Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, this month hosted an intensive nine-day study tour in South Korea for Buddhist monastics from Southeast Asia affiliated with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). 

In total, there were eight delegates for the 10th INEB Study Trip to Jungto Society: three from Thailand, two from Cambodia, one from Myanmar, one from Laos, and one from Sri Lanka, who gathered in a warm and welcoming atmosphere of kalyana-mitrata* from 26 June–4 July to explore new ways to share the Dharma and to undertake socially engaged activities more effectively.

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim shared some welcoming remarks with the delegation on the first day of the program.

“Members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) delegation, I sincerely thank you for making this long journey to visit us. I see that some of you have visited once or twice before. It’s especially wonderful to see familiar faces again. . . .

“As we all feel, the world is now very chaotic. War is no longer just a story from history but is expanding in the reality in which we live. While religions speak of peace, religious conflicts lie deep behind many wars. Additionally, natural disasters due to the climate crisis are becoming more frequent globally, and the wealth gap is widening at an alarming rate. It almost seems as if new classes and caste systems are emerging. In these times, I would like to think together about how we can realize the Buddha’s teachings of equality and freedom in today’s world.”

INEB is a global network of individuals and organizations who are committed to building compassionate societies and working toward environmental sustainability and world peace. INEB emphasizes the importance of developing ethical, Dharma-based approaches to its work, and encourages members to work collaboratively and respectfully based on a foundation of shared values and aspirations. Headquartered in Bangkok, INEB has established a wide range of social projects and outreach programs aimed at overcoming suffering and empowering vulnerable communities through the practice of the Dharma and social programs such as education and training, community development, advocacy and lobbying efforts, and interfaith dialogue.

“These issues cannot be resolved by discussing them only within temples or monasteries,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim observed. “The Buddha himself walked from village to village every day, resolving various social problems of his time through dialogue with people. Similarly, we must work together with people to solve problems in the very places where they live their lives. I hope this time we can have deeper conversations about these specific matters.”

The study tour was led by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and coordinated by the committed and tireless volunteers who make up Jungto Society, and Anchalee Kurutach, a member of INEB’s Executive Committee and coordinator of INEB’s Regional Network for Peacebuilders project. The delegates engaged in an intensive itinerary that included site visits to Buddhist monasteries, temples, retreat centers, and communities. These visits providing impetus for Dharma talks, group presentations, discussions, and workshops on diverse yet essential aspects of modern Buddhism, encompassing: ongoing and planned socially engaged activities; Buddhist education and practice for monastics and laypeople; organizational management for Buddhist organizations and communities; individual and community practice; social equality; poverty alleviation; environmental protection; social programs and initiatives; Buddhism in contemporary societies; and plans for the future action and cooperation.

All of this was aimed at creating opportunities for the participants to connect and learn, and to present and exchange ideas for expressing and practicing engaged Buddhism in their respective communities and societies.

Speaking on behalf of the visiting monastics, Ven. Galkande Dhammananda from Sri Lanka observed: “It is very meaningful that people working in various regions around the world have gathered in one place during such difficult times. While it’s hard to maintain a broad perspective when focusing on local situations in our respective places, gathering together like this allows us to reflect on each other’s activities and refresh ourselves. And when we return to our respective places, we can approach our activities with a broader perspective.

“This meeting will serve as a living role model for all of us. While role models in books can be forgotten once the book is closed, living role models we meet face-to-face leave a deep inspiration. I deeply thank Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the members of the Jungto Society lay sangha, and I express my gratitude to INEB for arranging this precious occasion.”

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.

At the end of the study trip, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim offered some thoughts on the program and how the participants had been able to learn and benefit from each other.

“Through this opportunity, I came to understand well what you all are doing, what concerns you have, and what you lack,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim remarked. “However, it leaves something to be desired. I felt that your activities seem to lack social engagement beyond Buddhism. Nevertheless, I could feel that you are seriously thinking and working hard in your own ways about what role Buddhism can play in local communities.

“The reality is that many monks forget their duty as monastics and pursue personal comfort through the Three Jewels’ offerings. In this context, I was deeply moved that you are living dedicatedly for yourselves and those around you. Today, many [monastic] sangha members are often preoccupied with just living comfortably by themselves. But you are trying to do something by attempting new education or practicing environmental movements in your communities. I felt so proud of that. Of course, although you didn’t say it outwardly, I think there must have been many times when you thought inwardly: ‘Do I really have to do this? I want to quit.’

“Our seniors—Prof. Sulak Sivaraksa, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ven. Maha Ghosananda, and Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne—have shown us how to participate in social issues according to the Buddhist teachings since half a century ago. However, they have now passed away or become too old to be active. How to continue their legacy seems to be INEB’s major challenge today.

“Another challenge is not only inheriting their legacy, but how to expand and develop it further. Until now, INEB has simply connected individual activists, but in the future, we should also explore ways to collaborate jointly. I hope you will take central roles in your countries amid these changes. In this study tour program, we could feel closer because we discussed specific tasks together. Thank you for your enthusiastic participation.”

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim continued:

“In the Buddha’s time, most practitioners renounced worldly life, formed a sangha, and spread the Dharma together. In modern society, this approach isn’t easy. However, even without leaving home, anyone can use part of their life to spread this Dharma. Devotees who come to temples to pray for blessings seek their own benefit, so it’s difficult for them to become social activists. To be a bodhisattva, one must be able to generate even a little aspiration to ‘first become self-reliant and then help others.’ Only when such people gather can we play a role in leading social change. For this, individuals must first practice and receive proper education about the Dharma. Only an organization composed of such practitioners can spread the Dharma and engage in social practice to create a just society. We must work together in this way to make the world more just.

“The Buddha started practicing alone with nothing and eventually became the first awakened person. In contrast, today we can start together with all of you and have at least minimal facilities. Compared with the Buddha, we have many things, so if we just generate the aspiration to do it, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. If we cooperate together, we can do much better. With this spirit, INEB was founded, and we have come to meet like this. I hope we can continue to cooperate together in the future. Thank you for your hard work over this long time.”

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, the guiding Dharma teacher of Jungto Society, is a widely respected author and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives, and projects across the world. In October 2020, The Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of the revered monk’s international humanitarian work, 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.**

* Kalyana-mitrata (Skt.), Kalyaṇa-mittata (Pali); virtuous spiritual friendship. 

** Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)

See more

International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
Jungto Society
Jungto Society International

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