The 21st Biennial Conference of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), jointly organized with and hosted by the socially engaged Buddhist non-profit Foundation of His Sacred Majesty, was held in Chennai, in southern India, from 22 November–3 December 2024 under the theme “Buddhist Heritage: Toward Inclusive Societies.”*
The forum brought together an inclusive gathering of 250 engaged Buddhists from 18 countries. The participants included monastics, distinguished teachers, scholars, and prominent engaged Buddhist activists, who presented, examined, and organized workshops on an array of topics that was ambitious in scope and profound in the depth of its exploration of a multitude of interconnected themes and concerns central to the practice of socially engaged buddhism. Key issues examined included: the promotion of peace and social harmony; Buddhist heritage and culture since antiquity; grassroots support for environmental sustainability, gender equality, children’s well-being, and social justice; spiritual development and practice; strengthening networks and relationships within the global Buddhist community; and encouraging young people to explore and engage with Buddhist teachings and practices.
Among the notable speakers who presented at the week-long forum was the revered Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, the founder and guiding Dharma teacher of Jungto Society. A widely respected author and social activist, he has founded numerous compassion-based 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.**
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim presented his keynote speech on the topic, “Tracing the Roots of Compassion and Equity through Inclusive Social Engagement,” at INEB’s public symposium, held in Chennai on 1 December. His talk was conducted in a Dharma Q&A format, and is reproduced here in full.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Today, I would like to speak to you about the Buddhist heritage that was passed down to me here in India.
First, as a Buddhist, I inherited the legacy of the teachings of the Buddha here in India. Second, as a Mahayana Buddhist, I inherited the legacy of Nagarjuna, who was born here in southern India and systematized Mahayana Buddhism. Third, Bodhidharma, who originated from southern India, is the founder of Zen Buddhism. As a Zen Buddhist, I inherited the legacy of Bodhidharma’s teachings.
Because I inherited these three legacies, I am who I am today, and I was able to visit Chennai. I thank INEB’s officials for inviting me.
Why is engaged Buddhism important in modern society?
Q: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim founded Jungto Society to apply the Buddhist teachings to solve the sufferings of modern people. The members of Jungto Society are dedicated individuals who vow to free themselves from suffering and make the benefit and welfare of all humans the core of their activities. Jungto Society operates various programs using the Buddhist teachings as a guide to address issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, war and conflict, and personal and collective suffering. Jungto Society has more than 10,000 members active worldwide, and Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s YouTube channel has over two million subscribers. His teachings have had a profound impact on modern society, and he was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2020.* I would like to ask Sunim: is engaged Buddhism really important? How can we practice engaged Buddhism?”
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When we study Buddhism, there are three approaches.
First, there’s the religious approach, where we say we believe in Buddhism. When we believe in the Buddha, the Buddha from this perspective is a very absolute and abstract being, like a god. When we say we believe in the Buddha, there is no meaning of the Buddha as a historical and social being.
Second, there’s the philosophical approach, where we study the Buddhadharma. At this time, we mainly study Buddhist philosophy.
Third, we can approach Buddhism by studying the life of Shakyamuni Buddha. Since the Buddha actually lived in society and history, we can come to understand the Buddha as a social and historical being.
The Buddha lived as a human being in the world for 45 years—teaching from the time he attained enlightenment until he entered parinirvana. Even the Buddha, who had attained nirvana without suffering, had to eat, wear clothes, and sleep. He met not only people who respected him but also those who criticized him. The society in which the Buddha lived had many wars, just like today. There was also severe discrimination. The most representative forms of discrimination were the caste system, which discriminated against people based on their social status, and gender discrimination.
There was a time when a mother, grieving over her dead baby, came to the Buddha with her dead child in her arms to plead for his life. Even during the Buddha’s lifetime, there was an incident in which Kapilavastu, the country where the Buddha was born, was attacked by the Kosala kingdom, resulting in the near annihilation of the Shakya clan. If we properly understand how the Buddha dealt with these events, Buddhism naturally regains its social and historic context.
Let me give you an example. India was colonized by Britain. Many people fought to gain independence from British rule. So what kind of society did India become after gaining independence from Britain? From the perspective of the ruling class, it’s an independent society. However, from the perspective of the ruled class—even in the new India that has gained independence from Britain—there still exists an upper caste that rules over them, and they are still governed by them. From the perspective of the Dalit class, what difference does it make whether or not independence was achieved? There is no difference at all. For them, true independence means not only independence from Britain but also liberation from the caste system. This was the reality of Indian society at that time. While Mahatma Gandhi was great, this is precisely the difference in the awareness of issues between Mahatma Gandhi and [the political and social reformer] Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
What was life like during the Buddha’s time? When Siddhartha Gautama lived in the palace, he had little social awareness. However, when he ventured outside the palace, he saw the reality of life. He witnessed birds pecking at insects, farmers beating oxen while working, and the extreme poverty of farmers from excessive exploitation by their masters. The question that arose in his mind at that time was: “Why must one die for another to live?” He began to wonder: “Is there a way for everyone to be happy together?”
It was because he started to feel this sense of social consciousness that Gautama Siddhartha was able to approach the world of truth. When one renounces the world, they make a personal decision to abandon family, status, and wealth. However, there are people who cannot make such decisions for themselves: the slaves who have masters. Slaves cannot decide their own lives as they wish. Also, in society at that time, men played the role of masters over women, so women could not make decisions about their own lives either.
The fact that the Buddha allowed slaves to renounce the world means that he recognized them as their own masters. Accepting women’s renunciation means acknowledging that women can exist independently without men. In this way, the Buddha transcended the most rigid caste and gender discrimination of his time through his life practices.
Why Buddhism ceased to engage in social practice
I believe the main reason why social practice does not emerge from Buddhists today is that they have not studied how the Buddha lived his 45 years. Most Buddhists are only engaged in religious acts of believing in the Buddha or in academic research on the Buddha’s teachings, which is why practical Buddhism does not emerge. I teach Jungto Society members that the most important thing is to understand how the Buddha—as a human being—responded to various social issues during his 45 years. Let me give you an example: the Buddha’s father was from the Shakya clan, and his mother was from the Koliya clan. The Rohini River flowed between the two nations. One year, during a severe drought, the two clans fought over the water from the Rohini River. What began as a conflict between residents escalated to the point where armies were about to go to war. This was an issue involving his own relatives that even a practitioner could not ignore, so the Buddha went to the scene of the conflict.
He asked them: “Which is more important, water or blood?”
They replied: “How can you compare insignificant water to precious blood? Of course, blood is more valuable.”
The Buddha then said: “Then why are you about to spill precious blood for that insignificant water?”
This is manner in which the Buddha concretely resolved conflicts. On the Korean Peninsula, where I live, the same ethnic group is now on the brink of war between North and South. As disciples following the Buddha’s teachings, our task must be to find ways to peacefully resolve the conflict between North and South Korea.
Therefore, my answer to your question is as follows.
First, I hope you will study the life of the Buddha more deeply. This is because all of Buddhism’s social practices are contained within it.
Second, we face many social issues today. The question is, from what perspective will we approach today’s reality? If the Buddha were to come to this world again, how would he approach environmental and peace issues? I believe that engaged Buddhism is not just a new form of Buddhism, or a part of Buddhism, but the very essence of Buddhism. In other words, instead of asking, “How should Buddhists participate in solving social problems?” Buddhists should naturally participate in solving social problems.
Some people ask me: “Why do you engage in environmental activism?” To this, I respond: “I breathe, I drink water, and I eat food. How can I not engage in environmental activism when the things essential for my survival are being polluted and destroyed?”
Others ask: “Why do you engage in peace activism?” To this, I answer: “If war breaks out, I could be hit by a bomb, and the temple where I live could be destroyed.”
In fact, many temples were destroyed during the Korean War, so the issue of peace is not something we can ignore; it’s our problem. I don’t think that Buddhism, practice, and social engagement are separate. I believe that our life itself is practice and social engagement.
What drives Sunim’s continuous engagement?
Q: Sunim, you have been continuously dedicating yourself to others for many years. As much as your efforts have been respected, they must also have been criticized many times. In this situation, what drives your continuous engagement? How do you maintain hope even when it feels like the world is getting darker?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: I grew up in the countryside, so I farmed when I was young. Also, because we didn’t have a car, I walked long distances. When I was young, food was very scarce. When my parents bought me shoes during the holidays, I would walk barefoot to school to save them, only putting them on when I arrived at the school entrance. Thanks to these experiences, I don’t feel any difficulties when I travel around the world.
Taking an airplane is more comfortable than taking a train or bus. Taking a bus is more comfortable than riding in a truck. Riding in a truck is more comfortable than walking. When I was young, my wish was to ride in the back of a truck when one passed by, so I think riding in any vehicle is better than walking. Also, people in the countryside don’t just walk; they walk carrying heavy loads. So what’s so difficult about walking without any load?
People ask me if it’s not tiring to take multiple connecting flights instead of direct flights, but it’s not tiring at all. If you go to the airport, you’ll find that the bathrooms are well-maintained, there’s air conditioning and heating, and you can even take a shower. With all these facilities available, what’s so difficult about staying at an airport?
No matter how much work I do, it’s still much easier than the lives of farmers in rural areas. It’s also easier than the work of laborers. From a broader perspective, more than half of the world’s population lives in much more difficult conditions than I do. So how can I consider my work difficult? The Buddha always ate food given to him by others, but I eat better than that. Whatever clothes I wear, they are better than the patchwork robes that the Buddha wore. Even if I sleep in this hall, it’s far better than sleeping under a tree as the Buddha did. Given that my circumstances are much better than those of the Buddha himself, shouldn’t I refrain from complaining about my life?
When you read the scriptures, you’ll find that even the Buddha faced much criticism. If such an admirable figure as the Buddha was criticized, it’s only natural that someone like me, with my imperfections, would face criticism. I’m not living this life because of any special practice. I’m just living my daily life, like a farmer tending to crops, a laborer working every day, or an office worker going to work. Moreover, I think I’m in a much easier position to engage in social practice than most people because I don’t have children or a wife. I don’t live this way through any special practice. I simply enjoy my daily life as if it were play.
How should we view those who criticize the outcries of marginalized people?
Q: When suffering and marginalized communities speak up about their issues, for example, when transgender individuals or oppressed women raise their voices, people often criticize them, saying, “Aren’t they just seeking attention?” or “They’re making the existing order uncomfortable.” How should we view such criticism? How can we understand those who criticize, and engage in compassionate dialogue with them?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When people criticize like that, you can simply respond, “Yes, that’s right!” If the existing order is flawed, shouldn’t we improve it? To improve the existing order, we need to resist it. What’s wrong with that? Don’t minorities need to shout for people to recognize their existence? They’re raising their voices to be acknowledged. When you injure your leg, you feel pain, right? You need to feel that pain to realize that your leg is injured so that you can treat it.
When they criticize, you can say, “We want to let the world know that we exist,” or, “We want to change the flawed order.” Look at dogs, for instance. When you see dogs playing, some have white fur, some yellow, some black. There are female dogs and male dogs. But do dogs discriminate against each other based on fur color or gender when they play? So why do humans discriminate based on skin color and gender? This doesn’t align with nature’s principles. Shouldn’t humans be better than animals? Even animals don’t discriminate. Discriminating is not just animal-like behavior; it’s worse than animal behavior. There’s no reason to hesitate in pointing out such behavior.
What can we do to prevent war and keep the peace?
Q: Numerous grassroots peace activists worldwide are working passionately. However, peace and war are primarily decided by the powerful in major nations. What role can grassroots NGOs or peace activists play, and what actual contributions can they make? Should we be content with simply raising our voices? Or is there more we can do?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Peace issues arise from relationships between nations, making it very difficult for civilians to play a role. That’s why the activities I’m conducting through the Peace Foundation I established focus on three main areas.
First, I visit the White House, the US presidential office, or the US Congress to convey the opinions of the Korean people, not those of the Korean government. I also make proposals to both the South Korean and North Korean governments. As I speak as a private citizen, the impact may not be significant. However, there have been notable achievements, such as in 2005 when a compromise proposal I suggested led to a dramatic resolution during the Six-Party Talks involving South Korea, North Korea, and the four major powers.
Second, I organize large public gatherings. In 2017, when the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula was escalating, 15,000 people gathered at a plaza to protest war and appeal for peace. On 13 June this year, 10,000 people assembled to call for peace on the Korean Peninsula.*** These mass gatherings are another method to advocate for peace.
Third, there’s a method of finding and persuading key figures in the Korean government. This approach requires a certain level of political influence within Korea to be effective, so we collaborate with leaders from other religions and social leaders. However, it’s true that the impact of such activities is very limited.
But if this is all we can do, we must do it. We can’t just sit idle, can we?
BDG is the official media partner for the 21st INEB Biennial International Conference. Our continued coverage over coming weeks will include a series of in-depth feature articles drawn from conference participants and their work as engaged Buddhists.
* Special Report: INEB’s 21st Biennial Conference Concludes in Chennai with a Commitment to a Shared Heritage of Compassion and Inclusivity (BDG) and Engaged Buddhism: INEB to Hold 21st Biennial Conference “Buddhist Heritage: Toward Inclusive Societies” in Chennai (BDG)
** Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)
See more
International Network of Engaged Buddhists
INEB – International Network of Engaged Buddhists (Facebook)
Foundation of His Sacred Majesty (Facebook)
Foundation of His Sacred Majesty India (YouTube)
Foundation of His Sacred Majesty (LinkedIn)
Jungto Society
Jungto Society International
What Drives Sunim’s Continuous Engagement? (Jungto Society)
Related news reports from BDG
Special Report: INEB’s 21st Biennial Conference Concludes in Chennai with a Commitment to a Shared Heritage of Compassion and Inclusivity
Engaged Buddhism: INEB to Hold 21st Biennial Conference “Buddhist Heritage: Toward Inclusive Societies” in Chennai
Related features from BDG
Finding Good News in Difficult Situations
Raising Healthy Children
If You Know the Truth as It Is, There Is No Reason to Suffer
Exercise Your Right to Lead a Happy Life
Why Buddhism Is Essential for Modern People
Related videos from BDG
Dharma Q+A with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim
Wisdom Notes from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim
