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 teachings were given at Hung Phuoc Temple and Minh Dang Quang Temple in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 2 July 2024, at the invitation of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Council.
How can we attain enlightenment?
After completing morning practice and meditation, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim had breakfast then departed for Hung Phuoc Buddhist Temple. On arrival, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim was welcomed by the abbot, Ven. Thich Minh Duyen. After exchanging greetings, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim paid respects at the main hall.
Entering the lecture hall, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim found about 60 monastics who were in their summer retreat. The abbot gave a welcome address, after which Sunim began his Dharma talk to enthusiastic applause.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: I’m delighted to meet all of you. I’m especially grateful for your warm welcome despite my sudden visit due to a schedule change. I am Pomnyun Sunim from Korea. My master gave me the Dharma name “Pomnyun,” which means “turning the wheel of Dharma,” instructing me to spread the Buddha’s teachings.
I heard from the abbot that Hung Phuoc Temple belongs to the Seon (Ch: Chan; Jp: Zen) tradition, specifically the Linji school. The Linji school follows the Zen tradition of the Sixth Patriarch, Master Huineng, and was established by Master Linji. I also belong to a branch of the Linji school, being the 40th generation in the lineage from Master Linji.
Since you are in retreat, I would like to share a few words that might help with your practice. Let me tell you a story about Master Huairang, who was the seventh generation to inherit Bodhidharma’s teaching, and Master Mazu, who was the eighth generation.
Master Mazu was deeply engaged in meditation, following his teacher’s instructions. He was so focused that he paid no attention to anyone who approached him. One day, his teacher, Master Huairang, came by and asked:
“What are you doing?”
“I am practicing meditation.”
“What are you practicing meditation for?”
“To attain enlightenment.”
“Is that so?”
After saying this, the teacher left. The disciple found this amusing. He was simply doing what his teacher had instructed him to do, so being asked “What are you doing?” seemed funny. But shortly after, he heard a scraping sound nearby. During meditation, one should not be distracted by any sounds, but as the noise persisted, he became curious. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw his teacher rubbing two bricks together. Intrigued, the disciple asked:
“Master, what are you doing?”
“I’m making a mirror.”
“How can you make a mirror by rubbing bricks?”
“Then how can you attain enlightenment by practicing meditation?”
The master told his disciple that trying to attain enlightenment through meditation is as foolish as polishing a brick to make a mirror.
“Then how can I attain enlightenment?”
The master replied:
“When you drive a cart and it doesn’t move, should you whip the horse or the cart?”
“Of course, I should whip the horse.”
“Then why are you whipping the cart?”
At that moment, the disciple was suddenly enlightened. This is Seon. Seon is not merely following a certain posture formally. Sitting with a straight back alone does not constitute Seon. The body is like a cart. Whipping the horse means managing the mind. When you practice meditation, although maintaining proper posture is important, you must above all observe your mind. That is, you must be mindful of your hwadu (meditative focus).
Monastic conduct
After sharing several stories containing the core philosophy of Seon Buddhism, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim took questions from the monks. When the first question was about doctrine, the abbot suggested to the monks: “Rather than asking about doctrinal matters that can be found in books, it would be better to ask about your personal suffering if you have any.”
Q: I have no suffering.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: (Smiling) The goal of the Buddha’s teaching is to reach the state without suffering, to attain nirvana. I am very pleased to hear that you are in the state of nirvana. (Everyone applauded)
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim once more explained the essence of Seon Buddhism and encouraged the monks to become practitioners who integrate practice, Dharma propagation, and social engagement.
It seemed difficult for the monks to share their personal concerns as no questions came forward immediately. The abbot smiled again and said: “Not all the monks here have entered nirvana. They’re not asking questions not because they’re enlightened, but because they’re shy.” (Laughter)
After an hour of Dharma discussion, Sunim gave his closing remarks.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: There are things I really want to tell you. First, practitioners should live frugally. If you live luxuriously, you will be criticized by the public. Second, always be humble to the public. If you walk around with too much pride saying, “I am a monk,” you will be criticized by the public.
The Buddha said: “Be dignified without being arrogant. Be humble without being servile.”
We should be dignified enough to fear no king or rich person in the world. However, we must always be humble to the public. If we maintain this well, we need not fear any obstacle in the world. I hope all of you live with such dignity.
If you become a practitioner, practice like the Buddha
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim also visited Minh Dang Quang Temple of the mendicant tradition. Vietnam’s mendicant tradition follows the Buddhist tradition of alms-seeking practitioners and was founded by Ven. Minh Dang Quang. The community combines the ideologies and practices of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism to embody the spirit of early Buddhist mendicant practice.
On arriving at Minh Dang Quang Temple, the secretary general of Minh Dang Quang Buddhist Research Institute welcomed Ven. Pomnyun Sunim. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim also met with Ven. Thich Giac Toan, director of the Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute and vice president of the Vietnam Buddhist Association. Ven. Thich Giac Toan provided a detailed explanation of the history of Minh Dang Quang Temple and the practices of the mendicant community.
Ven. Thich Giac Toan: Minh Dang Quang Temple was established in 1968. Our founder, Patriarch Minh Dang Quang, learned Theravada Buddhism in Cambodia and established this sect in 1944 to follow Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings by observing precepts and living as mendicants. He initially had 100 disciples, of whom 30 were monks. At that time, the temple was just a small hut. They had to move locations every three months for their practice. Unlike Theravada Buddhism, we recognize female ordination. Our monks also engage in labor and production. How long can one live solely by alms-begging? One must also work and produce. Patriarch Minh Dang Quang emphasized three things: live together, practice together, and study together. He always said: “If you become a practitioner, practice like the Buddha.
Which tradition is better?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim then moved to the hall where the monks in summer retreat were gathered. About 50 bhikkhus were present. When the Vietnamese monks requested a Dharma talk, Sunim began the conversation with a bright smile.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: I wasn’t able to visit the mendicant sect during my previous visit to Vietnam. I was curious about this temple when I passed by, and today I finally have the opportunity to visit. I’m delighted to meet all of you. I’m concerned that our conversation during your retreat period might disturb your practice. However, I’m also pleased if I can be of some help to your studies.
Korean Buddhism has the characteristic of inheriting both the Mahayana tradition and the Seon Buddhist tradition. However, what society truly needs today is the Buddha’s fundamental teachings. That’s why we are refocusing on Theravada teachings. I was pleased to learn that you also study Theravada, Mahayana, and Seon Buddhism together.
People who argue may say “one type of Buddhism is better than another,” but from the perspective of truth, we cannot say which Buddhism is better. All forms of Buddhism are simply different aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. That is why today, you and I, as disciples of the same Buddha, can comfortably have this conversation as Dharma friends. Some of you might be older than me or have been ordained longer. However, most of you appear to be young. Since I have lived longer than you, I would like to share my experiences with you.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim then opened the floor for questions. Over the course of two hours, seven monks engaged in conversation with Sunim.
How can attain enlightenment in the age of AI?
Q: I have been ordained and am diligently practicing according to the Buddha’s original teachings. However, in today’s world, science and technology are advancing, human lifespans are increasing, artificial intelligence has emerged, and everything is becoming automated. In this era, how should we practice to attain enlightenment more quickly?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: I entered first grade in elementary school in 1960. At that time, South Korea’s per capita GDP was US$100. Now, 65 years later, it has reached US$35,000. Economically speaking, that’s a 350-fold increase. But does that mean people have become 350 times happier? Or even 35 times happier? Or even three times happier?
It’s difficult to say they’ve become happier at all. Yet Koreans still think they would be happier if they just had more money, constantly talking about “money, money, money.” If GDP increases tenfold to US$350,000 in the future, will people become happier? Based on past experience, they will not. This shows that no amount of material abundance or technological advancement can eliminate human suffering.
Despite longer lifespans, automation, and artificial intelligence, human suffering has only increased, not decreased. If people from 100 years ago could see our lives today, what would they say?
“You’re not threatened by war, you don’t lack food, you have clothes to wear, and you have homes to sleep in—what are you suffering about?”
That’s what they would ask. Yet we all claim to be suffering now. The Buddha’s teachings can provide a solution to the question of “how we can live without suffering?”
Life is suffering. The cause of suffering is attachment. If we let go of attachment, we can live without suffering. This is the essence of the Four Noble Truths, the core of the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddha was born a prince. Even then, he lacked nothing and had nothing to envy. Economically, he had abundant food, held the highest status, and possessed everything. From others’ perspectives, he had no reason to suffer and was in an enviable position. Yet he suffered.
At that time, there were religions, such as Brahmanism and philosophies such as the Upanishads. But these religions and philosophies could not resolve human suffering. So the Buddha explored how to escape suffering and finally reached a state without suffering. We call this state nirvana. The goal of practice is nirvana. It’s not about going to paradise after death, being reborn in a better place in the next life, or receiving blessings in this life. It’s about attaining a state without suffering. This is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching.
Today’s modern people live just like the princes of the Buddha’s time, wanting for nothing. Yet we are suffering. This is why Siddhartha Gautama’s concerns from 2,600 years ago mirror our own today. We need to free ourselves from material desires. The reason we renounce the world is to liberate ourselves from these material desires. If ordained monks keep clinging to material desires and social status, this contradicts the spirit of renunciation. The Buddha has already walked the path to nirvana. It’s not that there is no path; we simply choose not to follow it. Therefore, we must guide not only monks but all people in this world toward the path of nirvana.
Practitioners must always implement three things. First, reach a state free from suffering. Second, share this beneficial teaching with others. Third, help the many people in the world who haven’t encountered this teaching. Now is the perfect time for the Buddha’s teachings to be well-received by people in the world. Yet we keep being drawn to material desires and engaging in acts of praying for blessings, which prevents us from reaching nirvana. I hope you all clearly understand that the goal of practice is to attain nirvana. Only when we have a clear perspective that living without suffering is the goal of practice can we progress on the path to enlightenment.
* Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
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