Dec 08, 2024 – Jungto Dharma School Q&A, Youth Camp Day 2
Good morning. A new day has dawned at the Seoul Jungto Center.
Sunim began his day at 8 AM with an online Q&A session with Jungto Dharma School students, following his early morning practice and meditation. The Jungto Dharma School is an English-language course equivalent to the Jungto Buddhism Course. Seventeen students from around the world, including the Western and Eastern United States, the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea, joined the video conference. All greeted Sunim with three bows, requesting his teachings.
Sunim spoke about the core of what is learned in the Jungto Dharma School.
“The Buddha analyzed the cause of suffering and revealed its origin. At first glance, it’s easy to think that ‘suffering arises because what I want is not fulfilled,’ but upon closer examination, suffering arises when we are in a state of not knowing, or ignorance. Since ignorance is the cause of suffering, breaking through ignorance eliminates suffering. There’s no need to pray or believe in some being with infinite power. When suffering occurs, if we identify its cause and remove it, the suffering disappears. This is what we call ‘Buddhist practice.’
How to Overcome Suffering
“While Buddhism is catagorized within the framework of religion, it takes a completely different approach from other religions in terms of how to overcome suffering. However, this path of finding the cause of suffering and becoming free from it seems difficult to practice for ordinary people. Because they think it’s easier to just pray for help, Buddhism has also been corrupted over time into asking Buddha for help. As a result, Buddhism has become just one among many religions. I’m not saying which is more correct. I’m telling you that the Buddhism you learn in the Jungto Dharma School is taught from the perspective of Gautama Siddhartha, who deeply explored the cause of suffering and spoke about the path to freedom from suffering. So, first, try studying it. If you think, ‘It would be better to learn the Buddhism based on faith instead of this,’ you’re free to choose that path.”
The students are currently studying Course 1, which covers fundamental Buddhism. Today is a time for them to ask questions about doubts they had while studying. Five students raise their hand and aske questions. One of them sought Sunim’s advice on how to reduce stress when being around people.
I Get Stressed When I’m Around People
“You can do whatever you like. There’s no such rule that says you must maintain relationships or live alone. If you prefer being alone, then just live alone. If you enjoy socializing with people, then live that way.
However, if you choose to live with others, you need to be more considerate and attentive to them. The advantage is that you can help each other. Living alone has the benefit of not having to worry about others, but it also has drawbacks. First, you might feel a bit lonely. Second, if you fall ill or need help later in life, you might not get it. So if you choose to live alone, you need to be aware of this in advance. You should have a clear stance that you’re okay with not receiving care when you’re old or sick.
Many people contribute to pension plans thinking about their retirement, right? They do this so they can receive money after retiring when they’re old. Building relationships with people is like contributing to a pension plan. Living alone is like not contributing to a pension. So if you face difficulties when you’re sick or old later, you need to have the perspective that ‘I take responsibility for this because I chose not to contribute to a pension.’
Of course, this can vary depending on the society you live in. If you live in a society where the government maintains your basic living standards even if you don’t contribute to a pension, then living alone is not a problem. If such a social security system is not in place, you need to choose between potentially suffering later or investing a bit in advance. There’s no set way you must live. Each way of living comes with its own set of problems.
People make relationships to get help rather than to offering. Most of the time when we call others, it’s because we need something or want to ask for help. Therefore, we shouldn’t think that the other person is too selfish when forming relationships. Everyone meets to benefit from each other. Even marriage, though said to be formed out of love, is actually based on mutual interests several times greater than ordinary relationships. If the relationship is not one-sided and both parties benefit, it tends to last longer. However, if one side consistently gains while the other loses, the one losing will eventually want to end it. So to maintain relationships with many people, one must adopt an attitude of giving, whether materially or emotionally.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of what choices you will make among these various paths. Forming relationships with people doesn’t necessarily have to cause stress. If you understand these aspects and form relationships accordingly, you won’t experience stress.”
“Your answer always makes things clear for me. The relationships in my life, those that I choose, are important and worth the investment. Other things that I don’t think are worth it have to be chosen on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether I want to invest my energy and look at it from that perspective. Thank you.”
Questions continued. After an hour and a half of conversation, the live broadcast ended at 9:30 PM.
Sunim immediately headed to the Jungto Social and Cultural Center. At the center, about 100 volunteers from the Special Youth Division have been conducting the 2024 Year-End Youth Camp for a day and a half since yesterday. From 10 AM, they had time to converse with Sunim.
First, Sunim greeted them with a smile.
“Did you have a fun time last night?”
“Yes.”
“Before taking questions, I’d like to share a few thoughts on your business plans. I think there should be some strategies for spreading the dharma to college students. It might be good to create a department within the Special Youth Division dedicated to college students, so they can start the Buddhism course from their college years. To nurture core personnel,
since the age limit for being a member of the Special Youth Division is 35, if one starts activities before 25, they can be active for about 10 years. But if someone joins around 34, they have to move to general membership almost immediately after submitting their application. While most young people can transition directly to general membership, to nurture core activists for the Special Youth Division, they need to start activities from their college years. This way, they can accumulate experience and even conduct Buddhism courses themselves. For this, they need to join before 25 to be active for at least 10 years. So, I think we need business plans that focus a bit more on college students.”
Then, they had time to discuss with Sunim about any questions they had, whether about Jungto Society activities or social issues. They freely raised their hands to ask Sunim questions. Over two hours, nine people conversed with Sunim.
The Republic of Korea is in great chaos due to the President’s declaration of martial law. One of the questioners asked for Sunim’s advice on how to view this confusing situation.
Does an Orderly Resignation Make Sense? What About This Anger?
“Currently, our country’s members of the National Assembly are constitutionally and legally supposed to represent the will of the people. That’s why many people are saying that sending troops to the National Assembly, where the representatives are gathered, is unconstitutional. To us, members of the National Assembly might seem the same as mayors, but their positions are completely different. A mayor is an administrative official, but a member of the National Assembly represents the people. Even in martial law, while there are provisions for the martial forces to replace administrative functions when martial law is enacted, or for martial forces to replace the role of the courts, there is no provision for martial forces to replace the National Assembly. That’s why people are saying that attempting to blockade the National Assembly with martial forces is a disruption of the constitutional order. It’s different in nature from martial forces going to other institutions.
Particularly, the act of attacking the National Assembly to prevent the lifting of martial law falls under the category of a coup. A coup is an action that disrupts the existing order, and this act is equivalent to a coup. Therefore, it’s not a declaration of martial law within the legal framework, but an action that goes beyond the legal system. This is why there are claims of “conspiring to rebel” and referring to the perpetrators as “ringleaders of rebellion.”
However, there’s a difference of opinion between the ruling and opposition parties here. The opposition party views this as an act of rebellion that disrupted the constitutional order of the nation, calling the perpetrators ringleaders of rebellion. The ruling party, on the other hand, sees it as an act of martial law within the bounds of the constitution to restore national order. Nevertheless, even the ruling party acknowledges that the situation didn’t warrant the declaration of martial law, and thus believes it’s not right for the current president to continue in office. That’s why they’re proposing to discuss how to suspend the president’s duties and how to replace that role. This illustrates the differing perspectives between the ruling and opposition parties.
While both sides outwardly make these arguments, there are also underlying self-interests. If impeachment happens now and elections follow immediately, it’s clear that the ruling party would lose power, so they’re reluctant to pursue that course. Conversely, the opposition party believes the sooner the impeachment, the better for them. If impeachment occurs now and elections follow immediately, as things stand, the opposition party leader has the highest chance of becoming president. Considering the legal risks for the opposition leader, it’s in the opposition’s interest to expedite the impeachment, while the ruling party benefits from delaying it. These vested interests underlie the current situation.
To avoid being seen as a party that disregards national interests by making forced arguments, each side is seeking legal grounds to support their position. One side argues for immediate impeachment, claiming that constitutional order has been disrupted. The other side contends that while the president’s duties should be suspended for declaring martial law without justification, it was still an exercise of presidential authority. They argue that since the president complied with the National Assembly’s resolution to lift martial law, appropriate punishment should be determined. They believe impeachment without thorough investigation is inappropriate. The ruling party doesn’t suggest forgetting the incident just because the president apologized. They propose that while the president’s duties should be suspended, the method of suspension should be determined after examining the nature of the crimes committed. This is how opinions have diverged. While underlying interests drive these arguments, they are outwardly presented as legally sound positions.
However, from the perspective of citizens who have little vested interest and limited legal knowledge, the immediate reaction is often “The current president must be removed right away.” The current public sentiment is that over 80 percent support immediate impeachment, while 20 percent oppose it. Given this division, you can make your own choice. If you think it’s better to have an orderly resignation, you can attend anti-impeachment rallies or wait. If you believe that “This could be seen as a coup attempt, and leaving the president in power risks similar actions in the future. We must remove them immediately!” then you can join the nightly candlelight vigils. You should act according to your own convictions.
As the number of rally participants increases, it can put pressure on politicians. However, legally speaking, a larger turnout at rallies doesn’t automatically lead to impeachment. For impeachment to occur, at least eight members of the ruling party must vote in favor of the impeachment motion. The ruling party’s reluctance to participate is not only due to current interests but also because of their experience with former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment. At that time, many ruling party members supported the impeachment. As a result, they not only lost power but also faced party division when the new government took office, split between those who supported and opposed impeachment. Those who supported it formed a new party. They contributed to the new government’s establishment by supporting the impeachment, so the new government should have given them positions. If they had been offered roles like Deputy Prime Minister for Economy or Education, or several cabinet positions, those who opposed impeachment would have become a minority and faded into history. However, because the new government monopolized power, these supporters were left in limbo. They were called traitors by their former allies and labeled as part of the old guard by the new side, leaving them without a place. Some gave up politics, while others returned to their original party. This led to an increase in party numbers, resulting in their victory in the next election, which has led to the current situation. Consequently, ruling party politicians are very hesitant to support impeachment. While they all feel “This doesn’t make sense,” they’re considering how to handle the aftermath in a way that secures their own positions.
If impeachment is truly desired, the opposition party should provide some justification for these people’s roles or share some benefits. If they push forward aggressively without sharing any benefits, it will be difficult to persuade them. Even if they agree to impeachment, they would gain nothing in the end and would only be labeled as traitors. Of course, the ruling party initially intended to support impeachment because they couldn’t accept the president’s claim of innocence. However, at the last moment, when the president offered to relinquish power and comply with their demands, they switched to opposing impeachment.
Now there are two variables. First, how much anger will the public express and how much pressure will they exert? Second, will the current president and government truly humble themselves and relinquish power? The situation will change depending on these factors. If the president says they will completely give up power, the ruling party has no reason to support impeachment. As their position is justified, they will devise a strategy for an orderly resignation. If the president shows any intention of holding onto power, even slightly, the ruling party will have no justification to support them and will have to proceed with impeachment. In the current situation, although a minority, the ruling party’s leader holds the casting vote. Using this power, they’ve pressured the president into promising to relinquish power. It’s unclear how long this situation will last, but the president has been forced into a position where they can’t help but give up power, albeit reluctantly. The ruling party’s leader, despite having a small faction, can have the effect of a hundred members because just eight votes can pass the impeachment bill. However, from the public’s perspective, there’s doubt about whether the president will actually follow through, as it appears they’re just trying to avoid a crisis. Therefore, the situation will evolve depending on how these two variables play out.
Legally, unless eight members of the ruling party switch to support impeachment to reach the quorum of 200 votes required for passing the impeachment motion, it cannot be achieved. No matter how many protests are held, this is the legal reality. However, it will create significant pressure. As a result, this standoff is likely to continue for some time.
In this situation, while it’s inevitable for emotions to arise, you shouldn’t view it as “one side is problematic, and the other side is right.” Although the opposition party’s claims may be justified, they lack wisdom in their approach to solving the problem. To resolve this issue, they need to offer some justification or benefit to the ruling party members to persuade eight of them to support impeachment. An orderly resignation was what the opposition party wanted before this incident occurred. However, now that the situation has changed, the opposition party no longer feels the need to adhere to an orderly resignation. This is why the debate is ongoing now.
So, you can observe this situation, or you can go to rallies and express your opinions. If martial law hadn’t been lifted, you wouldn’t even be able to express yourselves like this. But now that it has been lifted, citizens can freely rise up and express their views. This is because the people are the sovereign.”
“Thank you. My frustration has been relieved.”
The questions continued.
When spreading the Dharma to young people, is empathy and comfort more necessary, or is presenting a new vision more important?
In the absence of Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, to what extent can Jungto Society be self-reliant? In what direction can it move in the future?
When practicing at home, how can I stay focused on the present moment without getting distracted?
As a practitioner, what mindset should I have in my relationship with my husband?
Can modern technology-based alternatives like smart farms and alternative meats be suitable solutions in the era of climate crisis?
Is it okay for other Buddhist sects to apply Jungto Society’s ‘Heart-to-Heart Sharing’ program to their students? How was Heart-to-Heart Sharing developed, and what was the initial background for its introduction?
What methods are needed to reduce social conflicts and divisions caused by the influence of far-right YouTubers? How can people communicate and live without insisting on their own perspectives?
Why don’t you lecture on the ‘Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana,’ a core treatise of Mahayana Buddhism? Personally, I would like to hear a lecture on the ‘Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana.’
By the time the conversation ended, it was well past 12pm. The young people expressed their gratitude to Sunim, who had kindly answered questions on various topics, with a big round of applause.
In the afternoon, there was originally a precept ceremony scheduled for Seowon Practitioners, but the cancellation was not communicated to Sunim. He acknowledged the cancellation when he went to the Dharma hall for the ceremony. With no other option, he spent the afternoon working indoors.
As the sun set, Sunim continued to work indoors, proofreading manuscripts and handling other tasks before concluding his day.
Tomorrow morning, after a live broadcast of the Dharma talk for leading members, Sunim will travel to Cheongju. In the evening, he will give the 14th “Happy Dialogue” lecture at the Gaesin Cultural Center of Chungbuk National University. Immediately after, he will move to Incheon Airport to board a flight departing at 1 AM, traveling to Philippines.
