Pomnyun Sunim (
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
: 법륜스님,
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: 法輪; born 11 April 1953) is a
Seon master, author, and activist.
Pomnyun Sunim is the head master of Jungto Society Korea, an organization dedicated to a life of sharing and simple, sustainable living, informed by Buddhist teachings, environmental outreach, and supporting peace in Korea and around the world.
He addresses the role Buddhism has played in defining modern Asia's religious, cultural, social, political, and economic dynamics. His dedication to Buddhist ideals has not only earned him accolades for his work, but has shaped his outlook on the prospects for peace and reconciliation between North and South Korea.
Pomnyun Sunim has also established the Peace Foundation which aims to engage experts in analyzing how best to bring about peace between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the United States, as well as bringing together Buddhists and Christians in dialogue on the subject of world peace.
He also established Good Friends for Peace, Human Rights, and Refugee Issues, an organization that aims for peace in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
.
Through his work, thousands of people in North Korea have received aid during times of famine.
When ''Good Friends'' began publishing its newsletter in 2004, it became an isource of information smuggled out of the isolated country.
Pomnyun Sunim has worked extensively to supply humanitarian aid to famine victims in North Korea and to defend the human rights of North Korean refugees in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
In September 2002, Pomnyun Sunim was a recipient of the
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealis ...
for Peace and International Understanding.
Books
In English
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See also
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Buddhism in Korea
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what its early practitioners saw as inconsistencies within the Mahayana Buddhist traditions that they received from foreign countries. To address this, the ...
*
Buddhism in the United States
The term American Buddhism can be used to describe all Buddhist groups within the United States, including Asian Americans, Asian-American Buddhists born into the faith, who comprise the largest percentage of Buddhists in the country.
American Budd ...
*
List of peace activists
This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usually work ...
Media
External links
Pomnyun.com
{{Authority control
1953 births
Korean Buddhist monks
Zen Buddhist monks
South Korean activists
Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
People from Ulsan
Living people