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 New York City on 18 September 2023. This article is the 18th in a special series taken from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s Dharma tour of Europe and North America—his first overseas tour since the pandemic. Titled “Casual Conversation with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Come Talk about Life, Wisdom, and Happiness,” the Dharma tour ran from 1–22 September 2023, taking in 21 cities: six in Europe and 15 in North America.**
A fundamental solution to the climate crisis
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When plastic was first introduced, many people welcomed it as a durable new raw material that greatly improved our lives in terms of convenience. However non-biodegradable microplastics are beginning to pose a significant threat to humanity that is almost as serious as the climate crisis. Microplastics do not decompose, so they flow into the oceans in the form of tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye. Marine animals ingest these particles, which accumulate in their bodies. When humans consume these fish, the microplastics enter our bodies as well. The long-term health consequences of this accumulation of microplastics in the human body are still unknown.
Just as the 20,000 components that make up a typical car are intricately connected according to a detailed design to allow the car to move, so too the intricate interconnectedness of all beings in the universe allows many forms of life to thrive. The climate crisis, brought about by human overconsumption, is leading to the extinction of numerous species and is a stark warning of the impending threat of human extinction.
Although technology can be helpful in these crisis situations, it can only alleviates symptoms and does not offer a fundamental cure. The fundamental treatment is to reduce consumption. But can we, who are addicted to consumption, really reduce our consumption?
Unless we reduce consumption, humanity is inevitably headed toward extinction. It’s a matter of time only—whether it takes 50 years or 100 years. Therefore, those who indulge in consumer luxuries and overconsumption are not to be envied but can be considered adversaries of humanity. In this era of climate crisis, your values need to undergo significant changes. We must adopt the perspective that those who over-consume are enemies of humanity, not people to be envied, and that we need to work toward reducing consumption.
Living a simple life and finding satisfaction there can lead individuals to contentment, making them happier without constantly craving more. Additionally, as economic disparities decrease, the overall happiness of society can improve. In this way, we can collectively work toward overcoming the climate crisis.
The person who first presented this path and set an example by walking it is what I consider to be the Buddha. He willingly gave up a position of potential kingship, forsook a life of wealth and abundance, and instead scavenged for food, wore cast-off clothing, and slept under trees. Despite this, he found happiness within himself and led others onto the path of happiness. The teachings of the Buddha were not about praying for blessings in order to reach a better place after death; they were about showing humanity a new path to follow—especially relevant in the era of the climate crisis. In this regard, I like to call the Buddhadharma “the ancient path for the future” because it teaches us how to live a life free from suffering.
After sharing his opening address, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim received questions from the audience.
Connecting with my colleagues
Q: I am a Korean who has been living in the United States for 21 years now. Working with Americans at my job often feels challenging. I frequently feel disheartened by my inability to communicate in English as fluently as someone born here. I also worry that my coworkers might ignore me. When company meetings don’t go as planned or my opinions aren’t well-received, I tend to automatically blame my language limitations, which undermines my confidence. I got married here and I consider the US to be the foundation of my life. Assuming that I won’t be returning to Korea in the foreseeable future, how can I approach this situation with a mindset that will help me overcome the distress and challenges?
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Do you have children?
Q: No, not yet.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: If a child is born in the United States, would there still be language issues if they physically look Korean? Or would there not be any language issues?
Q: There would not.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: However, you spoke Korean in Korea before coming to the US, so there might naturally be some language limitations. Similarly, someone from Gyeongsang Province may continue to use their regional dialect even after living in Seoul for a long time—isn’t this something that it happens?
Q: It happens.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: Even within the same country, such language limitations can arise. For instance, if a North Korean or someone from Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China were to come and live in Seoul, would their regional dialect and accent completely disappear just because they’ve lived there for 20 years?”
Q: It won’t go away.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: When you emigrate at a young age, you can usually overcome language limitations fairly easily, but if you emigrate as an adult, it can be challenging to fully overcome such language limitations. Similarly, even if you have lived in the US for a long time, the fact that you came here as an adult means that your accent may not change significantly. So shouldn’t you accept this to some extent and live with it? There may not be any other viable option.
Q: It seems like I have high expectations for myself.
▶️ Published by BDG on April 10, 2024
▶️ Read more: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/leaving-the-door-to-opportunity-open/
