Feb 17, 2025 – Day 1 of the 100-Day Dharma Talk, Opening Ceremony of the 8th 100-Day English Prayer, Open Dharma Meeting Lecture 1
Hello. Today marks the beginning of the 1000-Day Practice for foreign practitioners and the first day of Venerable Pomnyun Sunim’s 100-Day Dharma Talk.
After completing his morning practice and meditation, Sunim attended the opening ceremony of the 8th 100-Day Prayer for foreign 1000-Day Practice participants at 8 AM in the Jungto Center’s broadcasting room. Yesterday, Korean-speaking Jungto practitioners began their 100-Day Prayer, and today, foreign language-speaking Jungto practitioners started theirs.
As all foreign Jungto practitioners entered the video conference room, the host warmly welcomed them.
“Welcome to the 8th 100-Day Practice, Opening Ceremony of the 1st 1000-Day Practice!”
First, there was time to hear reflections from those who had practiced diligently over the past 100 days. Craig shared his practice experience first.
“I have also made some changes in my awareness during the rest of the day. I make more conscious efforts to find time to be mindful. For example, if I’m walking through the city, instead of being preoccupied with thoughts of what I need to do later in the day or the following day, I’d be more present with my surroundings, unconscious of the feeling of the air on my skin, the quality of the lights around me, things that I used to notice naturally when I was much younger but have gradually stopped paying attention to. All of this has reminded me that practice is about cultivating a way of seeing and a way of being in the world, and even when my practice has been inconsistent, it has still been enough to reveal something that I think is valuable. Thank you very much.”
Next, Elizabeth shared her practice experience.
“My journey into Buddhism has been amazing. It started with watching a few videos and signing up for Buddhism 1. Sunim’s talks would just cut through any kind of confusion I had and bring me right back to the present moment. And I’ve had some breakthroughs throughout that time. I would say I went from feeling kind of half a week to feeling much more weeks about how I am in charge of my own happiness. I remember every day that I can let go of thoughts that aren’t helpful or useful and just tune into the moment.”
Then, everyone together paid respect to Sunim with three bows, requesting his Dharma talk. Sunim addressed the foreign Jungto practitioners, discussing the wildfires in LA, climate crisis issues, and how to view the confusing times following President Trump’s re-election. He then gave a Dharma talk on the principles and meaning of why we should practice.
“In life, we think that we are aware of and intentionally perform most of what we say and do. However, according to scientific research, we are consciously aware of less than 10% of our actions, and most of our behavior occurs unconsciously. You are well aware that most of the processes of food digestion in the stomach, absorption in the intestines, and circulation in the blood occur autonomously, regardless of our will. Not only these bodily metabolic processes but also many of our thoughts and movements are largely habitual.
Words and Actions That Have Become Habitual Without Our Awareness
For example, when we first learn to ride a bicycle, we are conscious and tense, thinking, ‘This is how you ride,’ ‘That’s how you do it.’ But as we become accustomed to riding, we do it almost without conscious thought. After several repetitions, it becomes a habit, and with more familiarity, it becomes automatic. There are many benefits to this, such as reduced energy consumption, making it very efficient. However, there are also side effects. Because it’s an action that occurs without our awareness, we can’t predict what losses might occur. We call this kind of unconscious behavior ‘karma’ in traditional Indian society.
It’s difficult to control actions that occur without our awareness. In the past, people thought, ‘It’s the fate one was born with,’ ‘It’s given by actions from a previous life,’ or ‘It’s God’s will.’ However, the Buddha said, ‘This is neither fate nor given by a previous life, but merely something that has been formed. What is formed is not permanent and changes.’ Therefore, if necessary, we can change this karma. To do so, we need to become aware of these unconscious actions. They occur without our knowledge because we don’t pay close attention. If we show a little interest and focus on observing, we can anticipate the signs of these actions before they occur.
How to Manage Anger Without Getting Stressed
One of the signs that an action is about to occur is the sensation that arises in the body. For example, when observing anger, you can feel heat in your body. You can also feel your heart racing. When your karma reacts negatively to a certain phenomenon, your body’s sensations respond first. Following this, you can feel the unpleasant mood that arises based on those sensations. A little later, you become aware that anger has arisen. As the anger grows, it begins to manifest outwardly. This is the process through which anger is expressed. People often say, “I got angry without realizing it,” but if you observe closely, you’ll see that anger doesn’t just appear; it goes through this process before being expressed.
However, when anger is expressed, there are always consequences. It can result in the other person feeling upset, relationships becoming strained, and many other side effects. To prevent these losses, anger should not be expressed outwardly. That’s why we advise against expressing anger. By doing so, we can avoid these negative outcomes.
When anger arises in our minds but we don’t express it outwardly, stress continues to build up inside. As internal stress grows, it eventually bursts out, causing us to explode with even greater anger after suppressing it a few times. This leads to more negative consequences. Then we reflect on our actions and try to suppress our anger again. This cycle repeats in our daily lives. While suppressing anger is better than expressing it, it’s not a solution. To resolve this issue, before trying to suppress anger by telling ourselves “Don’t get angry,” we need to be aware that “I’m in an angry state right now.” In other words, when anger arises, we should recognize, “Ah, I’m feeling angry now.” Then, we can inform the other person about our state. Instead of expressing anger, we can say, “I’m feeling angry right now.” Expressing anger implies that the other person is wrong, which makes them feel bad. However, saying “I’m feeling angry right now” is simply informing them of our state without blaming them.
While recognizing an angry state is much more useful than expressing anger, it still takes time for the anger to subside even after becoming aware of it. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be more focused and sensitively aware to recognize the signs of anger in advance. If we can immediately notice physical sensations like feeling hot, a racing heart, or a slightly bad mood, the anger will subside quickly. The reason we practice meditation is to become aware of these sensations, feelings, and emotions. This way, actions don’t occur unconsciously; instead, we can be aware of the process leading to those actions. By repeating this process, we can predict how our karma will manifest. For example, we can anticipate how our karma will react when someone criticizes us or when we encounter an unpleasant situation. This is what we mean by “knowing oneself.” When we know ourselves, we can avoid unwanted situations. We might think, “In this situation, I’m likely to react this way, so I’ll try to avoid it if possible.” This allows us to prevent potential disasters. If we can’t avoid the situation, our reaction will be much milder because we’ve anticipated it. Even if we react unconsciously, we won’t blame the other person afterward. We can immediately apologize by saying, “I’m sorry for getting angry.” This approach helps maintain relationships without major issues.
A Hundred Days to Recognize Myself, A Thousand Days to Change Myself
This alone is sufficient, but if you want to take it a step further and change your karma, you can. However, it’s important to understand that this won’t be easy because these are habits formed by long-repeated actions. Changing what’s already established requires consistent effort. First, you need to learn Buddha Dharma to understand the principles of how the mind works. Second, changing karma requires continuous effort.
To recognize your own karmic tendencies, you typically need about a hundred days of consistent practice. If you focus your mind and diligently practice mindfulness, you can understand your karmic tendencies after about a hundred days. Of course, some might realize it instantly, while others might not even after a hundred days. However, on average, you can recognize your karmic tendencies within a hundred days.
However, for actual karmic change to occur, more time is needed. It takes about a thousand days, or roughly three years, of consistent practice for changes to manifest. Some things might change as soon as you become aware of them, while others might not change even after three years. But generally, changes start to occur after three years. People around you begin to notice these changes. Family members or friends living with you might say things like, “You seem less angry these days,” or “You’re less stubborn lately.” Changes become noticeable enough for others to perceive. Of course, you need to continue practicing, but it takes about three years of practice for those around you to feel the minimum level of change and think, “Ah, they’ve changed.”
Why Practicing Together Is Necessary
There’s a Korean saying, “Three Day Hump,” which means giving up after just three days of starting something. How much harder would it be to continue for a hundred days or a thousand days? That’s why it’s necessary to join hands and practice together, encouraging each other. We can call each other in the morning to say, “Let’s practice!” or call to encourage someone who’s about to give up. Practicing together makes it easier to overcome difficulties compared to practicing alone. That’s why we have this thousand-day practice program together.
“For those who are starting the 1000-Day Practice today, I hope you understand the purpose of this program as you begin your practice. You may feel motivated today, but in just a couple of days, you might already start to dislike it. Then, various excuses will arise. You might question, ‘Did the Buddha bow?’ or think, ‘Do I really need to bow?’, ‘Must I practice in the morning?’, ‘Can bowing lead to enlightenment?’, ‘What’s the benefit of enlightenment anyway?’ These numerous resistances can lead you to quit midway. That’s why we need to encourage each other and overcome these challenges one by one. After at least three years, you’ll likely find yourself on a stable path. So, I hope you’ll adopt the perspective of ‘I’ll consistently practice for three years. Even if I decide to quit later, I’ll do so after completing three years.’ Especially during this 100-day period, given the current chaotic state of the world, it would be beneficial to practice not only for yourself but also with the perspective of contributing to world peace.”
Following this, Sunim took questions about practice from the participants. Two people used the ‘raise hand’ button to ask questions. Before he knew it, it was well past 9:30 AM as he answered their questions.
With an open Dharma assembly scheduled next, Sunim entrusted the continuation of the initiation ceremony for new 1000-Day Practice participants to the international division volunteers and left the broadcasting room.
He immediately moved to the Jungto Social and Cultural Center and headed to the Dharma hall on the third floor. Jungto Society has designated this year as a special practice period, committing to daily prayer sessions from 9 AM to 10 AM in the third-floor Dharma hall, without missing a single day. Today marks the first day of this special practice period.
After the morning prayer session ended and the room was tidied, the first lecture of the 100-Day Dharma Talk series began at 10:15 AM. This lecture series is set to start on March 10th, with open Dharma assemblies scheduled for the three weeks prior. Today’s lecture, the first of the open Dharma assemblies, focused on “The Meaning of Paying Homage.”
With about 300 people gathered in the third-floor Dharma hall, everyone requested the Dharma talk from Sunim with three full bows. Sunim began by introducing the main content of the upcoming 100-Day Dharma Talk series.
“Starting today, we will have daily Dharma assemblies for the next 100 days. Today marks the first assembly. The 100-Day Dharma Talk series is divided into two main parts. For the first three weeks, we’ll have ‘Open Dharma Assemblies’ where we’ll discuss fundamental concepts that we may only vaguely understand despite having visited temples or studied Buddhism. These aren’t new or difficult topics, but rather essential knowledge that every Buddhist should have but might not fully grasp. We’ll revisit these concepts in detail.
For the remaining 12 weeks, we’ll have Buddhist Social Studies, Sutra Lectures, and Jungto Buddhism Course on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays respectively. On Wednesdays, we’ve opened up the practice assemblies, previously reserved for Jungto members, to the general public. On Fridays, we’ll hold Dharma Q&A sessions both in the morning and afternoon, where anyone can freely participate to resolve their doubts and concerns through dialogue. Saturdays will be dedicated to 1000-bow practice, and Sundays to meditation.”
Then, the first lesson on the Buddhist liturgy began. Sunim systematically explained the reasons for performing Buddhist rituals and defined what it means to be a Buddhist.
“When you become a Buddhist, you will perform certain rituals to show respect to the Buddha, and these are called ‘Buddhist liturgy.’ In other words, the liturgy defines the mindset you should have when bowing to the Buddha.”
What Is a Buddhist (佛子)?
You call yourselves Buddhists, but what does ‘Buddhist (佛子)’ mean? It means ‘a disciple of the Buddha.’ A disciple of the Buddha refers to someone who practices according to the Buddha’s teachings. Thus, we can define a Buddhist as ‘a person who practices according to the Buddha’s teachings.’ Before entering nirvana, the Buddha arrived in Kushinagar, laid down in a grove of sala trees, and declared, “Ananda, the Tathagata will enter parinirvana this evening.” Suddenly, the sala trees blossomed. As it was not the season for blooming, people were amazed. Flowers rained down from the sky, and celestial music was heard. People looked up in wonder, thinking, ‘What is happening?’ At that moment, the Buddha said:
“Ananda, this is an offering from the devas in the heavens to the Tathagata on the occasion of his parinirvana. This is not the supreme offering. The supreme offering to the Tathagata is to practice diligently according to the Tathagata’s teachings.”
At that time, people in India believed that divinity resided in everything in this world. Therefore, there were countless deities. One could say there were as many gods as there were people. This means that not only humans but also deities paid respect to the Buddha by making offerings. However, the Buddha said that practicing diligently according to his teachings is the highest form of offering to him, more than any other act we might perform for him. Based on this statement, we can define a Buddhist as ‘a person who practices according to the Buddha’s teachings.’ In short, a Buddhist is a practitioner. So, how can one be called a practitioner? One must take refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha – and cultivate the threefold training of precept, meditation, and wisdom. Let’s repeat together:
“A practitioner is one who takes refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and cultivates the threefold training of precept, meditation, and wisdom.”
Therefore, the Buddhist chanting text is composed of taking refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) and cultivating the threefold training (precept, meditation, and wisdom). In other words, the act of chanting is a ritual of coming to the temple morning and evening to take refuge in the Three Jewels and cultivate the mind for the threefold training.
To Become a Person Without Suffering, a Free Person
The goal of a practitioner’s practice is not to go to a good place after death. It’s not about becoming rich by receiving blessings. It’s not about achieving success through blessings. It’s not about living a long life through blessings. It’s not about being free from illness through blessings. A practitioner is not someone who prays for blessings. The goal of a practitioner’s practice is to achieve liberation and nirvana. Liberation means a state of freedom without any attachments. Nirvana means a state without suffering in any situation. In Pali, it’s called ‘nibbana’, and in Sanskrit, it’s ‘nirvana’. When translated into Chinese characters, following the pronunciation, it became ‘yeolban’ (열반), and when expressed slightly differently, it became ‘haetal’ (해탈). In modern terms, it simply means freedom and happiness. However, this is different from the meaning of freedom and happiness commonly used by people in the world. That’s why we sometimes add the word ‘true’ in front, calling it ‘true freedom’ and ‘true happiness’. The goal of practice is to reach the state of liberation and nirvana, that is, ‘true freedom’ and ‘true happiness’.
When one reaches true freedom and true happiness, fear disappears. Because there is no fear of death at all, questions like ‘Where do we go after death?’ are not even a subject of interest. Statements like ‘There is nothing after death’ or ‘There is such and such a world after death’ are not made at all. The reason we keep wondering about what happens after death is because we fear death. Stories about ‘This is what happens after death’ have emerged as a way to overcome this fear. However, practitioners have become beings without fear, so there is no need to talk about what happens after death. Practitioners also don’t talk about whether they receive blessings or not. This is because they have already reached a state where there is no suffering in reality. That’s why events occur where a prince abandons the throne, a rich man’s son leaves home, and a married person leaves their family to become a monastic.
“But you pray to the Buddha to obtain such things. ‘Please help me find a marriage partner,’ ‘Please help me attain a high position,’ ‘Please help me make a lot of money.’ A practitioner is someone who abandons such things rather than praying for them. For a practitioner, marriage, position, money, popularity, and fame are fine to have, but also fine not to have. The goal of a practitioner is to achieve liberation and nirvana.”
Sunim then went on to explain in detail who the Buddha is and the ten epithets used to refer to the Buddha.
After finishing the Dharma talk, Sunim immediately left the Jungto Social and Cultural Center and headed to Kangbyon Church to attend the first anniversary memorial service for the late Reverend Kim Myung-hyuk.
Reverend Kim Myung-hyuk had been participating in the Peace Foundation’s religious leaders’ meetings for over 20 years, working together with Sunim on many activities for national reconciliation and peace. When Sunim arrived at Kangbyon Church, the memorial service was already in progress. Sunim listened attentively to the eulogy.
The senior members of the religious leaders’ group had also arrived early to pay their respects. After the memorial service ended, they greeted Sunim warmly.
They moved to the first floor to have lunch together and catch up on recent news.
“Sunim, did you have a good trip to India and Bhutan? We were worried about your health since you always push yourself so hard.”
“I had a good trip. But after 50 days, I’m feeling a bit tired. Bhutan was very cold because they don’t have heating systems.” (laughs)
While they were eating, the reverend’s disciples and acquaintances came to greet Sunim.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from the reverend. Thank you for coming.”
After finishing the meal, Sunim went to greet Professor Emeritus Son Bong-ho of Seoul National University, who was a close friend of the reverend.
Sunim shared words of comfort with the reverend’s family in his remembrance.
“I remember coming to Kangbyon Church every Christmas, holding lanterns and singing hymns while walking through the alleys with the reverend. He had been the leader of our religious leaders’ group for the past 20 years, and we’ve deeply felt his absence over the past year.”
“My father also spoke a lot about you, Sunim. We’re truly grateful that you made time to come despite your busy schedule.”
After exchanging greetings with the family, Sunim left Kangbyon Church.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to attend because it overlapped with the Dharma assembly and other schedules, but I’m glad I came, even if late.”
Returning to the Jungto Center, Sunim took a short rest before heading to the Peace Foundation as the sun was setting.
At 5:20 PM, Sunim had a meeting with Dharma Teacher Beophae regarding the upcoming visit to Washington D.C. At 6 PM, he met with the International Solidarity Team and external cooperation staff to discuss preparations for the International Association for Religious Studies (IARS) event to be held in July this year. After the meetings, Sunim moved to the third-floor Dharma hall to give an evening Dharma talk for the Open Dharma Assembly.
At 7:30 PM, about 250 people filled the hall.
As the audience requested the Dharma talk with three bows, Sunim began his lecture. The evening talk covered the same topic as the morning session, “The Meaning of Worship.”
“The first topic of the 100-day Dharma lecture series is ‘The Worship Text.’ The meaning of ‘ye (禮)’ is to bow. It means to praise and respect the Buddha and show reverence to him. In our daily lives, when we greet someone saying ‘Nice to meet you,’ we sometimes shake hands or bow, right? Similarly, because we respect the Buddha, we prostrate ourselves and show reverence. Then, we should know who this Buddha is to whom we’re showing respect. Why do we bow and worship him? If we don’t know why we should bow to the Buddha and are constantly told to do so, we might wonder, ‘Why should I bow to the Buddha when I don’t even bow to my parents often?’
Who Is the Buddha That We Bow To?
The Buddha always referred to himself as ‘Tathagata.’ He said, ‘The Tathagata has no fear.’ When disciples addressed the Buddha, they used the term ‘World-Honored One.’ World-Honored One means the most venerable one in the world. One doesn’t refer to oneself as the most venerable in the world, right? So when disciples addressed the Buddha, they always called him ‘World-Honored One!’
The word Buddha refers to an enlightened one. So what characteristics does an enlightened one have? A Buddha is someone who is in a state where all suffering has disappeared and there is no doubt or fear. There are ten terms that express these characteristics of a Buddha. These are called the ‘Ten Epithets of the Tathagata.’
First is ‘Tathagata,’ as mentioned earlier. In Indian, it’s ‘tathagata.’ ‘Tathagata’ is a term that expresses the Buddha’s characteristic of having no trace of coming or going.
Second is ‘Arhat.’ This person, having no defilements, does not incur karma or debt from receiving anything from others. For us, if we eat without effort, it might seem right at the moment, but it all becomes debt. What accumulates as debt must all be repaid later. But for the Buddha, there’s no trace left no matter what he receives from any sentient being. In Sanskrit, this is called ‘arhat’ or ‘arahan.’ In Chinese, it’s interpreted as ‘Worthy of Offerings.’ It means one who is worthy of receiving offerings.
Third, there is ‘Samyaksaṃbuddha’ (正徧知). ‘Samyak’ (正) means correct and objective. ‘Sam’ (徧) means comprehensive or all-encompassing. In other words, it applies to all people without discrimination. In everyday language, we can express this as “universally valid.” If something is correct but known only to the wealthy or intellectuals, it’s not comprehensive. Conversely, there are things widely known but not factual. For instance, the belief that “bathing in the Ganges washes away sins” is widely known in India, but it’s hard to claim as fact. Therefore, for something to be truth, it must possess two characteristics simultaneously: it must be correct and universally applicable without discrimination. In Chinese, this is called ‘Zhengbian’ (正徧), and one who has realized this correct and comprehensive truth is called ‘Samyaksaṃbuddha’ (正徧知). In Sanskrit, it’s ‘samyak-saṃbodhi’, which is transliterated into Chinese as ‘Sanmiao Sanputuo’ (三藐三佛陀).
When reciting the mantra of liberation, the final phrase is ‘Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksaṃbuddha’, which contains three titles of the Buddha. ‘Tathāgata’ (如來) means “one who has thus gone or thus come,” signifying no trace of coming or going. ‘Arhat’ (阿羅漢) means “one who is worthy of offerings.” ‘Samyaksaṃbuddha’ (三藐三佛陀) means “one who has correctly and comprehensively awakened.” ‘Tathāgata Arhat Samyaksaṃbuddha’ combines three of the ten titles of the Buddha. In Sanskrit, it would be ‘Tathāgata-Arhat-Samyaksaṃbuddha’.
Fourth, ‘Vijjācaraṇasampanno’ (Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct). ‘Vijjā’ means ‘knowledge,’ ‘caraṇa’ means ‘conduct’ or ‘practice,’ and ‘sampanno’ means ‘endowed with’ or ‘perfect in.’ Simply put, it means someone whose words and actions are in harmony. A person who can fully act according to their knowledge is called ‘Vijjācaraṇasampanno.’ However, we not only lack knowledge in many areas but also fail to act on what we do know.
Fifth, ‘Sugata’ (Well-Gone). This title means that the Buddha has transcended all suffering and afflictions and entered Nirvana.
Sixth, ‘Lokavidū’ (Knower of the World). This means that the Buddha knows all worldly matters. Because he understands everything about the world, he can answer questions from kings, poor women, and rich men alike. Understanding the principle that ‘all phenomena are empty’ helps eliminate one’s own suffering. However, this alone is not enough to cure the diverse afflictions of sentient beings. One must know the intricacies of worldly principles to provide help tailored to the listener’s situation. This is called ‘teaching according to the capacity of the audience’ (對機說法). Understanding all worldly matters is even more difficult than eliminating one’s own afflictions. I think the Buddha was able to teach according to the capacity of the audience not only because of his enlightenment but also because he had studied extensively about the world when he was a prince.
Seventh, ‘Anuttaro’ (Unsurpassed One). It means ‘there is no one higher than this person in the world.’ In other words, it signifies ‘the highest person in the world.’ This can also be expressed as ‘Supreme in the heavens and on earth, I alone am the Honored One’ (天上天下唯我獨尊) or ‘In heaven and on earth, there is none like the Buddha’ (天上天下無如佛). At that time, Indians believed that humans and gods were in constant communication. The heavens represent the world of gods, and the earth represents the human world. Therefore, this expression means that there is no one higher than the Buddha in both the divine and human realms combined.
Eighth, ‘Purisadammasārathi’ (Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed). ‘Purisa’ means a great person, and ‘dammasārathi’ means one who can train. Just as a trainer can control even the wildest elephant with a single stick, ‘Purisadammasārathi’ refers to someone who has the ability to subdue all the afflictions of all sentient beings. Even angry elephants became as gentle as lambs before the Buddha, and he could control even murderers like Angulimala. When people warned, “A murderer is coming. Don’t go that way,” the Buddha said, “The Tathagata has no fear,” and did not avoid him. When Angulimala chased after him with a sword, shouting, “Stop, ascetic!” the Buddha continued walking slowly. When the Buddha finally stopped, Angulimala ran up to him, panting, and demanded, “I told you to stop. Why didn’t you stop?” The Buddha replied, “The Tathagata stopped long ago. It is you who have not stopped.” Angulimala, irritated, retorted, “You kept walking and only stopped now. What nonsense are you talking?” The Buddha then answered:
“The Tathagata has stopped harming others. But you, haven’t you still not stopped?”
At that moment, Angulimala had a sudden realization. Originally, Angulimala was a very intelligent person who excelled in his studies. However, he fell under the influence of a misguided teacher and was led to commit murders due to false teachings. In modern terms, he was like someone trapped in a cult, unable to break free. In this way, the Buddha made Angulimala snap out of his delusion and control his foolishness. This characteristic is expressed by the term ‘tamer of men.’
The ninth title is ‘Sattha Devamanussanam,’ which means ‘Teacher of Gods and Humans.’ ‘Deva’ refers to gods, ‘manussa’ to humans, and ‘sattha’ means teacher. It signifies that the Buddha is the teacher of both gods and humans. When people want something, they pray to gods. Gods are considered to be above humans. However, the Buddha is above both gods and humans. He is the most revered being among all gods and humans. This gives Buddhist practitioners a reason to have pride, as they are considered to be above gods. That’s why in Buddhism, we say, “Protective deities, protect the Dharma,” rather than “Protective deities, please help us.” (Laughter)
Tenth, ‘Buddha Bhagavan (佛世尊)’. It means ‘the most venerable one because he is enlightened’. When I give Dharma talks in India, the interpreter translates Buddha as ‘Bhagavan Buddha’. Since ‘Bhagavan (婆伽梵)’ means ‘World-Honored One’, ‘Bhagavan Buddha’ would mean ‘Buddha, the World-Honored One’.
Ten Epithets Expressing the Characteristics of the Buddha
Let’s summarize the ten epithets of the Buddha again. Tathagata, Arhat, Samyaksambuddha, Vidyacarana-Sampanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Purusadamya-sarathi, Sasta Devamanusyanam, and Buddha Bhagavan – these are the ten epithets of the Tathagata. The Buddha is the one who possesses these ten characteristics. Isn’t he worthy of our prostrations? Isn’t he worthy of everyone’s respect? That’s why we bow to the Buddha. The text that contains this content of bowing to the Buddha with a mind of taking refuge is the Yebulmun (Homage to the Buddha). Today, we’ve spent the entire lecture time just discussing the title.” (Laughter)
Today, after explaining the title ‘Yebulmun’, it’s time to conclude our Dharma assembly. It has been a time to learn how much meaning is contained in the short phrases we usually recite and memorize mindlessly.
After the Open Dharma Assembly, participants gathered in groups to share their thoughts before returning home.
Tomorrow is the second day of the 100-Day Dharma Talk series. In the morning and evening, we will continue with the second part of the Open Dharma Assembly, focusing on Yebulmun Part 2. In the afternoon, there are scheduled meetings with visitors to the Peace Foundation.
