Jan 31, 2025 – Jeongcho Prayer Opening Dharma Talk, JTS India Board Meeting
Hello. Today, Sunim gave a broadcast Dharma talk for the opening of the Jeongcho Prayer in the early morning, then attended the JTS board meeting and met with village leaders. Afterwards, he visited the home of Sarpanch, who contributed to the founding of Sujata Academy.

Jungto Society holds a special three-day prayer every year at the beginning of the lunar calendar. This year, as in previous years, members perform 300 prostrations daily from the third to the fifth day of the lunar new year, sincerely praying for a safe and uneventful year ahead.
Jungto Society members entered the video conference room and requested the opening Dharma talk from Sunim with three prostrations. Sunim spoke about the mindset one should have when participating in the Jeongcho Prayer.

“The new year of 2025, the Year of the Blue Snake, has begun. I hope you all had a good rest visiting your hometowns during the Lunar New Year. I am now greeting you from Sujata Academy in Bodhgaya, India. I heard from the news that there were heavy snowfalls, causing traffic jams on the way to hometowns, as well as traffic accidents and many difficulties. I hope you all returned safely.
Since the end of last year, there have been many social disturbances in Korea due to various political issues, which have also led to ongoing economic difficulties. Additionally, various accidents have been causing us much heartache. Putting these difficulties behind us, I hope we can all sincerely participate in the Jeongcho Prayer to create a year where society is stable and our minds are at peace.
On June 13th last year, when inter-Korean relations were in a state of extreme tension, we held a large-scale Dharma assembly, sincerely praying for peace on the Korean Peninsula, national unity, and sustainable development of the country. At that time, it seemed hopeless to the point where one might think, ‘What’s the use of prayer?’ But in less than six months, changes towards peace have begun to occur. Although confusion still persists, I believe that in a year’s time, the Korean Peninsula will maintain a more peaceful state. Of course, national unity is still a distant goal. Conflicts are not easing but rather intensifying. However, if we pray sincerely, I think that national conflicts may ease somewhat after the first half of this year. The remaining challenge is the sustainable development of the country, which seems difficult at present. However, if peace is established on the Korean Peninsula and national unity is achieved, considering the potential of the Korean people, I believe our growth potential will accumulate once again.
In times of such social turmoil, we must not despair but look to the future with hope, firmly planting our feet on the ground and taking steady steps forward. That’s why the power of dedicated practice is more important now than ever before.
What to Engrave in Your Heart During the Three Days of Practice
As practitioners, we must maintain a consistently peaceful mind regardless of the state of the world, our surroundings, illness, or physical injury. This is of utmost importance. We are influenced by our environment. Depending on what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or think, we react with various emotions such as joy, sorrow, pleasure, pain, love, hate, satisfaction, or regret. This causes the constant ebb and flow of suffering and pleasure, like waves. This is what we call samsara.
However, if we break the cycle of recurring suffering and pleasure, the intense waves of our mind can calm down, allowing us to maintain peace for a longer period. This is called ‘nirvana’ in Sanskrit and ‘yeolban’ in Korean. It doesn’t mean pleasure, joy, or excitement, but rather tranquility, freedom from suffering, and liberation from bondage. The goal of Buddhist practice is to maintain equanimity. Regardless of what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or think, practice means being less affected by external conditions and maintaining a calm state of mind. Even if our mind is disturbed by external conditions, the measure of our practice is how quickly we can return to a state of calmness.

When society is in turmoil or our family faces difficulties, we tend to be swayed by these circumstances, becoming either excited, filled with hatred, or sinking into depression. However, we cannot control external conditions. It’s like how we can’t control the weather – whether it gets hot or cold, or whether it rains or snows. Practice means maintaining inner peace regardless of external circumstances, just as we might take off a layer when it’s hot, put on an extra layer when it’s cold, or use an umbrella when it rains.
We shouldn’t think that we can’t practice when society is in chaos or when we’re facing difficulties. On the contrary, these are the times when we should put more effort into our practice. We often mistakenly believe that we can only practice when we’re comfortable. However, practice is unrelated to whether the external environment is calm or turbulent. Feeling at ease because the external environment is calm is not peace achieved through practice, but merely a result of favorable circumstances. Similarly, when our mind is disturbed because the external environment is turbulent, it’s just a phenomenon arising from circumstances. The power of practice lies in maintaining a peaceful mind regardless of whether the external environment is turbulent or calm.
The Reason for New Year’s Prayer
We cannot predict what will happen in the world this year. No one predicted the state of emergency at the end of last year, nor did anyone foresee the major aircraft accident. Similarly, it’s not easy to predict if there will suddenly be an earthquake or a war. However, we can prepare. If we have a mindset of preparation for such events, we’ll be less flustered when they occur. First, we should be careful not to create causes for such events. Second, we should maintain our mental equilibrium even when things happen beyond our control. This is practice. For events that have already occurred, we should be willing to accept the consequences. If we always anticipate the results of our actions and maintain a cautious mindset, it becomes much easier to maintain equanimity. That’s why we practice diligently.
Doing 300 bows because you want to, or not doing them because you don’t want to, is just a mind arising from circumstances. Your mind is swayed by the condition of your body. We don’t call it practice if you did 1,000 bows because you wanted to. Acting according to circumstances, whether you want to do something or not, is not practice. Practice is being able to do something even when you don’t want to, and being able to stop even when you want to continue.
If you’ve decided to do 300 bows, it’s good if the desire to do them arises. But this doesn’t mean you should stop just because you feel like doing them. When the mind that doesn’t want to do them arises, practice is recognizing, “My body is tired, so my mind is following and disliking it,” and steadily continuing. This is how we move towards being less affected by external circumstances. That’s why we pray.
Regardless of what’s happening in the world, we should maintain unwavering practice to keep our inner peace in any situation. I hope you practiced with this perspective on this first day of the New Year’s prayer.”

Following this, Jungto Society members performed 300 prostrations led by Venerable Yusu and accompanied by chanting. About 200 people also practiced together in the Dharma hall on the third floor of the Jungto Social and Cultural Center, while most members connected online and participated in the New Year’s prayer from their own rooms.
“Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva…”
At 9:50 AM, Sunim moved to Sujata Academy to attend the JTS India board meeting. Venerable Priyapal and other JTS board members and members had already arrived.

The board meeting began precisely at 10 AM. After reciting the Three Refuges and the Heart Sutra, the meeting was opened with Venerable Priyapal’s greeting.


Then, Indrajit and Ajay, the school representatives, reported on the operational status of the secondary and primary schools, respectively.

During the Q&A session, Sunim asked Ajay a question.

“Looking at the number of students in each grade, there’s a gradual decrease from first grade onwards, but there’s a significant drop of 27 students from second to third grade. I’d like to know the reason for this. Also, in the second grade, there are more students in the branch school than in the main school. Why is that? Overall, the difference between the number of male and female students isn’t large, but in the third grade, there are 18 fewer female students than male students. We need to check if this is due to fewer girls in that village or if there are other factors.”
Ajay responded:

“We manage student records based on their identification cards, but some students were found to be enrolled in both government schools and Sujata Academy. The statistical difference may have occurred when we excluded these duplicate enrollments. I will check the details again.”
Sunim asked again about the sharp decrease in third-grade students.
“There’s a difference of 27 students between second and third grade. What’s the reason for this?”
“Last year, we didn’t accept students who were registered in the government school in Srirampur village. However, from this year, we’ve started accepting all students who wish to attend Sujata Academy, regardless of dual enrollment. This has led to an increase in the number of second-grade students compared to last year.”
“I see. Thank you for the explanation.”

After reviewing the school’s operational status, Sunim spoke about the future direction of JTS.
“As the Indian economy continues to grow, social changes are also progressing rapidly. We can anticipate several changes in the future. First, with the increasing demand in construction and civil engineering fields, there will be a greater need for related technicians. As electricity supply expands, the demand for electrical technicians will also increase, and with the acceleration of digitalization, computer technicians will become more important.
However, currently, many college graduates tend to avoid technical jobs. Even rural youth often avoid farming and only engage in consumption. In the long term, this may lead to a shortage of skilled technical workers, while competition for office jobs intensifies. Considering this trend, we need to consider operating technical schools. There may come a time when even college graduates struggle to find jobs.”
Second, as the economy grows, interest in culture and sports also increases. India’s global competitiveness in sports is relatively low, but there’s a high possibility that support for the sports industry will expand, possibly aiming to host the Olympics. This will likely lead to more sports events and development programs. Therefore, we need to provide opportunities for talented students at Sujata Academy to grow on bigger stages.

Third, as the economy develops, people’s interest in health also increases. Consequently, the demand for doctors and nurses will rise. While it may be difficult for JTS to operate a program to train doctors, it is certainly possible to establish educational facilities to train nurses.
You may not have ideas right away, but this will become an essential aspect of Indian society in the future. Therefore, preparations should begin from a long-term perspective.
First, it is necessary to introduce Taekwondo education as a mandatory course for all students to ensure their healthy physical development. Additionally, the library’s book collection should be expanded to allow students to acquire more knowledge. While a science laboratory should also be equipped, it may be difficult to implement immediately as it requires specialized personnel to operate.
Next, online education should be strengthened. As JTS operates on a volunteer system, it is challenging to secure teachers for subjects requiring expertise such as English, Sanskrit, and computer skills. However, many Indians living in the United States or Europe are willing to volunteer to teach English at Sujata Academy. While they may find it difficult to quit their jobs and come to India, they can easily volunteer through online education. By actively implementing such a system, we can provide better educational opportunities for students.

JTS has been working hard to eradicate illiteracy and has achieved some success. Additionally, Sujata Academy already has the basic infrastructure in place. However, we now need to further strengthen the quality of education to keep up with India’s rapidly changing pace of development.
To respond quickly to changes in the world, you need to continuously study and develop strategies that meet the demands of the times. Twenty years ago, we attempted to establish a technical school, but it was discontinued after two years. However, if you prepare now, it might be possible again. That doesn’t mean you should establish a technical school right away.
You now need to go beyond simply teaching students and take on the role of contemplating and researching the future direction of Sujata Academy. Leave the practical aspects of teaching children to your juniors, and focus on deeply discussing the direction the school should take. If we start preparing step by step from now, Sujata Academy can play an even more meaningful role in a changing society.”
Next, Banzai reported on the hospital operations.

Sunim asked a question.

“I understand that there are more patients from July to September due to the rainy season, but why are there still many patients in October?”
“This period is a seasonal transition, so there are many patients with colds.”

“Looking at the ratio of patients between villagers and students, students account for nearly half. What’s the reason for this?”
“Students come to school every day, so they visit the hospital even for minor symptoms because it’s close. (Laughs) On the other hand, villagers find it inconvenient to come to the hospital or often use hospitals in Gaya or Bodhgaya.”

Sunim asked if there were young people who could take over Kamiswalji’s role in wound treatment.
“Kamiswalji is getting older. Are there any skilled young people who can succeed him?”
“Yes, two student volunteers are learning wound disinfection and treatment techniques well.”

“Then it would be good to provide them with an opportunity to practice under an orthopedic doctor for 1-2 years.”
Next, Sambu reported on the current status of village development operations.

Sunim discussed ways to support the poor and asked a question.

“If JTS provides materials for building houses to poor families, can villagers help with construction together?”
“It’s possible in some villages, but in most cases, it’s difficult because there’s a strong tendency to divide the construction materials among themselves.”
Sunim suggested creating an experimental case where the village community voluntarily cooperates.

“If there’s a family in desperate need of help in the village, how about starting a movement where young people come together to build a house? JTS can provide the materials. If it succeeds in one village, others might follow.”
“Yes, we’ll try it. But I’m not sure if it will succeed.”
“Trying is more important than the result.”
Lastly, Bokwang Dharma Teacher, the director of JTS India, reported on the annual accounts of JTS India.

Sunim carefully checked the operational status of each section. The board meeting showed that everyone was diligently performing their duties. After the meeting, they took a group photo and moved to Prajnabodhihall for lunch.

After lunch, Sunim met Arjun, who graduated from Sujata Academy and became a police officer. It’s been 15 years since Arjun became a police officer. He serves as a board member of JTS India and takes leave from the police station every year to attend the JTS board meeting. Arjun was waiting to greet Sunim until lunch was over. Sunim extended his hand warmly and said:

“Thank you for coming. Arjun becoming a police officer continues to be a source of hope and set an example for Sujata Academy students.”
Then, Sunim met with village leaders and preschool teachers from each village to see if there were any current difficulties and if JTS could help. Just a few years ago, every village had many needs, but now, except for a few villages, they said there were no major inconveniences.

Next, Sunim toured the farm operated by JTS with Pawan, who is in charge of farming. Around Sujata Academy, various crops were growing, including cabbage, radish, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, broccoli, carrots, and cilantro. He said that during harvest season, they could be self-sufficient for most of the food consumed by students and workers.


After touring the farm, Sunim said:
“You’ve planted a lot of eggplants.”
A Korean volunteer replied:
“Yes, we went to the market early this morning and sold 300kg of eggplants harvested from the farm.”
“I heard that students don’t like eggplants very much. Don’t plant less, but try to diversify the cooking methods.”
Sunim inspected the area around the school to check if everything was in order and also checked the condition of the fence.


Afterwards, Sunim headed to the house of Sarpanch through Durga Pro village. Sarpanch was the person who shared Sunim’s vision and persuaded the villagers when establishing Sujata Academy 30 years ago. However, Sunim recently heard that Sarpanch’s health had deteriorated and he was bedridden.


Upon entering the house, Sarpanch, looking emaciated, was lying on a small bed placed at the entrance.

“Sarpanch, why are you lying down like this?”
“Welcome, Sunim. I don’t think I can get up anymore.”
“Sarpanch, we’re the same age. How can you be lying down already?”
Tears welled up in Sarpanch’s eyes.
Sunim got up and looked around the house. The house looked as if construction had been halted. There were traces of mud plastering left unfinished on the walls, and the kitchen on the floor seemed inconvenient to use.

“Is this house fully built?”
Sarpanch’s wife answered.

“No, it’s not finished yet. The walls have holes, so it’s too cold in winter. We want to build the walls higher.”
“We should reinforce the walls and add a chimney to the kitchen. I hope we can support completing the house while Sarpanch is still alive.”
Sunim approached Sarpanch again.

“This is medicine I brought from Korea. It’s good medicine, so take half a tablet each day and chew it thoroughly.”
“Thank you, Sunim. But I want to eat some fruit.”
“I brought a little donation money. Use this money to buy what you want to eat, and if it’s not enough, let me know anytime.”

Sunim recalled old memories and said:

“Sarpanch, do you remember when we talked about building a school together under the bamboo shade?”
“I remember.”

As Sunim was leaving Sarpanch’s house, he said to Bokwang Dharma Teacher:
“When you go shopping once a week, please bring some fruit to Sarpanch’s house. He was the first person to support us and persuade the villagers when we were establishing our school.”
Next, Sunim visited the house of Satendar, who was the first teacher to work at Sujata Academy. He was the person who had given his room to Sunim when the school was being established.

“Satendar, you used to raise chickens and goats in your room, but now your house is very clean! (Laughs)”
Satendar showed the garden where he had planted fruit seedlings given by JTS as part of the village development project. Mango and guava trees were growing lushly.

“Satendar, there’s water pooling here, which might attract insects and make the surroundings dirty when the weather gets hot. If JTS provides cement, could you properly maintain the drainage?”
“Yes, I have sand. Please just provide the cement.”
“Good. If you maintain the drainage well, we’ll provide materials for house repairs to other residents, so please set a good example.”
Lastly, Sunim visited Bajan’s house. The area behind the school originally belonged to Bajan. However, Bajan willingly gave up the land to improve the living environment for the students. By installing a sewer and purification facility behind the school, they were able to have more hygienic facilities.

“Bajan, have you been well?”
“Welcome, Sunim. I’m getting old now, and I feel like I don’t have many days left.”
“What are you saying? You’re younger than me! (Laughs)”
“I don’t know. My health isn’t good.”
“It’s not much, but use this to buy what you want to eat.”
“Thank you, Sunim.”
An hour and a half had passed while touring the village and greeting old acquaintances. After a brief conversation with Bajan, Sunim hurried back to Sujata Academy for the broadcast.
From 4 PM, Sunim conducted the Friday Dharma Q&A live broadcast at Siddhartha House. With about 3,400 people connected to the live broadcast, Sunim gave a greeting and immediately started taking questions. Today, two people had pre-requested questions and had a conversation with Sunim. One of them sought Sunim’s advice, saying she was worried about how to handle the situation where her husband and teenage daughter argue and use harsh words with each other.

My Teenage Daughter and Husband Fight Using Harsh Words, What Should I Do?
“It’s because a second-year middle school boy and a first-year middle school girl are fighting, so the fight doesn’t end.” (Laughs)

“Yes, that’s exactly how the fights are.”
“You probably communicate better with your husband, so it’s best to talk to him first. When children enter puberty, they dislike being treated like kids. Puberty is a time when they want to be treated as adults. So, your daughter needs to be respected. First, don’t touch your teenage daughter saying she’s pretty. Children rebel against this. They might perceive it as sexual harassment rather than fatherly love. As children enter puberty, such tendencies appear both physically and mentally. So, you need to tell your husband not to treat her like a child.
‘It seems your good intentions aren’t being conveyed to our child and are causing a negative reaction. Instead of thinking of her as your daughter, how about treating her with the same courtesy you’d show a neighbor’s child? When she rebels, don’t try to subdue her, but take a step back.’
Try talking to your husband like this. Even if he agrees, it might not work at first. He’s used to doting on his daughter since she was young, so he might unconsciously continue his old habits. When the child rejects him, he should realize, ‘I made a mistake again,’ and gradually improve. It won’t improve immediately. However, if your husband doesn’t agree, it will be difficult to solve this problem.”
“My husband doesn’t agree.”
“First, you need to keep persuading your husband to agree, and even if he does, understand that improvement will take time.
If he doesn’t agree, don’t think of him as an adult, but as your eldest son in 8th grade. View it as a situation where your 8th-grade son and 7th-grade daughter are arguing. It’s natural for children to fight. When they argue, the best thing to do is to close the door and leave. Say, ‘You two resolve this. I have some errands to run,’ and go out. Fights often don’t continue when there’s no audience.
The best solution is to make your husband understand and exercise self-control. If that’s not possible, the second-best option is for you not to witness the fights. You have no choice but to say, ‘You two figure it out yourselves, whether you fight or not.’ If you scold your husband over this, you’ll create conflict with him, and if you scold your daughter, you’ll create conflict with her. If you don’t get involved in their fight, you maintain good relationships with both your daughter and husband. Only one side of the triangle is bad, while two sides are good. If you tell your daughter, ‘You shouldn’t treat your father like that,’ and tell your husband, ‘Be nicer to your daughter,’ you’ll create conflicts with both of them. Then all three sides of the triangle become bad. Isn’t it better to have only one bad side? So it’s better not to try to resolve their fights and leave them be. Taking your daughter’s side makes the father the bad guy, which is not good for education, and scolding your daughter can cause emotional trauma, which is also not good. So you can neither scold nor defend the child. That’s why it’s best not to witness the fights. It might seem difficult to just leave it alone, but if you can be at peace, it becomes easier to solve this problem. It’s better to have good communication with your daughter and husband separately than to have all three of you unable to communicate. It would be good to have this perspective.”
“This is a perspective I had never considered. It feels like a light bulb just went on in my head. Thank you.”

The questions continued. Today, there were two questioners, so after about 30 minutes of live broadcast, the remaining 30 minutes were filled with a recorded Dharma talk before ending the broadcast.
From 8:30 PM, Sunim recorded the middle and closing Dharma talks for the New Year’s Dharma assembly. By the time all the recordings were finished, it was well past 9 PM.

Tomorrow, after conducting the Buddhism Q&A broadcast in the morning, Sunim will work in Bodhgaya and have a meeting with the Indian JTS staff.
The scene with the villagers was touching.
As I listened to the history of Sujata School, I realized that what it is now was achieved through consistent effort and sincerity.
The Sunim teaching that “what is more important than the result is trying” resonated with me. Whether it is failure or success, if there is no beginning, there is no result itself, so there is no opportunity for improvement or development.