Advertise on podcast: Ven.Pomnyun_Sunim's Dharma Talk

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2023. 7. 16 🔹Question: Hi Sunim. It's nice to see you. I appreciate having this opportunity. My question is about a relationship with a neighbor. I am someone who really loves nature on manylevels including the beauty of nature, and, in particular, I love flowers. Last year, we bought a new home, and it was not in great shape, so we made repairs. We had a landscaper put in a lawn and flowers to make it more beautiful. Our neighbors were really happy that we did this, and they acknowledged us. But this summer, they are allowing their dogs to urinate on our newly landscaped lawn and property. There are four dogs that are particularly a part of this. Last weekend, I got very sad about it, but I also was very angry. So, I was talking to my husband, and I said to him, "I want to find a Buddhist way to think about this." I'm wondering, "Am I too attached to the garden? Should I allow it to just be ruined?" As a Buddhist practitioner, I'm really interested in your wisdom on what would be the best for me and my neighbors?     🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the death and thedestruction that we see on the media are heartbreaking. In all conflicts, each side has justifiable reasons, but it is not right to resort to military intervention to resolve disputes. I sincerely hope that the current military conflict comes to an end as soon as possible and that the Ukrainian people can quickly recover their sense of normalcy and peace. Let’s take a moment ofsilence (and meditation) to wish for peace. For the war to end as soon as possible, the international community must come together and send a unified message that it is not right to settle disputes with military force. However, the most effective solution will be for the Russian citizens to raise their collective voices in asking the Russian government for a prompt end to the war. The crucial factor in ending the Vietnam War was not military victories or defeats.Ultimately, it was the anti-war movements by many people asking for peace within the U.S. that helped to end the war. It is necessary for the international community to cooperate to restrain Russia’s unjustifiable actions with economic and diplomatic sanctions. However, it is also very important forpeople in all corners of the world to continuously raise their voices for peace. May all living beings be happy and peaceful. February 27, 2022 Ven. Pomnyun Sunim 🔹Question: None   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at University ofMichigan (Oct. 26, 2014) 🔹Question: My Question is, I know you spoke last year at Union Seminary about liberation theology. Were you involved in the Korean liberation movement, the theological movement like Min-jung Theology? And how were you involved? My second question is how did your spirituality or your spiritual growth, affect your social change?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2016. 3. 25. 🔹Question: When we see the current movement of President Park Geun-Hye, she often talks about reunification and she mentions that reunification is a jackpot. She continuouslypromote the idea of reunification that might threaten North Korea in an aggressive behavior. How do you think about that? My second question is, have you ever thought about specific policies that we can embrace North Korean elites?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session in UCLA (Nov. 16,2014) 🔹Question: When we see suffering and when we see crimes being perpetrated by certain groups against the rest of the world, how do we approach that problem? How do we engage it? Today you could see in many parts of the world where similar things are happening, where people are very determined to advance their agenda and to exterminate physically destroy anyone who opposes them. We can look at communism, we can look at other ideologies that are very aggressive. That do not want to coexist with anybody, do not want to accept anybody’s alternative ideas. They see the world in only one way. And anyone who opposes them will be destroyed. So how do we address that? How do we as the conscious and enlightened human being deal with that? What’s your advice?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Google (Nov. 10,2014) 🔹Question: Sunim, I have to ask you about North Korea because you are one of the world’s top experts on the topic. And I’m just going to ask you a very broad question, which is talk about peace and humanitarian issue in North Korea today.   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2014.11.10 🔹Question: Hi. I agree many of our sufferings are really due to our minds. But this year seems, I mean, this year has been especially complicated or hard to swallow for me. I mean, early this year starting with the Ukraine crisis, and then the conflicts in the Middle East. We had this Ebola outbreak and what not. I feel as if the entire universes is kind of inching towards the end or so to speak. And we are closing to the autumn of the universe. What’s going on this year? Is this thing goingto continue? What’s your opinon?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2019. 8. 20. 🔹Question: You began your talk very well with talking about the difference between an atheist and a believer. At least in that case. They agree on the topic of whether or not there is a God. That’s great. Now talking about reunification, I think thesituations are similar but different. For example, among the various reunification efforts and movements including within the Jungtohoi (Jungto Society), there is a focus on what they are doing more than what the other part, maybe recipients, understand what they are doing. There are so much confusion of people talking past each other. Simple example, somewhat relevant, is in the recent peace talks. There is not even agreement on what the summits are about like in Hanoi and Singapore, just the fact that they agreed to meet and talk past each other. So my concern and I don’t know if it’s a question, iswhen people get involved with these reunification ovements and spent a good amount of time, effort and money, I’m not sure if they are really doing it more for reunification than for themselves as feeling good that they are doing something for a noble cause that is not well defined. Because, ok, reunification. But what is reunification? There’s so many different opinions of what that would actually be. So I wonder maybe the Jungtohoi (Jungto Society) should be focusing its resources on other things such as elimination of the death penalty in South Korea or giving opportunities for conscientious objectors to find acceptable roles in society rather than compulsory military service. So I’m not criticizing the Jungtohoi (Jongto Society)but I’m just raising my concerns about allocations of resources and time.I understand thecorn donation is very noble and hopefully the corn will be given to the people who are actually hungry and not simply the people who do not actually need that food. But it could be a situation where people feel good about raising moneyfor the corn for North Korea when in fact it may not be so purposeful. But it makes them feel good. So I don’t know if I have a real question but only a simple concern that may not even be appropriate for this format. But here I am.   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Jogye-sa Temple,Seoul, South Korea (June 15, 2018) 🔹Question: I've just recently returned from Japan after conducting research for a year. And my question is this. Is there anything we can take from Buddhist teachings to helpKoreans understand Korea-Japan relations? What is the way for it given the emotional suffering that our country has endured in the past? And whether there is a way that we can overcome those feelings of anger and anguish for moreproductive diplomatic relations?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Jogyesa Temple,Seoul (June 14, 2019) 🔹Question: I’m from Japan to see you. I’m so happy to see you. There are just fear and discrimination and the hate speech disregard for Korean people which are living in Japan. So I think Korean peninsula was divided into two countries, North and South Korea as you know. So it’s why we must be one Korea, united Korea, unification. So what is the best way to unite Korea, one Korea? I want to ask you, thank you verymuch.       🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Bethesda ChevyChase Regional Service Center in Washington D.C. (September 18, 2019) 🔹Question: This has been extremely educational for me. Thanks very much. I’m gonna raise this bar a little bit to the world peace. I like your concept of Jungto and world peaceand happiness. I would like your views and insight into what is the reason for the lack of harmony and peace. My thoughts are that is it because of the greed amongst people? Is it because of the envy that somebody else got more and I don’t have it although I have sufficient but I want more? Or is it because Iinsist that what I believe you should also believe. And that is what is causing a lot of terrorism and unhappiness and cause war? So even if I’m at peace with myself, with all this going on around me, it becomes difficult because of the disharmony in the world. And I would like to hear your views and what can bedone and what are you doing with your organization which is admirable work that you are doing.       🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Nov 5, 2018 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto, Canada 🔹Question: He is one of the leading figures in human rights and justice. It's our privilege to have him with us the Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, one of the most active Buddhist leaders inKorea. Venerable is the founder and chair of international relief agency, the Joint Together Society, a center for peace, human rights and refuges called Good Friends, a think tank the Peace Foundation, and an environmental movementorganization, EcoBuddha. So please welcome him for some closing thoughts on this topic.       🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2022. 3. 6 🔹Question:  Hello, Sunim! It's nice to meet you. I'm glad to get a chance to ask my question. When I heard about the war between Ukraine and Russia, I felt like I was witnessing peace crumbling. The U.S. cannot take the role of world police anymore. And the world now seems to be divided between allies and enemies of the U.S. How should we look at this war? Should we think it's a scheme of the devil? It seems like it might happen on the Korean peninsula? I'm worried that war could break out in East Asia as well. I would like to hear your opinion. Thank you.     🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A 2023.06.04 🔹Question:  Hello, Sunim. It's always a great honor to beable to ask a question. Through your recent Dharma talks in your daily articles, I realized the seriousness of continuously escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula. As you've mentioned numerous times, in the midst of the US and China's global competition, it seems like South Korea is leaning moretowards the US and North Korea towards China, possibly turning the Korean Peninsula into a war zone. Could you elaborate the current situation again for awareness? Also in 2018, when Jungto Peace Foundation led the march opposingWar in Korea, I remember practitioners and citizens all over the world all participated in peace protests in front of the White House. And US citizens across the states sent letters opposing war to the White House and senators in their districts following Sunim's efforts for peace. For now and in the future, is there anything citizens around the world and, particularly, US citizens can act to alleviate the situation at least a little bit? Thank you.   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint 

🔹Ven Pomnyun’s Dharma Q&A Selection from a Dharma Q&A session at Union TheologicalSeminary (Oct. 2, 2014) 🔹Question:  If there is anything you would recommend anyof us to do in our lifetimes. If there's one thing you would encourage us todo?   🔻Jungto Dharma School(Introduction to Buddhism):https://www.jungtosociety.org/jungto-dharma-school-online-course/  🔻 All Jungto Society’ssocial platforms: http://linktr.ee/jungtoint