Peace Foundation and JTS Board Meetings;
Dharma Q&A for the Korea Producers and Directors Association

February 20, 2024

Hello! Today we have the annual board meetings of the Peace Foundation and JTS, socially engaged organizations founded by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.

After morning practice and meditation, Sunim made his way to the Peace Foundation to attend a meeting with experts focused on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the reality of life in North Korea. 

At 7 am, they shared breakfast, then, at 10 am, Peace Foundation board members gathered for their regular board meeting. 

After the announcement of the formal start of the meeting and confirmation of a quorum, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, chairperson of the Peace Foundation, delivered his opening remarks. 

“Given the worsening relationship between South and North Korea, and the ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the significance of the Peace Foundation’s mission is more crucial than ever. Yet it appears that the reunification we’ve worked toward for so long is moving further out of reach. In such challenging times, it’s imperative for the Peace Foundation to advocate for peace and nurture hope for eventual reunification. I sincerely hope that we can persist in our collaborative efforts toward peace and reunification this year.”

After these opening comments, there was a presentation on project performances and financial statements for 2023, followed by an overview of project plans and budget for 2024. All board members unanimously approved the plans and budget. 

After lunch, Sunim attended the JTS board meeting at 12:30 pm. 

JTS is an international NGO established by Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in 1993 with the aim of eradicating hunger, disease, and illiteracy. Some board members attended the meeting in person, while others joined online. After presentations on project performances and financial statements for 2023 and plans and budget for 2024, the board members reviewed the materials and posed questions. 

Several questions were raised concerning the project plans. One board member proposed that JTS should increase its efforts in publicizing its activities. 

Why not consider more proactive publicity efforts?

“In the past year, JTS has expanded its projects across various countries, including in Southeast Asia. I believe that producing PR videos showcasing our relief efforts at these sites with drone footage could significantly enhance our PR impact. Given the multitude of beneficial activities in which JTS is involved, why not consider more proactive publicity efforts?”

“People often ask me, ‘Why don’t you publicize the activities of JTS more, especially considering the significant and necessary work it does in the world?’ They suggest that increased publicity could attract more donations, enabling JTS to expand its impact.

“However, JTS prioritizes transparent financial execution and responsible project operation over actively seeking donations. While we do accept donations, our primary focus is not on attracting additional funds. 

“Actually, expanding projects isn’t feasible for us, even with sufficient resources, due to our operational principles. Adhering to these principles makes scaling up our operations challenging in reality. While building 40 schools annually in Mindanao, the Philippines, would be fantastic, JTS principles require a 30% contribution from local governments, along with assured participation from residents. Meeting all these conditions makes scaling up our operations difficult. Our operational principles are as follows: firstly, all participants are volunteers; secondly, labor and administration costs are minimized so that 90% of donations directly benefit residents; and thirdly, projects are implemented in cooperation with residents rather than providing one-sided support.

“JTS usually doesn’t raise funds before starting a project. However, individuals impressed by JTS’s relief efforts at disaster sites often donate. Despite limited financial resources, JTS has a significant impact. While I support using drones for information gathering, I don’t think it’s necessary for publicity.”

After thorough questioning and discussion, the project plans were approved unanimously, and the meeting concluded with a resounding round of applause. 

After the board meeting, Sunim went to a funeral home to pay his respects to the late Kim Myung-hyuk, senior pastor of Kangbyun Presbyterian Church. He was accompanied by a priest, a pastor, and a supreme leader of Chondogyo, who have collectively served as members of the Association of Religious Leaders for National Reconciliation and Peace (ARLNRP) for the past 20 years.

Reverend Kim Myung-hyuk died in a car accident yesterday. He was the founder of Kangbyun Presbyterian Church, and served as chairperson of the Korea Evangelical Fellowship. Despite being a prominent conservative Christian, he actively participated in aiding North Koreans as a member of the ARLNRP. His sudden passing saddened everyone, but Sunim lightened the mood with a comforting remark. 

“The circumstances of his passing were fitting for him. He had been a staunch supporter of small churches and he passed away while on his way to deliver a sermon. The Buddha also passed away on the road.”

Initially, the religious leaders contemplated sending a funeral wreath, but ultimately decided against it to honor the late reverend’s modest lifestyle. 

When they arrived at the funeral home, they silently paid tribute before the reverend’s picture, in which he was captured smiling brightly. After paying their respects, they offered their condolences to the reverend’s family. 

“I can only imagine how heartbroken you must feel. We’ve collaborated with the reverend for peace on the Korean Peninsula for the past 20 years.”

Most of the mourners were Christians. Sunim exchanged greetings with several pastors before leaving the funeral home. Father Kim Hongjin, Supreme Leader Park Nam-soo, and Reverend Park Jong-wha each expressed sadness over the loss. 

“A man’s life is but a fleeting moment. We’ve worked together for more than 20 years and he left us without a word.”

Sunim also reminisced about the reverend:

“He was one with a pure love for humanity, always striving to help people, irrespective of political ideology. He held a special concern for the plight of starving North Koreans.”

If he had not passed away, he would have led the meeting of the ARLNRP scheduled for tomorrow, and everyone felt saddened by the thought of not being able to see him again. 

“See you tomorrow.”

Sunim bid farewell to the religious leaders and returned to Seoul Jungto Center. 

At 5 pm, Sunim headed to Nurrikkum Square to give a talk at the invitation of the Korea Producers and Directors Association (KPDA). They had initially requested Sunim to give a talk last year, but due to his busy schedule, a date was set for this year instead. 

Upon arriving at the venue at 6:20 pm, Sunim was welcomed by KPDA executives. 

At 6:30 pm, Kim Se-won, chairperson of the KPDA, and Kim Jong-il, a former chairperson of the KPDA, delivered opening remarks and introduced Sunim.

“Producers are very sensitive to societal suffering. Many of my junior colleagues suffer from anxiety disorders. In considering various solutions, one idea was to invite Ven. Pomnyun Sunim to give us a talk. I hope you find it beneficial.”  

Amid a resounding round of applause, Sunim took the microphone and began the conversation with a talk about his recent visits to India and Bhutan. 

“If addressing anxiety disorders was the concern, you should have invited a psychiatrist! When someone asks me what to do about such disorders, I always advise them to consult a psychiatrist. (Sunim laughed)

“Your interest in social issues is evident, given your involvement in producing programs for broadcast. When we view our country from within, it appears riddled with numerous problems. However, from an external perspective, these issues seem somewhat less pronounced. In Korea, two significant problems come to the forefront: the looming threat of war and the dire living standards of North Koreans. While few Koreans worry about the possibility of war, there is an undeniable objective risk. Moreover, the living conditions of North Koreans fall below the minimum humanitarian standard, with no immediate solution in sight. These two issues, viewed objectively from the outside, cast a shadow over all others. Even children in rural India ask me about the plight of starving North Koreans and the potential for war on the Korean Peninsula. These concerns are not confined to Korea but resonate globally. Please feel free to ask me questions on any topic. If you have none, I may as well bid you farewell.” (Sunim laughed)

The audience raised their hands and asked questions. Over the course of two hours, seven people shared their problems and sought Sunim’s advice. Among them, one person asked about finding freedom from suffering, expressing difficulty in forgiving a senior colleague who had framed him to take the blame for an incident. 

I feel angry about the success of someone who tormented me

“In the course of my career, I’ve had plenty of awful experiences. About 20 years ago, I had a particularly bad one. It was the early 2000s and several entertainers had committed suicide due to negative public comments. Despite not being an entertainer, I, too, was harassed by negative comments. At that time, a senior colleague accused me of putting the company’s reputation at risk. I suffered greatly because of that. This senior colleague rose to prominence during the administration before last. Remembering what he did to me, I visited him and demanded an apology. However, he responded, ‘I feel sorry for what you’ve gone through because of me, but I won’t apologize.’ I retorted, ‘You speak like a politician.’ Subsequently, he left the company and entered politics. He’s running for office again in this legislative election. I search for news about him and think, ‘If he is elected again, I will suffer because I’ll have to see him in the news for four more years.’ I can’t forgive him. What should I do?”

“During those difficult times, you were emotionally wounded. Those mental scars linger, resurfacing whenever you encounter his face or hear about him.”

“When I visited him, I spoke to him politely, using honorifics. However, he used casual language. If I had sworn at him at that time, I might feel less angry now.” 

“Why didn’t you curse at him in the bathroom? Swearing at him to his face and cursing at him in the bathroom amounts to the same thing.”

“To heal myself, I went to a secluded place and cursed at him, shouting, ‘Bastard, son of a bitch.’ While I felt better temporarily, it wasn’t a lasting solution. I should have cursed at him to his face …”

“Swearing at him to his face might have made you feel better, but in the long run, it’s not a solution either. When your rage becomes too intense, seeking emergency treatment from a psychiatrist can actually be quite beneficial. Take, for instance, a method where you create a surrogate figure by pasting a photo of the person you hate onto a mannequin and then letting out your frustration by cursing and hitting it with a baseball bat. Such a method has proven to be quite helpful for many people. In the past, married women used to vent their frustrations by criticizing their mother-in-law or husband while doing laundry. Without realizing it, as they aired their grievances, they would pound the clothes hard with a rod, which somehow helped to relieve their stress. In the old days, people unwittingly relieved their stress in this way to survive.

“The situation you’re experiencing is a kind of trauma. I believe it’s worth seeking treatment from a specialist. Visiting him and swearing at him directly or witnessing his failure in the election might provide temporary relief. However, if he succeeds again, you will likely find yourself suffering once more.”

“I did receive psychiatric treatment for a long time. I owe much of who I am today to that. Before seeking treatment, I couldn’t even bring myself to talk about it. But now, as I watch myself discussing it, I feel like I’ve been cured to some extent.”

“You’re right. The fact that you’re sharing your problem proves that you’ve made some progress toward healing.”

“Now I can talk about it as if it happened to someone else. I’ve gradually been forgetting about him, but now that the bastard is running in the election again, my mind is troubled once more. Honestly, a feeling of ‘I hope that bastard loses in the election’ arises within me, and I can’t help it. I’m worried that I might get worse if he wins the election.”

“When a woman who used to feel stressed by her mother-in-law moves out of her in-laws’ home, she initially feels calm as if all her problems have been solved. However, over time, memories of her experiences with her mother-in-law resurface. And when she meets her mother-in-law in person, her traumatic experiences come flooding back. This is an example of trauma. As you’ve made some progress toward healing, you’re now able to talk about it in front of others. 

“Anybody who shares their problem with me in a Dharma Q&A session is more likely to make progress toward healing. Firstly, one must have made some progress toward healing to open up about their problem. Therefore, simply sharing a problem is evidence of progress toward healing. Secondly, sharing one’s problem in front of others shows a strong desire to be healed, indicating that they are already on the path to recovery. Healing from traumatic experiences takes time, even with treatment from a specialist. While seeking treatment is better than not, it doesn’t instantly solve all your problems like turning on a light in the darkness. Achieving sudden enlightenment is necessary for that, but you are not at that level yet; improvement will come gradually. Therefore, whether your senior colleague wins in the election or not won’t affect the healing of your emotional wounds.”

“I’m worried that he might win the election.”

“That’s all right. If he wins, it won’t affect you much, and if he loses, it won’t bring you any benefits either.”

“I feel like I’ll be happy if he loses.” 

“You’ll feel good only briefly. If he wins, you will feel slightly bad, and if he loses, you will feel slightly good. It’s only this, and it won’t significantly impact your life. It’s because your wounds haven’t yet healed. Try not to dwell on him too much; instead, focus on healing your wounds. Until your wounds are healed, his presence will continue to affect your life, constraining you. You’re not his slave. Why should your life be dictated by him? You’ll experience true liberation when his winning or losing the election doesn’t affect you. You may consider yourself smart, but in reality, you’re still tethered to him. Wishing for his defeat in the election is proof that you haven’t been freed from him. You’re still under his influence. 

“Let me share one of my experiences with you. Once, when I was young, I was locked up for violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. In the past, accused individuals often denied the statements they made to the police when facing the prosecutor. The statements to police were often obtained through beatings and torture, and the accused frequently retracted them in front of the prosecutor, causing significant trouble for the prosecutors. However, the prosecutors were unable to resort to beatings or torture themselves—they couldn’t rely on such methods. When they failed to obtain the statements they desired from the accused after several attempts, they resorted to various methods to make them uncomfortable. 

“There was one method we called the ‘summoning trick.’ When you’re in prison, you can freely move around in your cell. However, when the prosecutor summons you, your hands are tied and handcuffed and 10 accused individuals are lined up with a rope, reminiscent of how dried fish are tied together. On arrival at the Prosecutor’s Office, you’re escorted underground to small cells that we referred to as ‘pigeon houses.’ These cells were barely large enough for one person, hence the nickname. You’re then locked up there. When the prosecutor summons you, someone comes to take you in an elevator. While in prison, you don’t feel that uncomfortable. However, when you are summoned by the prosecutor, you are taken to a pigeon house early in the morning and then no one comes for you. If the prosecutor doesn’t summon you until three in the afternoon, you have to wait there with your hands cuffed. It’s enough to drive you crazy.

“When you are tortured, you can grit your teeth and endure it. However, in the case of locking you up in a pigeon house, they didn’t do anything except let you wait indefinitely. We referred to this as a ‘summoning trick’—it was a form of torture inflicted by the prosecutor. After experiencing it about three times, with your hands tied and waiting all day without doing anything, you feel so distressed that eventually you end up giving the statement the prosecutor desires. 

“When I first experienced it, I spent the whole day waiting in a very small room, feeling incredibly frustrated. At lunch time, I had to eat with my hands cuffed, which was extremely difficult. As I struggled to eat, my anger reached its peak. All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind: ‘What should I do the moment the prosecutor uncuffs me? Should I kick and smash his desk? What should I do?’ Then, suddenly, it hit me—I was dancing to his tune. Why did he summon me only to make me wait? He did it to make me suffer, and I was suffering exactly as he desired. He had no intention of calling me to his office while I was raging; he would wait until I became exhausted on my own. 

“The realization that he was manipulating me like a puppet sent shivers down my spine. So I calmed myself down and thought more deeply. In prayer, we call out the name of Avalokitesvara while beating a wooden fish for two or three hours in a large Dharma hall, without being instructed to do so. We refer to it as practice. Although our hands are not tied, we pray while maintaining a straight posture in one spot. So I straightened my mind and assumed the prayer posture, thinking, ‘All right, I am praying now.’ 

“At that moment, the small space no longer bothered me, and the problem I was facing didn’t trouble me at all. In my previous mindset, if the prosecutor had made me go through the summoning trick three times, I would have been so distressed that I would have done whatever he wanted me to do. However, since I was no longer distressed, it didn’t matter whether or not the prosecutor called me. When I was summoned in the morning, I went there, thinking, ‘I’m going there to pray.’ Thus, the prosecutor’s tactic didn’t work on me.

“Meditation in a Dharma hall isn’t the only way to attain enlightenment or awakening. It can also come from reflecting on oneself and realizing the truth in a moment of adversity. This kind of experience serves as wisdom, helping us overcome whatever challenges or criticisms we may encounter in the future. 

“You’re still a slave to the person who tormented you in the past. You haven’t broken free from his grasp in 20 years. In short, it’s a foolish thing to do. Allowing yourself to become angry because of him is akin to acting like a puppet. If you truly hate him, you should liberate yourself from his influence. Whatever he does, it’s his life and you shouldn’t let it hold you back. That’s what true freedom is about. 

“Practice is to continuously be aware of your own mind. Notice whatever arises in your mind as it arises, such as feeling angry when he succeeds or satisfaction when he fails to achieve what he wants. Calm your mind by observing its fluctuations whenever his situation changes. With time, you will notice that your emotions, once turbulent waves, begin to settle down like calm ripples. I hope you find healing through this.”  

“It might sound like an excuse, but I can’t help but wonder why only someone like him is involved in politics.”

“You’re not entirely accurate. You need to shift your perspective. It’s not that only someone like him is involved in politics, but that even someone like him can be involved in politics. After all, is he the only one of his kind in the world? Among politicians, there are individuals like him, but there are also many good people. And yes, among thieves, there are politicians too. Even when you strongly dislike someone, try not to think, ‘Why is it that only someone like him is involved in politics?’ Instead, consider, ‘Even someone like him can find their way into politics.’ Not all politicians are like him and not all individuals who are like him are involved in politics. Among those who are like him, there can be Buddhist monks and Christian pastors. There have been cases of well known gangsters becoming pastors. There is no law preventing someone like them from becoming a Buddhist monk or pastor. Do you think this conversation helped you feel liberated a little?” 

“Yes, I feel liberated a little bit.”

“You’ve been chained for 20 years; you should be free now.” 

“Thank you.”

The questions continued;

• My son stays in his room looking at his smartphone, and doesn’t come out. What should I do?
• When I express my anger, others suffer and when I try to hold it in, I find it difficult to speak my mind. 
• I’m having a hard time pursuing my dream of making music, which has been my passion since childhood, while also holding a job as a producer. 
• I asked those who suffer from depression about the cause of their condition and they said they don’t know. What causes depression?
• Somehow, I became a producer. What should my mission be?
• Living with the despair of the impending climate crisis is challenging. I find it difficult to speak to members of younger generations about hope. What should I do?

The conversation ended past 8:30 in the evening. Sunim took a photo with the participants before leaving the venue, then returned to Seoul Jungto Center around 10 pm. 

Tomorrow, in the morning, Sunim will attend a meeting of the ARLNRP, followed by a live-streamed Wednesday Dharma meeting. In the afternoon, Sunim will participate in a peace research seminar and hold a meeting with members of the Planning Committee of the Peace Foundation. Finally, in the evening, there will be another live-streamed Wednesday Dharma meeting for evening participants.