May 18, 2025 – 91st Day of the 100-Day Dharma Talk, Sunday Meditation, Meeting with 100-Day Dharma Talk Volunteers
Hello everyone. Today is the 91st day of Venerable Pomnyun Sunim’s 100-Day Dharma Talk. After spending yesterday working in the fields surrounded by nature, Sunim headed back to Seoul.
Sunim departed from Dubuk Retreat Center at 4:30 AM. As the vehicle traveled along the highway, the sun rose outside the window. He had breakfast from a lunchbox in the car and arrived at the Seoul Jungto Center at 8:00 AM.
After attending to some work, Sunim headed to the Jungto Social and Cultural Center. By 10:15 AM, about 250 people had gathered in the third-floor Dharma hall. The Sunday meditation began with the recitation of the Three Refuges and the Heart Sutra.
Following Sunim’s guidance, everyone meditated three times for 30 minutes each. During walking meditation, the focus was on being mindful of posture and movement.
After meditation, the participants broke into groups for mindful sharing, while Sunim had lunch and then proceeded to the basement auditorium.
At 2:00 PM, a gathering for the 100-Day Dharma Talk volunteers was held in the basement auditorium. During this 100-Day Dharma Talk period, many volunteers had worked hard to facilitate various programs including sutra lectures, Buddhist Social Studies Course, Jungto Buddhism Course, Weekly Dharma Assembly, Friday Dharma Q&A, 1080 prostrations practice, and meditation. Many volunteers also helped with building operations, management, cleaning, and meal preparation. A total of 337 volunteers gathered together, and the meeting began with the recitation of the Three Refuges and the Heart Sutra.
First, Venerable Yusu, the chairperson of the Special Committee for this 100-Day Dharma Talk, gave opening remarks.
“I believe we’ve reached this point today thanks to the hard work and dedication of many people. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed, both visibly and behind the scenes. Above all, the greatest merit comes from Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, who has delivered precious teachings and Dharma talks every single day without missing or resting. This 100-Day Dharma Talk has been a meaningful time when the Buddha’s teachings have come to us in a new light. We have now entered the third and final year of the 1000-Day Practice. At this point, one might expect to hear comments like ‘I’m tired’ or ‘I need to stop,’ but such remarks have disappeared. I think this is due to the merit of the 100-Day Dharma Talk. I believe this moment exists today because of the dedication of many Jungto Society members. Thank you.”
Next, everyone watched a video showing the volunteers working in various capacities during the 100-Day Dharma Talk.
In the video, the past 100 days, which had seemed so long, flashed by like a kaleidoscope. Following this, to celebrate the successful completion of the 100-Day Dharma Talk, two volunteers, Jang Jeongyun and Kim Ragyeol, sang beautiful songs.
The lyrics were filled with the fragrance of spiritual practice. Next, there was a one-minute speech session where anyone could come to the front of the stage and speak freely. This was a time to openly share feelings experienced while volunteering during the 100 days. It seemed everyone had something they wanted to say in front of Sunim, as people eagerly came forward to give their one-minute speeches.
“I suddenly became a team leader, but now that we’ve passed 90 days, my fellow practitioners feel like family. When the 100 days end, let’s continue together for the next 300 days.”
“There’s a saying in the Buddha’s teachings: ‘If you don’t do it now, you won’t be able to do it later.’ That’s why I participated, and I found it enjoyable working with various people. I strongly felt that volunteering is truly rewarding.”
“I was worried about my health and thought I might collapse while doing the 1080 prostrations. Encouraged by Sunim, I kept going with the thought, ‘If I collapse, at least Jungto Society will hold a memorial service for me.'”
“With cleaning, no matter how thoroughly you clean, it doesn’t show. But if something is dirty, you get criticized. After reading in the sutras about how the foolish Culapanthaka attained enlightenment while cleaning, I thought of cleaning as removing the dirt from my mind and cleaned more thoroughly than I would my own home.”
“Coming out to volunteer was actually what saved me. At work, I only encountered angry, irritated, hateful, and resentful voices and faces. But when I see the faces of people here, I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to volunteering, I’ve gained new strength.”
“While preparing meals in the kitchen, when Sunim came down, we asked, ‘Sunim, please take a photo with us!’ But he wouldn’t take a photo. Instead, he said, ‘Why is there only sour kimchi and no tasty kimchi?’ It’s not that we wanted to serve something unpleasant. We just happened to put out the leftover kimchi on the day he came down.” (Laughter)
The volunteer received a big round of applause for humorously sharing a disappointing moment during their service.
Due to time constraints, the session had to conclude. It was decided that unshared stories would be continued at the Sharing Retreat at Mungyeong Retreat Center, and the one-minute speech session came to an end.
Next was a time to present gifts to the volunteers who had quietly served behind the scenes. Before the gift presentation, Sunim first expressed his gratitude to the volunteers.
“Thank you all for your hard work in conducting the 100-Day Dharma Talk. I would like to give you gifts as a token of my appreciation, but as you know, Jungto Society has a principle of not compensating for volunteer work. Even I get reprimanded if I break this principle. During the COVID pandemic, when male lay practitioners were working with string trimmers in the sweltering summer heat at Dubuk Retreat Center, I suggested, ‘Let’s at least cook them some noodles,’ but a trainee next to me pointed out, ‘Sunim, that goes against Jungto Society’s principles.’ I once responded, ‘Can’t a guiding Dharma teacher even offer a bowl of noodles?’ (Laughter)
Nevertheless, I’ve prepared gifts this time. We have rice harvested from last year’s rice farming at Dubuk Retreat Center, so I’ll give you either 3kg of glutinous rice or 5kg of regular rice. Those who volunteered more will receive an additional prayer bead and a book. Finally, those who volunteered throughout the entire week will also receive a framed picture of a Buddha statue that I brought from Bodhgaya. Some of you might protest, ‘How can Buddhism, which teaches equality, practice such discrimination?’ But I have something to say about that too. Since you all volunteered in varying degrees, I’m giving gifts that correspond to your level of service.” (Laughter)
Representatives of all 337 volunteers who served four or more days a week came forward. Sunim personally placed prayer beads around their necks and presented them with gifts.
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
The volunteers returned to their seats carrying bags of rice and books filled with Sunim’s heartfelt appreciation.
With arms full of gifts and hearts full of joy, everyone performed three full bows to Sunim, requesting his Dharma talk. Sunim spoke about the mindset practitioners should maintain while volunteering.
“The 100-Day Dharma Talk at the Jungto Social and Cultural Center has been running smoothly thanks to all of you volunteers. I’m told that besides the 330 people here today, there are about 300 more who couldn’t attend, making a total of around 600 volunteers. This 100-Day Dharma Talk has been possible because of the voluntary participation of so many people. Everything has been accomplished through your hard work.
What is the difference between labor and service?
I think the term ‘service’ might not have existed originally. People don’t use the expression ‘to serve’ when describing their daily lives. For example, when we wash our faces, make our own clothes, cook our own food, or farm in the fields, we don’t call these activities ‘service.’ The term ‘service’ seems to have emerged as a contrast to selling one’s labor for money, referring to labor performed without monetary compensation. When we work and receive money in return, we call it ‘labor.’ And we call those who provide labor and receive wages to maintain their livelihood ‘wage laborers.’
Looking back at history with this perspective, slaves were beings who received no compensation for their work. Since the master did not pay them, we can say that slaves had their labor exploited. Slaves can be seen as people who were deprived of their labor without receiving the fair compensation they deserved. Later, in the medieval period, serfs emerged. Serfs had escaped from slave status but were bound to specific lands. They were called ‘agricultural slaves’ (nongno), meaning slaves who farmed. However, they lived under much better conditions than ordinary slaves. As time passed, some serfs paid money to lords to purchase their status and become free people. These people who gained freedom are what we call ‘laborers.’ Laborers became able to decide for themselves where and what kind of labor they would perform. In other words, they could choose where and for how much they would sell themselves. While slaves were decided by their masters and serfs by their lords, laborers became subjects who could choose their own lives.
In this context, ‘service’ means doing something without receiving money for it—not selling my talents, but treating it as my own work. It’s not about being unable to receive money that I should be getting, but rather making a personal decision: ‘This is my work, so I’ll do it myself.’ However, sometimes service is forced upon people. In the military, superiors may demand service from their subordinates. While they’re not slaves or serfs, someone else is making the decision about whether they should do the work or not, rather than them deciding for themselves. As a result, many people provide service reluctantly, feeling they have no choice. In contrast, when someone purely decides to serve of their own accord, it’s called ‘volunteering.’ Volunteering is like washing your face or taking a bath—doing your own work yourself. There’s absolutely no concept of selling something for money. Therefore, volunteering can be described as self-realization.
However, even when we work with a spirit of service, those around us may perceive our actions differently. Especially people who are accustomed to the idea that one should receive wages in exchange for labor might say, ‘Why are you doing something so foolish without getting paid?’ Your friends, family, and particularly your spouse might think this way. This is because in a capitalist society, it’s considered normal to sell your labor for money. Therefore, there’s a perspective that views helping others without receiving payment as ‘foolish.’ Nevertheless, service is a path to self-realization.
Why Practitioners Should Not Pursue Profit
Practitioners are fundamentally not supposed to sell anything. If I were to give lectures at a university and receive money for it, I would not be a practitioner but a worker. Even if someone is a Sunim, if they work as a salaried school teacher or professor, strictly speaking, they are not practitioners but scholars or wage laborers. This is deeply related to the precepts. Farming itself is not a problem, but selling agricultural products for profit violates the precepts. The precept for ordained practitioners that says ‘do not work’ doesn’t simply mean to stop laboring, but rather to refrain from labor that pursues profit.
If one eats, dresses, and sleeps without working, one inevitably depends on someone else’s labor. This essentially means incurring a debt. Therefore, practitioners should wear discarded clothing rather than clothes made by others, as wearing clothes made by others incurs debt. Similarly, instead of eating food prepared by others, practitioners should eat leftovers. The same applies to housing. Even if a house is received as a donation, living in a house built by others still incurs debt, so practitioners should sleep in forests, caves, or under the eaves of abandoned houses. By living this way instead of working, one can live without depending on someone else’s labor.
It’s acceptable to maintain your livelihood through your own work. However, that work should not become a means for making money. Originally, monastics were not allowed to earn money. In other words, they were not supposed to pursue profit. Yet today, there are often cases where people accept only the Buddha’s teaching that ‘monastics should not work,’ and thus do not labor while accepting money or goods from others without hesitation. Originally, only discarded food and worn-out clothes were permitted, but nowadays, many receive gourmet food or new clothes. While it may appear to maintain the form, the content deviates from the Buddha’s intention.
That’s why I don’t accept payment for lectures I give outside. This might seem strange to some people. However, from the perspective of a practitioner’s principles, it’s not foolish at all. Giving lectures itself is fine, but seeking profit through those lectures violates the precepts. The same applies to farming. Farming for self-sufficiency is acceptable, but farming for profit goes against the path of a practitioner. In other words, working for one’s own sustenance or to give to others is fine, but when it leads to making money, it violates the precepts. That’s why Seon (禪) Buddhism established a self-sufficient system. In contrast, Southern Buddhism has maintained the tradition of not working and eating alms food. On the surface, it appears to be living without labor, but in reality, it’s a lifestyle dependent on donations. This tradition also existed in Korea in the past. However, with the introduction of Seon Buddhism, the alms tradition was abandoned, and the tradition of self-sufficiency emerged with the teaching ‘One day no work, one day no food’ (一日不作 一日不食). This teaching means that if you don’t work for a day, you shouldn’t eat for a day, emphasizing that one should live self-sufficiently without depending on donations.
Giving is not like purchasing something with money. If you give money expecting something in return, that’s not giving but rather a transaction. Your donation becomes true giving only when you expect nothing in return. The same applies to volunteering. When you come to Jungto Society, you must take care of your own needs. If you want to eat, you need to cook; if you use the facilities, you need to clean. If you don’t want to clean, you don’t have to use the facilities; if you don’t want to cook, you don’t have to eat. That’s why we tell those who don’t want to cook to bring their own lunch. If you want to eat but refuse to participate in cooking, that goes against Jungto Society’s principles. In Jungto Society, a community of practitioners, everyone must take turns with meal preparation and cleaning duties, regardless of their position. It’s unacceptable to simply enjoy the benefits created by others’ efforts. Even if you have specific responsibilities, essential communal tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry must be shared. This is the fundamental principle of a practice community.
Why is Jungto Society operated solely by volunteers?
Following this principle, Jungto Society operates on a volunteer system. This is possible because everyone gathered here is a practitioner. A practitioner cannot employ others, as this would create an unequal relationship between employer and employee. For example, if you are a company CEO who comes to Jungto Society to practice, you may leave your secretary outside and enter alone as a practitioner without issue. However, if that secretary is also a Jungto member and enters the Dharma hall with you, from that moment on, you are fellow practitioners. You are no longer boss and secretary. If you maintain the boss-secretary relationship, Jungto Society would become a society with class distinctions, which is not the nature of a practice community. In such a case, either both of you would lose your qualification as Jungto members, or at least one would forfeit their status as a practitioner.
When traveling abroad, I’ve noticed that many wealthy Koreans who settle overseas often employ housekeepers or drivers. Having personal staff at home isn’t problematic. Even the Buddha didn’t interfere with every aspect of worldly affairs. However, issues arise when housekeepers clean the Dharma center or cook meals there. They come along because their employers ask them to. This is prohibited in Jungto Society. What happens outside the Dharma center is not our concern, but inside, housekeepers should not be cleaning or cooking. No matter how wealthy you are, if you want to eat, you must cook for yourself. Bringing food from home is acceptable, but the principle is that inside the Dharma center, you must do your own work.
I’m explaining this at length because Jungto Society is operated by practitioners. This approach differs from conventional temples that seek economic efficiency by receiving donations in exchange for blessing ceremonies. Jungto Society is a community of practitioners, structured so that practitioners share various responsibilities. The donations you make without expecting anything in return generate true merit. Similarly, your volunteer work becomes meritorious precisely because you seek no compensation.
For example, if I receive a lecture fee of 1 million won, I’ve simply earned wages as a worker. The event organizers paid the fee, completing a transaction between us. This involves only an exchange, not merit. However, if I give the lecture for free, it becomes volunteer service and generates merit. Likewise, if the organizers make a donation to JTS, that also creates merit. Thus, this relationship isn’t transactional but rather one where both parties create merit.
We call this relationship of mutual merit-making ‘love.’ Exchanging compensation is commerce, but caring for each other without expecting returns is love. This is why Jungto Society’s volunteer-based operation, though challenging, is meaningful. Many people object to this seemingly inefficient approach. Honestly, I’m not certain if this system is sustainable in the long term. Nevertheless, I’m committed to upholding this principle at least during my lifetime. The fact that Jungto Society has operated successfully while maintaining these principles is solely due to your volunteer efforts. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all of you.”
Following this, there was time for participants to freely ask questions about difficulties they experienced while volunteering or any other concerns they had. One person raised their hand enthusiastically and asked Sunim a question.
Why does volunteering in Jungto Society seem to focus only on internal affairs?
“Are you aware that non-members are not permitted to volunteer at Jungto Society? The reason is simple. Since Jungto Society’s position is to help those in need outside our organization, receiving help from outsiders for our internal affairs would contradict our principles. This isn’t about denying rights to non-members; it’s about our commitment to self-reliance. If non-members were to help Jungto Society, we wouldn’t be self-reliant.
Therefore, Jungto Society doesn’t ask for external help. We don’t request support from the government either. Of course, we could receive support if we applied for certain projects, but as a principle, we don’t make the first request. If someone voluntarily offers support, we accept it because it’s an act of giving. However, Jungto Society doesn’t actively seek support. If we were truly in dire straits, we might ask, but self-reliance remains our fundamental principle. So when non-members express interest in volunteering with Jungto Society, we guide them to volunteer elsewhere.
Naturally, Jungto Society should help those in need in our community when we have the capacity. However, currently, we’re struggling just to be self-sufficient. We don’t have enough people to handle our internal work, let alone expand our volunteer efforts externally. It wouldn’t make sense to take on external commitments when we can’t manage our own affairs. In Korea, besides managing the Jungto Social and Cultural Center, we have various responsibilities including operating the main temples and farming, and we’re already severely understaffed. We’re actually in a position where we could use external help. Nevertheless, our principle of self-reliance means we try to manage on our own without outside assistance.
Of course, various support efforts are being made to help the poor in other countries. We are building schools and conducting various support activities in India, the Philippines, Syria, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and other places. Although our resources are limited domestically, we continue to provide relief activities internationally through volunteer work to the extent possible.
Unlike Jungto Society, Taiwan’s Tzu Chi Foundation pays salaries to its core volunteers. They also actively recruit external volunteers, with ten million volunteers working worldwide. In Taiwan alone, more than five million volunteers are active. Their volunteer organization is well-structured and comprehensive. While some volunteers are Buddhist followers, the volunteer organization operates independently. These volunteers receive training and engage in various activities, including environmental practices and relief efforts around the world. However, since it’s not a community of practitioners, some people receive salaries. When providing international relief, Tzu Chi directly provides cash support, whereas Jungto Society does not. In terms of the scale of their volunteer system, it could be considered the largest and most well-equipped in the world.
However, Jungto Society focuses more on how well we adhere to the principles of practice rather than volunteering. As the number of Jungto Society members and volunteers increases in the future, our service to those in need outside our community will naturally become more active. And for activities outside of Jungto Society, participation isn’t limited to just our members. Anyone can participate. For example, when helping those in need in our neighborhood, it doesn’t matter whether someone is a Jungto Society member or not. I just want to emphasize once again that internal Jungto Society matters should be handled by Jungto members, in accordance with our principle of self-reliance.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
Sunim concluded the Dharma talk early after taking just one question.
Next, everyone gathered to sing songs as the Volunteer Appreciation Day came to a close. The Young Buddha teams, who had been volunteering in various areas during the 100-Day Dharma Talk period, came up on stage and sang the song “Teo” (Foundation).
Finally, Jeon Hae-jong, President of Jungto Society, gave the closing remarks.
“On June 1st, we will conclude the 100-Day Dharma Talk, and the first 1000-Day Practice will have 200 days remaining. During these remaining 200 days, I hope we can all gather at the Jungto Social and Cultural Center to continue listening to Sunim’s teachings through video. Let’s work together to ensure that more people can hear these precious teachings. Once again, I deeply thank all the volunteers.”
The Volunteer Appreciation Day event concluded with the Four Great Vows, with everyone pledging to continue their volunteer work steadily, not just ending with the 100-Day Dharma Talk.
Afterward, each team took commemorative photos with Sunim. The Center Management Team, Buddhism Course Team, Weekly Dharma Assembly Team, Sutra Lecture Team, Buddhist Social Studies Course Team, Practice Team, Dharma Q&A Team, and finally the Team Leaders group came forward in turn to commemorate this moment.
As the event concluded, Venerable Yusu distributed a bag of rice to each volunteer. Everyone happily carried their rice home.
As the sun set, Sunim finished his work indoors and concluded his day.
Tomorrow will be the 92nd day of the 100-Day Dharma Talk. In the morning, Sunim will give the 7th lecture on the Heart Sutra at the Dharma Hall on the 3rd floor of the Jungto Social and Cultural Center, and in the evening, he will give the 20th lecture for the Buddhist Social Studies Course in the main auditorium in the basement.
