Bodhi Day Dharma Meeting and Traveling from Delhi to Varanasi

Jan. 18, 2024

Hello! Ven. Pomnyun Sunim began his day in Delhi. After the morning practice and meditation, Sunim participated in a live-streamed Dharma meeting commemorating the Buddha’s enlightenment at 6:30 am. 

The media team had made all preparations in advance so that live-streaming could take place in the lodging where Sunim was staying. However, as the lodging was very close to the airport, the sounds of aircraft taking off and landing were very loud. After the sound of the bamboo clapper signaled the end of the brief meditation, Sunim greeted the participants. 

“I arrived in Delhi, India, yesterday evening and we are live-streaming from a modest motel near the airport. Please excuse the loud noises from the aircraft.” 

Then Sunim gave a Dharma talk on the process of the Buddha’s enlightenment and what he realized. The entire life of the Buddha, from his birth to enlightenment, to the end of his life after enlightenment, unfolded like a movie. 

“Today is Bodhi Day, commemorating the day that the Buddha attained enlightenment. It would have been nice to hold this Dharma meeting in Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, unfortunately I will only arrive there in a few days.

“The Buddha was born on the Indian subcontinent around 2,600 years ago. To be more precise, he was born in Lumbini, on the slopes of the Himalayas, in present-day Nepal. As the prince of a small kingdom, he lived a life of luxury before his renunciation. However, during his youth, when he ventured outside of the palace, he encountered numerous suffering people—a stark contrast to the comfort within the palace walls. Not only did he recognize their suffering, but he also realized that he too would face suffering in the end. Understanding that he couldn’t evade the suffering experienced by others, he embarked on a journey driven by a profound question ‘How can humans live free from suffering?’ Realizing that this question couldn’t be answered through worldly means, he chose to renounce his royal life. 

From the Buddha’s renunciation to enlightenment

“Initially, he used the practice methods employed by other ascetics. He sought out various teachers and adhered to their teachings, yet enlightenment eluded him. Eventually, he parted ways with his teachers and embarked on solitary practice. After six years of rigorous austerity, he reflected on three decades of his life. He realized that before renouncing worldly pursuits, he had pursued desires and afterward he had adopted the contrary approach, battling against desires. However, he acknowledged that both paths were still driven by desire, albeit manifested through different reactions—indulgence and denial. He then sought a new path that would free him from desires, which we now refer to as the ‘Middle Way.’ 

“The Buddha didn’t pursue or deny desires; he simply focused on being aware of desires as they arose. While he remained relaxed and at ease, desires emerged from deep within, yet he refrained from pursuing them, simply maintaining awareness of their presence. In this state of relaxation, he was free of stress. By remaining aware of the deep-rooted desires, he gained greater focus, and his mind became calm. Previously he subjected himself to rigorous austerity, suppressing desires, but now he embraced the Middle Way of simply becoming aware of them. 

“After regaining his health by eating milk-rice offered by Sujata, the Buddha settled under the Bodhi tree in a more relaxed and leisurely state. He immersed himself in his practice, determined not to rise until he had attained enlightenment. According to the sutras, the Buddha meditated under the Bodhi tree for 49 days. During this time, all attachments dissolved from his mind, and he entered a state of total peace, devoid of desires, fears, and attachments. It was then that he perceived the true nature of the world, as if a light had been turned on in the dark night, or a veil had been lifted. The sutras recount that he attained enlightenment in the early dawn, just before sunrise. Hence, we convene this Dharma meeting now, having diligently practiced throughout the previous night. 

“The moment he beheld the morning star, all defilements vanished and he attained complete enlightenment, declaring:

‘I am liberated from all bondages of gods and men. This shall be my last birth.’

“Most of us are shackled by bonds of being human. Those bonds include the desires to become powerful or wealthy, cravings for sensual pleasures, and yearnings for food, sex, a big house, fame, and so forth. Human bondages encompass desires for wealth, fame, and power, while godly bondages entail the desire for birth in heaven or becoming a deity. While human bondages revolve around materialistic desires, godly bondages are rooted in metaphysical desires. Upon attaining enlightenment, the Buddha declared that he was liberated from all desires, attachments, and fears. His proclamation of ‘this is my last birth’ signifies the end of all defilements. This is what transpired on the morning of his enlightenment. 

What did the Buddha realize?

“Before his enlightenment, the Buddha believed that all beings in the world existed independently. However, upon observing the world with an unobstructed mind after his enlightenment, he realized that all beings are interdependent. To illustrate this, consider a car composed of approximately 20,000 parts. Before his enlightenment, he perceived the world as if all these parts were contained in a basket, separate and distinct. These are called all things and phenomena in the universe. Before his enlightenment, he perceived the world as an aggregation of independent entities. His understanding of everything being interdependent means that he understood how car parts are assembled according to a blueprint, working together to form a complete vehicle. Although each part is independent, they simultaneously contribute to the whole, forming an entirety—the car. In this state of existing independently while forming the whole, totally different actions, such as the car running, making sounds, or flashing lights, occur. If one of the parts malfunctions, the car ceases to function. The Buddha realized that all beings in the world operate similarly, which is referred to as ‘Dependent Origination.’

“All beings in the world are similarly interdependent. When the Buddha later explained this principle to his disciples, he expressed it as, 

‘When this exists, that comes to be. When this does not exist, that does not come to be. With the arising of this, that arises. With the cessation of this, that ceases.’

“When this teaching was later organized into Buddhist doctrines, it was summarized as ‘all phenomena have no-self’ and ‘all phenomena are impermanent.’ The former signifies that nothing possesses inherent substance, while the latter means that nothing is permanent. These ideas of no-self and impermanence became philosophical foundations for rejecting prejudices based on the concept of the existence of inherent substance, such as the caste system, gender discrimination, and fatalism. 

“The Buddha realized the Law of Dependent Origination, from which emanated the principles of ‘all phenomena have no-self’ and ‘all phenomena are impermanent.’ In Pali, the former is called anatta  and the latter is called anicca. 

“Unless we realize the principle of dependent origination, which entails the understanding that all phenomena have no self and are impermanent, we can’t be liberated from suffering. As long as ignorance persists, suffering remains unavoidable. However, through enlightenment, we can escape from it. Achieving freedom from suffering and reaching equanimity is referred to as nirvana. These three principles—all phenomena having no self, all phenomena being impermanent, and nirvana—are called the Three Dharma Seals. This means that realizing the principle of dependent origination, or in other words, the principles of no-self and impermanence, leads one to nirvana. 

“Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that life involves suffering. This is the Noble Truth of Suffering. However, suffering isn’t an innate condition; it’s not a punishment for past actions, it’s not given at birth, nor is it a divine decree. Suffering is formed. How is it formed? It is formed due to our attachments, a result of our ignorance. This is the Noble Truth of Arising. When we free ourselves from attachment by realizing our ignorance, suffering ceases. This is the Noble Truth of Cessation. To avoid ignorance and attachment, we need to remain awake at all times and maintain our awareness. This is the Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering. These are the Four Noble Truths. The eight practices to maintain awareness are called the Noble Eightfold Path. 

“After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha delivered his first sermon in Sarnath. In this teaching, he emphasized that practitioners should avoid two extremes. The Buddha preached that practitioners should follow the Middle Way, maintaining awareness constantly without indulging in sensual pleasures or extreme austerity. Then he taught the Four Noble Truths. 

“The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path serve as expedient means to transform people. The Buddha’s realization beneath these skillful means is the Law of Dependent Origination. Therefore, we say that the Buddha realized the Law of Dependent Origination under the Bodhi tree. 

“The core aim of Buddhism is to guide those experiencing suffering toward nirvana, a state free from suffering. This is the path of practitioners. At the heart of this quest lies the principle of dependent origination. Our suffering stems from a lack of understanding of the true nature of all beings in the world. The Law of Dependent Origination reveals this truth: we are not isolated independent entities but rather interconnected and interdependent beings. 

“With advancements in science, it became evident that everything in the physical world is interrelated. And also that a lifeform doesn’t possess inherent traits but rather expresses itself according to the blueprint of its genes. Thus, altering the genetic blueprint can change the characteristics of a lifeform. While the Buddha didn’t delve into physics or biology, his quest to understand suffering led him to realize that mental phenomena are mere actions of the mind, lacking inherent substance. In his time, people believed in atman, an eternal soul or self. However, through profound investigation, the Buddha discerned the absence of an inherent self. Consequently, there exists no intrinsic quality that defines one as a brahmin or a slave, nor is there inherent superiority in males or inferiority in females; such perceptions are misconceptions. Removing such perceptual error liberates us from ignorance, allowing us to escape afflictions by perceiving reality as it truly is.  

“The Buddha experienced this principle himself and showed the path to people based on his experience. The Buddha’s birth, renunciation, and practice are all important. But most important of all is his enlightenment. The Buddha is the Buddha because he attained enlightenment. Therefore, our practice around Bodhi Day should be most intense, however even members of Jungto Society engage in practice only briefly during this period. From now on, all Buddhists should place the most emphasis on Bodhi Day. Practicing for a week before Bodhi Day, practicing throughout the night on the eve of Bodhi Day, and holding a Dharma meeting on Bodhi Day would be more appropriate. Enlightenment is usually compared to lighting a lantern, so perhaps we should consider starting a tradition of lighting lanterns on Bodhi Day.

“Buddhists should place the utmost value on Bodhi Day. In Bodh Gaya, we can find traces of the Buddha’s life before, during, and after his enlightenment, as well as the content of his enlightenment. He dedicated six years to intensive practice, attained enlightenment, and subsequently converted approximately 1,000 people near Bodh Gaya. Therefore, our focus shouldn’t be solely on our personal practice. The practice and dissemination of the Dharma are inseparable. We should engage in personal practice for our liberation while simultaneously spreading the Dharma to guide others toward liberation. However, traditional Buddhism often became preoccupied with seeking blessings or delving deeply into philosophical and academic research of Buddhist doctrines and knowledge. Consequently, the vital aspects of practice and dissemination of the Dharma were neglected. Although Zen Buddhism emerged with a focus on practice, the emphasis on spreading the Dharma has not been fully restored to the level observed during the Buddha’s lifetime. To return to the original teachings of the Buddha, we must prioritize both practicing and spreading the Dharma. In this sense, we should diligently practice, using Bodhi Day as a catalyst for momentum. 

Spreading the Dharma is a form of socially engaged activity

“For those increasingly addicted to sensual pleasures yet unable to break away from suffering despite having enough for sustenance, there is no better prescription than the Buddha’s teachings. Only by accepting and diligently practicing the Buddha’s teachings can they escape from afflictions. We should therefore  diligently spread the Dharma. 

“The Dharma has the potential to reduce the high suicide rate, a significant issue in our society, alleviate various mental illnesses, address social problems stemming from greed, corruption, and conflicts, and mitigate overconsumption in the era of climate crisis. The solution to all these challenges lies in practicing according to the Buddha’s teachings. 

“Spreading the Buddha’s teachings isn’t merely about propagating a religion; it’s a means to address many social problems that humanity currently faces. Therefore, spreading the Dharma is a form of socially engaged activity. I hope you clearly understand that spreading the Dharma is as much, if not more, a social engagement activity as feeding the starving and giving medicine to the sick.” 

After an hour of Dharma talk, a 30-minute practice session was held to commemorate Bodhi Day. 

Lastly, there was a vow to make our utmost efforts in spreading the Buddha’s teachings so that more people can encounter them before completing the Bodhi Day Dharma meeting. Afterward, Sunim asked the media team if the noise level was too severe. 

“Considering the loud noises from aircraft during the Dharma talk, do you think it was delivered well?”

“Yes, Sunim. Probably the audience didn’t perceive the noises as loudly as we did here.”

“It’s a relief to hear that. Thank you for your preparations.”

After the live-stream, Sunim cooked and ate breakfast with the staff, and then discussed today’s schedule with Ven. Bogwang Beopsanim. 

Around 1 pm, Sunim took a walk around the motel. He had an Indian lunch at a roadside restaurant and enjoyed a cup of milk tea. 

“The weather is warmer than I expected.”

“Yes, Sunim. It’s warmer in Delhi, but they say that it’s still cold in Varanasi and Gaya.”

Today, pilgrim team A, consisting of around 150 people, will arrive at Delhi airport at 5 pm. To greet them, several staff members headed to the airport, and Sunim also headed there at 5:30 pm. When he arrived, the pilgrims were going through the immigration process. 

“How many people have completed the immigration process? It will be too crowded if they all come out at once. Guide those who have completed the immigration process to come out first.”

Sunim checked their progress through immigration and directed the buses waiting near the airport to move to the parking lot so that the pilgrims could load their luggage upon exiting the terminal building. 

Pilgrim teams began exiting the building one by one at around 7 pm, after the sun had set. They proceeded to the parking lot and loaded their luggage onto the bus. By 8 pm, all five buses were ready to depart for Varanasi. 

While en route to Varanasi, Sunim discovered that 20 boxes containing non-personal items, which were meant to be loaded onto bus no. 6, had mistakenly been unloaded and loaded onto bus no. 3. Sunim contacted the Dharma teacher in charge of bus no. 3

“Are the pilgrims in bus no. 3 inconvenienced by the boxes? Are they blocking the aisle where people need to move?”

“No, Sunim. There are several spaces to load the boxes in bus no. 3 and they are well placed.”

“Good. Thank you for handling the situation.” 

“You’re welcome, Sunim.”

The buses carrying the pilgrims will travel approximately 17 hours from Delhi to Varanasi, passing through Agra and Lucknow. They will continue on the highway and are expected to arrive in Varanasi at around noon tomorrow. Upon arrival, the pilgrims will settle into their accommodation and rest while Sunim will convene a Friday Dharma Q&A session at 4 pm.