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 in Washington, DC, on 6 May 2024. This article is the seventh in a special series taken from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s 2024 Dharma tour of Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. Titled “Casual Conversation with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Come Talk about Life, Wisdom, and Happiness,” the Dharma tour ran from 29 April–21 September 2024, with Dharma talks scheduled in five countries—Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States.**
Reasons for violence and war
Venerable Pomnyun Sunim spent five days in Washington, DC, meeting various officials to advocate for peace on the Korean Peninsula. At American University, the president of the American Religious Studies Society, Prof. Park Jin-young, had requested a dialogue with Sunim for the society members. Prof. Park requested a keynote Dharma talk on “Violence, Non-Violence, and Social Justice.”
Q: Many American college students are protesting against the war in Israel these days. In a society rife with violence, I want to ask Sunim whether it’s really possible to practice non-violence. What perspective should one have to implement non-violence?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Our society today is increasingly fraught with conflict, and in some areas they escalate into wars. We desire peace, yet why do conflicts deepen in our world and at times even erupt into war, causing pain to many?
When we look around, we can see that all people and objects are slightly different from one another. However, because we are self-centered, we subconsciously think that everyone should be the same. With this underlying assumption, we view differences through a judgmental lens of “I am right and you are wrong.” Believing something is incorrect or bad about another’s actions or words makes us try to correct it. This often sparks conflict and, if unresolved, anger arises within us fueling further discord.
If we look closer, we share similarities but we also possess many differences. Therefore, acknowledging our differences allows us to step away from viewing things as right or wrong. By letting go of our judgments, we can listen to others and understand that “this person thinks that way” and “that person believes this” without anger rising within us.
Respecting others does not mean agreeing with them; it means acknowledging our differences. By recognizing our differences, we prevent anger within ourselves and are able to maintain a peaceful state of mind. Furthermore, it facilitates dialogue. We can try to persuade others to see our point, find compromises, or even align ourselves with their views. Various methods are available for us to explore, enabling us to peacefully resolve any issue. When we accept our differences, firstly, our minds remain peaceful, and secondly, we can resolve issues peacefully.
However, if we fail to accept our differences and perceive everything through the lens of “right” and “wrong,” two outcomes occur: first, anger arises within us, and second, we fail to respect the other party. Believing that the other is wrong, we feel compelled to correct them, and if changes aren’t made swiftly, our frustration escalates into harsh words and actions, which can culminate in social division and even war. All violence and wars stem from the perspective of “correcting what is wrong,” driven by the belief that one’s actions are justifiable, thus intensifying violence and warfare.
Neither anger nor indifference: the path of the Buddha
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When there is conflict, is it enough just to refrain from violent actions? Is maintaining external peace sufficient? If someone requests correction to overcome internal discrimination, but you respond by saying, “Well that would create conflict, so just accept it,” external peace may be maintained, but the suffering of those who experience discrimination remains unresolved. Therefore, some sociologists say, “A state without war is passive peace, and active peace can be achieved when there is no social conflict.” How should we view such inequality and discrimination?
Buddhism stands on the principle that all beings in this world have their own unique characteristics, so there are no superior or inferior beings. However, in the reality we live in, discrimination exists based on gender, race, and physical disabilities, among others. Thus, the social justice spoken of in Buddhism means stepping toward a world without discrimination from a reality where it exists.
Shakyamuni Buddha, who attained enlightenment 2,600 years ago, was born and raised in a world where discrimination, such as by caste and gender, was accepted as truth. However, he discussed with his disciples whether being of a different caste or gender made any difference to human existence.
“Whether one belongs to a higher or lower caste, everyone eats, sleeps, defecates, marries, and has children. What difference could there be?”
He used such examples to teach that discrimination should not exist. At that time, the major discriminations were caste and gender, but at least within the sangha, the Buddha showed that these could be overcome. Although this led to much resistance from society, the Buddha did not respond with anger or violence. Facing resistance, he mostly told his disciples to “just wait,” because he was able to understand the views of those who resisted. However, he never gave up on his effort to overcome discrimination. He waited until their resistance ceased and eventually resolved the issue peacefully.
We often view others as adversaries with the mindset, “I am right,” “This is justice.” Typically, if someone resists with violence, the response is also violent. However, the Buddha taught that practicing social justice should also be done peacefully. Since his teaching is not to resolve any issue violently, we must continuously practice actions aimed at equality while maintaining peace in our minds.
Maintaining inner peace in any situation is quite challenging. Often, the effort to keep the mind peaceful ends there, neglecting the realization of social justice. Conversely, some don’t hesitate to engage in angry or violent actions to achieve social justice. The challenge is how to appropriately combine these two aspects.
The most important thing is to first maintain inner peace. However, you cannot maintain inner peace through will alone. When we acknowledge our differences and have the mindset that “from their perspective, it might be reasonable,” we can naturally maintain inner peace. While maintaining this peaceful mindset, if there is inequality, we must strive toward resolving it. Every being deserves respect and is inherently equal. “Moving toward equality is the realization of social justice.” Anyone living with this perspective can truly be called a bodhisattva.
Interpreting depictions of the Buddha’s birth
Later that day, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim went to Chùa Giác Hoàng, a Vietnamese temple in Washington, DC, where he had been invited by the International Buddhist Committee of Washington, DC, to conduct the Dharma Q&A. Before taking questions, Sunim shared about interpreting the stories of the Buddha’s birth told in the sutras, ahead of annual festivities to mark the birth of the Buddha.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: The Buddha’s biographer described his birth as follows: the Buddha was born from his mother’s right side. Immediately on being born, he stood up and took seven steps north, south, east, and west. Pointing with one hand to the earth and the other to the sky, he exclaimed, “In the heavens above and Earth below, I alone am the Honored One. All beings in the world are suffering; it is my duty to liberate them.”
This description is not to be taken literally. It was crafted by the author posthumously to symbolize the Buddha’s greatness. Some believe it to be true for religious reasons, while others do not take it as a fact. When I was in middle school, I joined a Buddhist youth group and found it hard to believe that the Buddha could stand immediately after birth. However, one day, I witnessed a calf stand up immediately after being born. And I thought to myself, “Oh, it is possible to stand up right after birth!” I revisited the sutras and noticed that the Buddha’s mother gave birth standing up while holding onto a tree branch. That’s why the Buddha also stood up immediately after birth. (Laughter)
From my childhood, I always liked to investigate everything scientifically. Similarly, when you read the Buddha’s biography, I hope that you try to understand what it symbolizes rather than whether or not it is factually true.
According to Indian tradition, members of the Kshatriya caste, or royalty, are born from the right side of the god Brahman. Thus, the Buddha’s birth from his mother’s right side symbolizes his royal lineage.
According to traditional Indian culture, human beings cycle through six realms: the worst being hell, followed by the realm of hungry ghosts, who suffer from famine, then the realm of animals, the realm of asuras, who are powerful but prone to anger, the realm of humans, and finally, the realm of gods. Humans are said to cycle through these six realms based on their deeds. The Buddha taking seven steps indicates his transcendence beyond these six realms to attain enlightenment and reach nirvana.
The symbolic act of the Buddha pointing one hand to the sky and the other to the ground can also be interpreted symbolically. “Above” refers to the realm of the gods, and “below” to the realm of humans, signifying that the Buddha, the enlightened one, transcends both realms and is the most venerable being, higher than any king or god. Therefore, he is called “the teacher of gods and men.” The saying, “All beings in the world are suffering; it is my duty to liberate them,” symbolizes the Buddha’s aspiration to teach the Dharma and free sentient beings from suffering. The Buddha was not born with these characteristics; rather, these attributes were ascribed to him, and his birth was depicted in this way because he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. This portrayal was written by the biographers centuries after he attained nirvana.
The reason I bring this up is to emphasize that ancient stories should be approached from a cultural-historical perspective. When interpreting these stories, you should focus on what they symbolize instead of trying to find out whether or not they’re “true.”
How should we manage our anger during anti-war protests?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim then took questions from members of the audience.
Q: A week ago, I was protesting [the Gaza war] on my campus in Austin, Texas. In that experience, I gained profound insights into the value of Buddhist practice while protesting. I tried to practice right speech and compassion for the plight of Palestinians, without any hatred or anger toward anybody or any institution.
While protesting, I was pepper-sprayed, arrested, and spent two nights in jail. Throughout that experience, I witnessed the profound suffering that I assume is going on every day within the walls of a jail, as well as the profound needs of the other young people arrested with me, who were experiencing anxiety and fear. In the hours before I was put in my cell, I tried to teach my fellow students how to meditate and cope with being alone with their minds for so long, as I believe many young people don’t often have that experience.
I share this story because I’m curious to hear your advice on how to engage with people at these protests who may express opinions I disagree with, or who may not come from a Buddhist background or believe in Buddhism, and how to demonstrate the value or effectiveness of these practices in such situations.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Teaching others is not an easy task. People who have lost family members or their homeland are easily consumed by anger. Telling them, “Don’t be angry,” or, “Stay calm,” will not resonate with them. They might retort, “You can say that because you haven’t lost a family member.” Therefore, trying to teach others is not always the best approach.
A bodhisattva should accept the suffering of sentient beings as their own. If the suffering of sentient beings seems unjust, you should protest it. However, you need to examine whether there is anger and hatred in your heart and try to calm these feelings. Generally, if one doesn’t have anger, they don’t act. However, if you act in anger, you may easily become violent. A practitioner should be able to take constructive action without anger. This is not easy, which is why we need to set an example ourselves. We must adopt an approach that does not involve fear, fleeing, avoidance, or anger. When we set an example, we can correctly transmit the Dharma to others.
People may ask you, “Aren’t you angry?” or “Aren’t you afraid?” Of course, you also feel anger and fear. But are these emotions helpful in resolving the situation? What are your goals in protesting? They are likely humanitarian aid, cessation of bombings, and preventing civilian casualties, right? And you probably think that American taxpayers’ money should not be used for unjust causes. To achieve these goals, more people need to participate. For more people to join, you must avoid violent actions, as violence can deter participation. What approach should we adopt to achieve our goals? Acting non-violently opens the path for many more people to join. Even if they act violently toward you, your non-violent response is more effective in achieving your goals. And this approach will likely meet less resistance. When trying to bring about change, there will be resistance, which causes harm, so it is essential for you to set an example.
As I mentioned earlier about the depiction of the Buddha’s birth, the first sentence he spoke, “In the heavens above and Earth below, I alone am the Honored One,” means that we should aim to be free from anger, fear, and suffering in any situation. The second sentence, “All beings in the world are suffering; it is my duty to liberate them,” means we should be at the forefront of alleviating people’s suffering by fighting inequality and discrimination. This is not an obligation but a choice.
I believe that making the right choices makes us truly human and leads us on the path of the Buddha. It would be contradictory to talk about the climate crisis without taking any action, right? There are still people in the world who are starving and sick. If I have enough to eat, wear, and a place to sleep, I should at least donate a little to help them. If we fight with hatred, wars cannot be stopped. We need to strive to make society more peaceful. Always focus on maintaining inner peace. If I am not at peace and am tense, I cannot continue my efforts for very long. Eventually, I would get tired and stop. To bring about change, you need to be able to persist. Keeping your composure is not an excuse for non-participation. Maintaining inner peace means that I can continue my efforts and bring about change.
Q: Thank you.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Today, I had a wonderful meeting with all of you. I celebrate and welcome the day the Buddha came into this world with you. I hope it has been an opportunity for us all to reflect on the meaning of the Buddha’s arrival in this world.
While Sunim took commemorative photos and exchanged handshakes with attendees, one person expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Sunim. “Things were so bad in my life that I felt like dying, but I survived thanks to you. I’m truly grateful.”
* Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
See more
Pomnyun
Jungto Society
JTS Korea
JTS America
International Network of Engaged Buddhists
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