The revered Korean Dharma master and socially engaged Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님) on 4 July inaugurated a newly constructed female dormitory at Preah Sihaknouk Raja Buddhist University, Battambang Branch (SBUBB) in northwestern Cambodia.
The Buddhist humanitarian relief organization JTS Korea, founded by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, has been supporting the construction of this dormitory with technical guidance and construction expertise, as well as US$150,000 in funding. The outcome of this focused application of compassion and commitment to empowering women from underprivileged communities is long-awaited and much-needed accommodation for female students attending SBUBB from rural areas.
Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, with 97.1 per cent of the population of 17 million people following Theravada Buddhism, according to data for 2019. Figures from the Ministry of Cults and Religious Affairs indicate that there are 59,516 Buddhist monks and 4,755 monasteries in Cambodia.
The inauguration ceremony for the new four-floor building was attended by SBUBB chancellor and initiator of the project, the socially engaged Buddhist monk and scholar Ven. Dr. Vy Sovechea, who was accompanied by a cohort of SBUBB students, as well as representatives from the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). Also present were the Catholic Bishop of Battambang, the vice governor of Battambang along with several government officials, and members of the monastic sangha, alongside volunteer members of JTS Korea and Jungto Society the international Buddhist community founded by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism, and based on the principle that helping others is the best way to enrich one’s own life. Charged with bringing hope, empowerment, and self-reliance to underprivileged communities in developing countries, JTS is run and manned by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit marginalized communities. JTS carries out relief work in countries suffering from humanitarian disasters, and has engaged in humanitarian projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
▶️ Published by BDG on July 10, 2024
▶️ Read more: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/engaged-buddhism-special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-inaugurates-female-dormitory-for-buddhist-university-in-cambodia/
