The revered Korean Dharma master and socially engaged Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님) led more than 10,000 people on 13 June (the eighth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar) in a Great Dharma Assembly for All Beings in a landmark ceremony for peace on the Korean Peninsula, under the theme “Toward a Future of 800 Years of Peace and Unity.”
The two-hour Dharma gathering was conducted in a public space adjacent to Jukrimjeong-sa, a Buddhist temple in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province. Alongside some 10,000 members of Jungto Society, the ceremony was attended by more than 200 guests from Korea and overseas, among them: former Democratic Party leader, National Assembly speaker, and prime minister of South Korea (2020–21) Chung Sye-kyun; National Assembly member Joo Ho-young; and the mayor of North Jeolla Province, Kim Gwan-young; as well as many other prominent figures from across Korean society: politicians; senior representatives of religious communities, including Ven. Hwangsahn Hyechong, former head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and other eminent monks; members of the armed forces, social activists, scholars, celebrities, writers, and artists, all participating to express a shared aspiration for peace and unity on the Korean Peninsula.
The sacred occasion also commemorated the 160th birth anniversary of Master Baek Yongseong (1864–1940), a pre-eminent scholar and Seon (Zen) master of the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) who played an instrumental role in the restoration and reformation of the Buddhadharma on the Korean Peninsula, and was also a key figure in the historic March First Movement for Korean independence in 1919 that opposed Japanese colonial rule.
“The Republic of Korea has become a developed nation after overcoming many difficulties, but it is now in crisis,” Ven. Pomnyun Sunim explained ahead of the landmark Buddhist ceremony. “Military tensions between the two Koreas are escalating, increasing the risk of war, and public opinion is becoming more divided. If peace and national unity are not ensured, growth potential will be exhausted, leading to long-term stagnation. To overcome this crisis and make the Republic of Korea a nation that greatly contributes to human happiness, we have organized this Dharma gathering of 10,000 people.”
The Dharma Assembly, hosted by the Baek Yongseong Commemoration Project Association and organized by Jungto Society, the international Buddhist community founded by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, was conducted in two segments.
The first part, emceed by popular actor Kim Byeong-jo, began with a traditional Korean drum performance and featured the ceremonial lighting of a peace flame, representing the deeply held aspirations of the Dharma Gathering: “A peaceful Korean Peninsula, a happy society for citizens, and sustainable development.” This was followed by the reading of a formal declaration for peace and national unity on the Korean Peninsula and a candlelight vigil for harmony and cooperation, representing the wishes of the people.
The second segment, led by talk-show host Kim Je-dong, featured all the participants joining in a mass chorus, a peace march, and a climactic performance of symbolic banners stating the aspirations of this historic event borne aloft by drones.
▶️ Published by BDG on June 17, 2024
▶️ Read more: https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/special-report-ven-pomnyun-sunim-leads-10000-people-in-great-dharma-assembly-for-peace-on-the-korean-peninsula/
