<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
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• Meditation
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\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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• Career
• Emotions
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• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
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• Social Issue

\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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\n

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

By Category

• Buddhism
• Career
• Emotions
• Family
• Featured Talk
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Relationship
• Social Issue

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This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\n

<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

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Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

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Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

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Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run international Buddhist community that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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\n

The revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim recently led a cohort of 430 Buddhist practitioners on Jungto Society\u2019s 34th annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal, following in the footsteps of the historical Buddha to visit key sites connected with his life, spiritual practice, enlightenment, and Dharma teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run international Buddhist community that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

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\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim recently led a cohort of 430 Buddhist practitioners on Jungto Society\u2019s 34th annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal, following in the footsteps of the historical Buddha to visit key sites connected with his life, spiritual practice, enlightenment, and Dharma teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run international Buddhist community that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAlthough we call it a pilgrimage because we\u2019re visiting sacred places, from a Buddhist perspective, it\u2019s not accurate to say that there are particularly sacred lands or especially sacred days. This is because the Buddhist teaching is that all phenomena are empty,\u201d Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained during his Dharma talk for the opening ceremony on the first day of the pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 430 Practitioners on a Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in the Footsteps of the Buddha","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-430-practitioners-on-a-pilgrimage-to-india-and-nepal-in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-26 23:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-27 04:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=26774","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18368,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-04-03 18:15:54","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:54","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first, the participation\u2014for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history\u2014of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Some of them are members of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. A project that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.**<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners who aspire to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the penultimate day of an extensive and, at times, grueling pilgrimage itinerary\u2014through which the pilgrims were privileged to follow the footsteps of, and bear witness to, the key chapters in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and the birth of the Buddhadharma some 2,600 years ago\u2014BDG imposed on Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to take time away from his duties as the pilgrimage\u2019s tireless guiding teacher, for a quiet moment of reflection on the past and the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BDG: 2024 is something of a landmark year for Jungto Society, marking the 33rd Jungto pilgrimage to India as well as the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy.** Can you talk a little about your aspirations for the future of Sujata Academy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim: <\/strong>From the beginning, our primary goal at Sujata Academy was to eradicate illiteracy in Dungeshwari. Now that we can see we\u2019ve been quite successful in attaining that goal, our remaining work could be providing higher education for the children, or assistance to help them find employment. You might say that this is our remaining objective, but, at the same time, I know that it\u2019s unlikely we can completely address this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it would likely be too difficult for us to provide higher education for all the children and to ensure that they are all employed, I am instead thinking about the alternative possibility of providing technical training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In India, there is a great need for medical personnel, for example. And since India is now rapidly industrializing, there is also a great need for skilled tradespeople. So now I\u2019m thinking in terms of training in trades related to construction\u2014electricians, and so on. However, this goal is somewhat controversial within Jungto Society because our original intention was only to tackle the basics: ensuring literacy and numeracy for the community. At this point, we haven\u2019t concluded whether or not we can or should go beyond this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, there are people who ask whether it wouldn\u2019t be better for us to look at other communities where illiteracy and innumeracy are still rife, so that we can instead focus on addressing these basic issues for a greater number of people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is where we are now, and we have yet to make a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside these issues, there used to be a very high rate of tuberculosis within the community at Dungeshwari\u2014something like 300 people. Now there are fewer than 10 cases. So we can see that our aspiration to introduce a high level of comprehensive healthcare has also been successful. Likewise, the rate of infant mortality has been greatly reduced, as well as the mortality rate for women giving birth. And this is all thanks to setting up small local medical centers and mobile clinics, which can treat minor emergency cases and ailments\u2014broken bones, snake bites, and the like. For more serious health conditions, then we will send the local residents to a government hospital for more specialized treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a broader community-development plan, which was drawn up from the beginning but has yet to be fully implemented. We can say, for example, that we\u2019ve successfully solved the problem of ensuring access to clean drinking water, but we fallen short of success in some areas, such as increasing the earnings of local residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the locals had landholdings, we could help them set up and manage a cooperative. Then they could increase their earnings by working together. However, most of the local residents are Dalits,*** who don\u2019t have any land holdings and can only earn money through their labor. And they\u2019re also shouldering high levels of debt. So far, we haven\u2019t found a sustainable way to overcome this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have looked into helping the local community to set up a micro-financing and micro-banking scheme, but because of local security issues, we haven\u2019t been able to move ahead with that yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the current situation as it stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on April 1, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Footsteps of the Buddha: Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the Transformative Power of Engaged Buddhism","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-and-the-transformative-power-of-engaged-buddhism","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-04-03 18:15:56","post_modified_gmt":"2024-04-03 23:15:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18368","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18140,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-03-10 17:37:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:37:58","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: first was the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. Second, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungeshwari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. This project has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

The academy is named after Sujata, the young woman who is said to have nourished the ailing and emaciated Siddhartha Gautama with a bowl of milk-rice, thus ending his six years of extreme asceticism. Tuition at the academy is provided free of charge. The school\u2019s principal goal is to educate every student in basic literacy and numeracy. Classes are taught from kindergarten to secondary level, alongside adult literacy classes and skills training. Students who wish to continue beyond elementary education and attend secondary school are required to teach kindergarteners or to help out in the onsite Jivaka Hospital in the mornings and to attend classes in the afternoon, working in the spirit of giving back to the community. The campus also includes a warehouse, a dormitory, a large playing field, and sports equipment for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

x<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers of Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people of Dungeshwari are primarily Dalits, who face systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of the conservative Hindu social hierarchy. \u201cDalit,\u201d which translates as \u201cbroken\u201d in Sanskrit, is a term for the very lowest castes, whom members of the so-called \u201chigher\u201d castes still to this day deem \u201cuntouchable,\u201d despite the practice being prohibited in the Constitution of India. By working directly with disadvantaged communities, JTS aims to help them to mobilize their own capabilities and resources to create a more prosperous and sustainable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society Dharma teacher Doyeon Jang (Dharma name Bogwang), is the director of Sujata Academy. She has overseen the development of this ambitious project, facing numerous challenges, both personal and structural, in the process of bringing this expression of compassion and social transformation to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on March 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"The Sujata Academy Project: The Power of Hope and Compassion in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"the-sujata-academy-project-the-power-of-hope-and-compassion-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-03-10 17:38:00","post_modified_gmt":"2024-03-10 22:38:00","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18140","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18019,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-14 23:46:40","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:40","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), recently conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

This year\u2019s pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners: the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.^{2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Significantly, the pilgrimage also coincided with celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school and social empowerment project established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the international Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and the belief that helping others is the best way to enrich one\u2019s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates four branch offices in South Korea and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. JTS Korea and JTS America oversee fundraising, while JTS India and JTS Philippines conduct development projects in cooperation with local communities. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JTS India began its work in Dungeshwari, some 12 kilometers northeast of the Buddhist pilgrimage hub of Bodh Gaya, in the early 1990s, aspiring to fulfill the mission: \u201cThe hungry should eat; the sick should be treated; children should be educated in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This region is surrounded by the Pragbodhi Hills where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, is said to have spent six years in a cave as an ascetic. And it\u2019s here that JTS India has been working to empower the villagers in Dungeshwari to live their lives free from hunger, illiteracy, and disease.^{3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 14, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: The Hope of the World \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Marks the 30th Anniversary of the Sujata Academy Project in India","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-the-hope-of-the-world-ven-pomnyun-sunim-marks-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-sujata-academy-project-in-india","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-14 23:46:42","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-15 04:46:42","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18019","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":18003,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2024-02-09 11:17:31","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:31","post_content":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and social activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8), has conducted its 33rd annual pilgrimage across India and to Nepal. Held under the theme \u201cFollowing in the Footsteps of the Buddha,\u201d the pilgrimage, which ran from 19 January to 2 February, was attended by more 500 practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilgrimage was particularly notable for two reasons: this year saw the participation, for the first time in the Jungto pilgrimage\u2019s 33-year history, of non-Korean practitioners. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Sujata Academy, a remarkable community school established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in Dungheswari, Bihar, that has transformed the lives of an entire community of people who have faced systemic social and economic exclusion as a result of India\u2019s conservative Hindu caste hierarchy.^{1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

Because of the unique significance of the Sujata Academy\u2019s 30th anniversary, BDG will cover that event in more depth in a separate upcoming report and interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jungto Society is a volunteer-run community of practitioners that aspires to embody the Buddhist teachings through social engagement, and by promoting a simple lifestyle centered on sustainable living. The community seeks to address the crises of modern society, such as greed, poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation, by applying a Buddhist worldview of interconnectedness and living in line with the principle that everyone can find happiness through Buddhist practice and active participation in social movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although fewer in number than the 1,250 practitioners who attended Jungto Society\u2019s 2023 pilgrimage,^{2<\/sup> the 500-plus Korean Buddhist pilgrims who recently returned from India were accompanied nine practitioners from Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam\u2014some of whom are members of the the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), including two bhikkhunis<\/em> from Thailand, while others are graduates of Jungto Society\u2019s English-language Dharma School.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n}

\u25b6\ufe0f Published by BDG on February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Read more: <\/a>https:\/\/www.buddhistdoor.net\/news\/special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","post_title":"Special Report: Footsteps of the Buddha \u2013 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Leads 500 Practitioners on the 33rd Jungto Pilgrimage across India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"The Korean Seon (Zen) master Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) wears many hats: Buddhist monk, teacher, author, environmentalist, and social activist, to name a few. As a widely respected Dharma teacher and a tireless socially engaged activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict.\n\nThis column, shared by Jungto Society, presents a series of highlights from Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s writings, teachings, public talks, and regular live-streamed Dharma Q+A sessions, which are accessible across the globe.\n","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"special-report-footsteps-of-the-buddha-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-500-practitioners-on-the-33rd-jungto-pilgrimage-across-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-02-09 11:17:33","post_modified_gmt":"2024-02-09 16:17:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=18003","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":17478,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2023-12-06 14:47:35","post_date_gmt":"2023-12-06 19:47:35","post_content":"\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Pilgrims make their way through farmland<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (\ubc95\ub95c\uc2a4\ub2d8) and numerous Jungto practitioners embark on a transformative pilgrimage through India and Nepal, retracing the Buddha\u2019s footsteps. Pushing pilgrims out of their comfort zones, this two-week journey allows them to experience the ascetic life of renounced practitioners as they visit sacred Buddhist sites. They often sleep in temples, on buses, and even during Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talks at each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Varanasi, India<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Lumbini, Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each pilgrimage is unique and filled with special moments. The last trip<\/a> notably took a massive group of approximately 1,250 practitioners and reenacted the setting for the Diamond Sutra, in which the Buddha gave a sermon to 1,250 bhikkhus in Jetavana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gives a Dharma talk in Sankasia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes the upcoming pilgrimage extra special is, for the first time, graduates of English Jungto Dharma School will also embark on the journey along with the rest of Korean-speaking Jungto members. Among these participants is Prince, a soon-to-be graduate of Introduction to Buddhism II<\/a><\/em>. He currently resides in Italy and works in the software industry. When asked how he feels about the trip, his first reaction was to give thanks to the volunteers who are putting in the extra effort to support English speaking graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am excited, and also grateful to all the volunteers who are spending so much time helping us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u25b2Prince, our English Jungto Dharma School student<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince shared that what most excites him about the trip is the prospect of visiting the major Buddhist sites for the first time since he embraced the Buddha\u2019s teachings. Prince\u2019s journey into Buddhism began with a friend he met online. Back in the year 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, Prince went through a rough patch in life. He had separated from his partner, struggled to find a job after graduating from college, and perhaps most importantly, faced the uncertainty of his visa status as the Canadian government virtually stopped issuing visas to foreign nationals. Negative emotions filled his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when his friend recommended him some Youtube videos to watch. Those videos from two Canadian monks following the tradition of Thai Buddhism were Prince\u2019s first experience with the Buddha\u2019s teachings (side note: the interviewer was amused to hear this as he was also introduced to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos by a friend he had met online). Before long, he learned about loving-kindness meditation. While practicing loving-kindness meditation, Prince felt his negative emotions melt away and he was no longer suffering. He wasn\u2019t sure how it was making him feel better, but it had such an effect on him that he was determined to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Prince joined the first Live Dharma Talk with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim after he found his Dharma talks on Youtube. Prince attributes his discovery of Sunim\u2019s Dharma talk videos to his interest in Korean culture. Without hesitation, he enrolled in Introduction to Buddhism I at Jungto Dharma School when it became available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince firmly believes that the Buddha\u2019s teachings can play a huge role in bringing happiness to people. He sees that so many people are greatly suffering yet have no idea how to deal with their pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Buddha\u2019s teachings have helped me personally, so they must also work for others. They can help people overcome their greed and live more mindfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about how his family feels about his interest in the Buddha\u2019s teachings, Prince replied that they were supportive. He even managed to get his mother to begin watching Buddhist teachings online in Hindi. He is convinced that the Dharma can help people find happiness because it has had such a positive impact on his life and the lives of those around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we wrapped up our interview, Prince repeatedly showed interest in volunteering at Jungto Society and making a contribution to help others find happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would like to dedicate time to help others, and Jungto Society is a wonderful medium for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Prince for his kindness and wish him and other pilgrims the best of luck on their journey.<\/p>\n","post_title":"English Jungto Dharma School Graduates to Embark on Pilgrimage with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in India and Nepal","post_excerpt":"Volunteering That Connects People","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"english-jungto-dharma-school-graduates-to-embark-on-pilgrimage-with-ven-pomnyun-sunim-in-india-and-nepal","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-07 02:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-07 07:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.jungtosociety.org\/?p=17478","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"jnews_block_37"};

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