The renowned Korean Buddhist monk and Seon (Zen) master Ven. Pomnyun Sunim* (법륜스님) will conduct a series of global live-streamed Dharma talks during the second half of  2021, beginning on 8 August, under the theme “2021 Live Dharma Talk Series by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.”

“Topics for the Dharma talk can range from personal concerns to societal issues,” the organizer Jungto Society explained. “When you join the program, you will be able to ask any question to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim or listen to conversations between him and other questioners.”

A widely respected Dharma teacher, a bestselling author, and an untiring social activist in his native South Korea, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has founded numerous Dharma-based organizations, initiatives, and projects that are active across the world. Among them, Jungto Society, a volunteer-based community founded on the Buddhist teachings and expressing equality, simple living, and sustainability, is dedicated to addressing modern social issues that lead to suffering, including environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict. 

These free global live events, which will be conducted in English and live-streamed via Zoom and YouTube, will be held on 8 August, 15 August, 5 September, 26 September, 3 October, 10 October, 7 November, 14 November, 5 December, and 19 December. For more details, click here.

The 8 August Dharma talk will be held at the following times:

Auckland: 11am–12:30pm, Sunday
Canberra: 9am–10:30am, Sunday
Seoul, Tokyo: 8am–9:30am, Sunday
Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 7am–8:30am, Sunday
Bangkok, Jakarta: 6am–7:30am, Sunday
New Delhi: 4:30am–6am, Sunday
Moscow: 2am–3:30am, Sunday
Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm: 1am–2:30am, Sunday
London: 12am–1:30am, Sunday
Montreal, New York: 7pm–8:30pm, Saturday
Los Angeles, Vancouver: 4pm–5:30pm, Saturday

For Zoom registration: click here
For YouTube registration: click here

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has earned considerable acclaim in South Korea and internationally for his unique and accessible style of Dharma instruction, which follows an informal Q+A format. The talks are structured with the aim of helping people realize their own inner contradictions or ignorance, and providing them with the tools and understanding to alleviate their own suffering, in the tradition of the historical Buddha.

“Anyone who seeks a deeper understanding about life can ask Ven. Pomnyun Sunim for his insightful perspective, which can help them understand the truth about what matters to him or her and what doesn’t matter at all,” Jungto Society explained. “Ven. Pomnyun Sunim listens to people and guides them based on the Buddha’s teaching, helping them to understand and see their situation from a different perspective.”

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim is also the founder and chair of the international relief agency Join Together Society, which works to eradicate poverty and hunger through humanitarian aid and sustainable development; Good Friends, an NGO for peace, human rights, and refugees; the Peace Foundation; and EcoBuddha, an environmental movement focused on sustainable development. He also works closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB).

“The path of truth leads us to freedom and happiness. The path must be beneficial to us and others in the present and in the future,” said Ven. Pomnyun Sunim. “A path which benefits only us and not others or only others and not us is not sustainable. If we do something that only benefits us and is detrimental to others, we will have to deal with the consequences later in life. If we sacrifice ourselves to benefit others, we won’t be able to keep doing it for a long time. Consequently, in order to have sustainable happiness, we must choose a path that is beneficial to everyone.”

* Sunim is a Korean title of respect for Buddhist monks.

See more

2021 Live Dharma Talk Series by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim (Jungto Society)
Pomnyun
Jungto Society
JTS Korea
JTS America
International Network of Engaged Buddhists

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