Venerable Pomnyun

Venerable Pomnyun Guiding Zen Master of Jungto Society; Chairman of the Peace Foundation, JTS (Join Together Society), and GoodFriends. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim is the founder and Guiding Zen Master of Jungto Society. He is not only a Buddhist monk and Zen master but also a social activist who leads various movements such as ecological awareness campaign; promotion of human rights and world peace; and eradication of famine, disease, and illiteracy. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has been advocating a new paradigm of civilization movement in which everyone becomes happy through practice, creates a happy society through active participation in social movements, and protects our environment and the Earth by adopting a simple lifestyle. This vision in expressed in the Jungto Society's motto, "Open Mind, Good Friends, and Clean Earth." Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has published more than fifty books since 1994. He has over one million followers in Korea's social media platform KakaoTalk, 100,000 daily downloads of his podcasts, and over three million views of his YouTube videos. His extensive humanitarian work includes efforts to alleviate the suffering of ordinary North Korean people through food aid programs and by working with marginalized populations in Asian countries to build schools and promote community development. In recognition of his humanitarian work, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding in 2002 and most recently, Kripasaran Award from the Bengal Association at the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Ven. Mahasthavir Kripasaran, for his efforts in reviving Buddhism in India. More details about Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and Jungto Society can be found at www.pomnyun.com.