May 6, 2024 – North America East Coast Lecture Tour (8), Washington D.C
Hello. Starting today, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim will spend five days in Washington D.C., and will meet with many people to advocate for peace on the Korean peninsula.
He started the day with morning practice and meditation at 5 AM at the Washington Jungto Center.
After breakfast, he departed for Washington D.C. at 8:15 AM. At American University, Professor Park Jin-young, the president of the American Religious Studies Society, had requested a dialogue with the Sunim, which was to be recorded for the society members.
He arrived at American University at 9:30 AM. Professor Park briefly explained the topics for today’s dialogue before starting the recording.
Professor Park requested a keynote Dharma talk on “Violence, Non-Violence, and Social Justice.” Jason provided interpretation for English-speaking viewers.
“Is it possible to achieve social justice through non-violence?”
“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 is really possible to practice non-violence. What perspective should one have to implement non-violence?”
Venerable Pomnyun Sunim responded to Professor Park’s question:
“Our society today is increasingly fraught with conflicts, and in some areas, they escalate into wars. We desire peace, yet why does our world deepen in conflict and at times even erupt into war, causing pain to many?
Reasons for Violence and War
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 and 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, ‘This person thinks this way,’ ‘This person believes that’ 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 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.
Being Neither Angry nor Indifferent: The Path Suggested by the Buddha
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 resolved. 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 towards a world without discrimination from a reality where it exists.
Gautama Buddha, who attained enlightenment 2600 years ago, was born and raised in a world where discrimination such as caste and gender were 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 detailed examples to preach 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. Even though this led to much resistance from society, the Buddha did not respond with anger or violence. Facing their 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 the 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. Also, oftentimes, 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 towards equality is the realization of social justice,’ and anyone living with this perspective can truly be called a bodhisattva.”
Subsequently, Professor Park and Sunim discussed the topic further.
– Why does Buddhism place such high importance on the precept of not killing living beings?
– Isn’t non-violence a tool given to the powerless?
Next, Professor Park introduced questions from the students, and Sunim responded to them.
– How can we distinguish between pursuing hatred and pursuing justice?
– The police have been deployed in recent protests against the war in Palestine, but does this help resolve the situation?
– Many refugees are crossing borders, but it seems their right to survive clashes with the safety of the citizens. How should this issue be resolved?
While addressing various questions, the promised two hours passed quickly. After finishing the recording, Sunim gifted Professor Park an English translation of one of his books and took a commemorative photo together.
After leaving the lecture hall, Sunim headed to the student cafeteria at American University for lunch.
“Today’s discussion is very pertinent to the current situation in the U.S., where violence is rampant.”
“It seems like America has completely lost its moral authority to speak on global human rights, especially after it justified Israel’s retaliation and massacre.”
During lunch, Sunim continued to converse with the professor. After a brief tour of the campus, they promised to meet again and said their goodbyes.
In the afternoon, Sunim met with Congresswoman Young Kim, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, to discuss policies beneficial for peace on the Korean peninsula.
After leaving the U.S. Congress, at 4 PM, Sunim met with Tom McDevitt, the president of The Washington Times, and Michael Jenkins, chairman of The Washington Times Foundation, at a hotel in downtown Washington D.C. Last September, he visited The Washington Times headquarters and met Chairman Jenkins. Sunim greeted them in English.
“Nice to meet you.”
“So good to see you again. What a blessing for America! Thank you.”
“I should have come to The Washington Times to see you, but I am sorry you had to come out like this. I have a Dharma Q&A immediately after this.”
“It’s okay.”
From 4 PM to 6 PM, they extensively discussed the role the U.S. should play for peace on the Korean peninsula.
Since both Mr. McDevitt and Mr. Jenkins have significant connections with Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and former Secretary of State Pompeo, Sunim specifically requested that if Trump were elected, the U.S. policy towards North Korea should be modified.
“Currently, the most dangerous aspect is that North Korea’s nuclear technology is becoming more sophisticated. It has become more compact and capable of mass production. Their long-range missile technology has also advanced, and they are even attempting to build nuclear submarines. This has been possible because of the technology transfer from Russia to North Korea. We must either quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine to block the transfer of technology to North Korea or, if that is not feasible, actively engage in dialogue with North Korea to prevent the further transfer of Russian technology. If we continue to delay, it will result in serious dangers in the future.”
“The North Korean authorities are only focusing on their military goals, especially nuclear technology, while neglecting the suffering of their people.”
“I have heard that North Korean missiles used in the war in Ukraine were manufactured recently, and they contained chips made in the U.S. or Europe. This shows that antagonistic standoffs with North Korea are not helpful in preventing the production of their weapons of mass destruction. If we cannot make North Korea give up its nuclear arsenal, we must at least obtain an agreement to freeze its nuclear program as soon as possible. To do that, improving relations between North Korea and the U.S. is essential. Previously, nuclear disarmament was a precondition for improving US-North Korea relations, but now, a nuclear freeze and improvement of relations should go hand-in-hand. Only then will negotiations be possible. We need to recognize that North Korea’s status has changed significantly from what it was ten years ago.”
“The bigger problem is that if North Korea continues to have nuclear weapons, South Korea will also try to arm itself with nuclear weapons. Then, Japan will also try to arm itself with nuclear weapons. This is something that even China does not want.”
“It is crucial to stop North Korea’s nuclear proliferation now. There is no other way to demand a nuclear freeze from North Korea except through the normalization of US-North Korea relations.”
“You’re right. That’s the most important thing right now.”
“By freezing North Korea’s nuclear program, for starters, we can halt the growing danger before negotiating toward nuclear disarmament. We must first stop the mass production of nuclear weapons, development of compact nuclear weapons, and the expansion of long-range missile development. Although North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons is not yet a major threat, it will become extremely dangerous if their numbers increase. There is a saying, ‘A stitch in time saves nine.'”
“I don’t think China wants North Korea to proliferate its nuclear weapons either. In fact, China is more concerned about this than we are. If we get China’s cooperation, wouldn’t we be able to suppress North Korea?”
“It would be possible if the relationship between the U.S. and China were cooperative, not competitive as it is now. It is not easy to obtain China’s cooperation since the U.S. views it as a competitor. It is also difficult to obtain Russia’s cooperation at this time. I would like to tell you that we can’t try to handle North Korea as we used to due to the recent changes in international relations.”
“We have already lost many opportunities.”
“Of course, dealing with North Korea is challenging, but we cannot simply allow their nuclear proliferation to continue unchecked. It’s in everyone’s best interest to stop it as soon as possible. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate it if you could clearly convey to U.S. government officials that North Korea’s standing has changed with the shifting international relations.”
“Yes, I will. But things are not that good right now.”
Sunim’s suggestions deeply resonated with both Tom McDevitt and Michael Jenkins. After urging them once again to take an interest in peace on the Korean peninsula, Sunim took a commemorative photo with them.
“Thank you once again. I apologize for not meeting you at your office.”
“No, of course not. In times of crisis, the most important thing is people-to-people diplomacy. We’ll pray for you.”
At 6 PM, we went to CHÙA GIÁC HOÀNG, a Vietnamese temple located in Washington D.C. Sunim was invited by the International Buddhist Committee of Washington DC (IBC), to hold an English-translated Dharma Q&A at 7:30 PM. Upon entering the temple, we could see that everything from the entrance to the main hall was carefully maintained.
Before the Dharma Q&A, Sunim had conversed with the abbot of the Vietnamese temple over tea for about an hour.
“I always tell myself that I should visit this temple whenever I’m in Washington D.C., but I haven’t managed to until today. When was this temple established?”
“It was established in 1976.”
“It’s quite an old temple then.”
They talked about the ongoing exchanges between Jungto Society and Vietnamese Buddhism, and how the abbot was spreading Buddhism in the U.S.
After tea, the Dharma Q&A with English interpretation started at 7:30 PM. Matt Lee, the Secretary-General of the IBC, introduced Sunim to an audience of about 40 English speakers.
Although a chair was prepared for him, Sunim chose to stand to maintain eye contact with the audience.
Before taking questions, Sunim shared with the international Buddhists on what kind of perspective they should interpret the stories of the Buddha’s birth in the sutras, ahead of the Buddha’s Birthday.
“The Buddha’s biographer described his birth as follows: the Buddha was born from his mother’s right side. Immediately upon birth, 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)
Interpretation of the Depiction of the Buddha’s Birth Based on Cultural Anthropology
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 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 Indian traditional 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 the sentient beings from suffering. The Buddha was not born with these characteristics; rather, these attributes were ascribed to him, and his birth was depicted that way because he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. This portrayal was written by the biographers centuries after he entered 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 if they’re true or not.”
Following these introductory remarks, Sunim received questions from the audience. Five individuals raised their hands, many of them asking about the recent anti-war protests in the U.S. that are particularly prevalent on college campuses. One person expressed their observations of students overwhelmed with anger during these protests and sought Sunim’s guidance on the Buddha’s teachings regarding this issue.
How Should We Manage Our Anger During Anti-War Protests?
“I want to follow up with questions about protests. Literally a week ago, I was protesting 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 towards 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 need for 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.”
“Teaching others is not an easy task. People who have lost family members or their homeland are easily consumed by anger. Telling them, ‘Do not 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.”
“Thank you.”
The questions continued:
– There are many anti-war protests against the war in Palestine on various U.S. college campuses, and my friends and parents are worried about my safety. How should I view their worries?
– I have resented one of my relatives for a long time. Despite listening to many Dharma talks, the resentment hasn’t gone away. How can I eliminate this feeling?”
– I started working at a new workplace where there are many irrational rules and situations. What choices should I make, and how can I find a balance?”
– My mother passed away a few years ago, and I am deeply saddened. I struggle with guilt every day. How can I overcome this emotion?”
It was 9 PM by the time Sunim finished his conversations with all the questioners.
“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.”
Sunim took commemorative photos, made eye contact, and exchanged handshakes and small talk with the 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 am truly grateful.”
After warmly greeting a few more people, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim left the Vietnamese temple.
As he got into the car, Sunim said with a smile, “It seems I have saved several people, so I won’t be going to hell.”
Hearing this, his attendant laughed and said, “But you said you’d go to hell to save sentient beings.”
“That’s why I’m worried I might not be able to go.” (laughter)
At 10 PM, we arrived at the Washington Jungto Center. We shared the schedule for the next day and concluded the day.
Tomorrow’s agenda includes a breakfast meeting with Ambassador Joseph DeTrani, a meeting with U.S. security experts, including Frank Jannuzi, at the Mansfield Foundation, an afternoon meeting with the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, and an evening meeting with peace activist Annabel Park and Pastor Rich Taff.
