The monk with no answers: How Ven. Pomnyun guides millions to find their own

Ven. Pomnyun talks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the Jungto Social and Cultural Center in Seoul, Nov. 7. Courtesy of the Jungto Society

Ven. Pomnyun, a revered figure in Korea, transcends religious boundaries with his insightful and spontaneous Dharma talks.

His main Korean YouTube channel, which features his offline Buddhist teachings, has attracted a substantial following of over 1.6 million subscribers and accumulated billions of views, demonstrating the widespread appeal of timeless wisdom.

Followers seek his guidance on a wide range of concerns from the lightest worries to the deepest struggles. The venerated monk says, however, he has never given anyone an answer to their questions.

"I've never thought that I answer their questions," he said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency. "I am just engaged in conversation with them."

"I talk through whatever topics come up," he said. "I don't approach things from an ethical or legal angle. I just help people reflect and gain clarity so they can decide for themselves."

The best possible outcome, he says, is for the person to realize, "Come to think of it, it is not a big thing."

"Nothing in life is really that big of a deal," he said.

Last weekend, the Jungto Society, a community of practitioners founded in 1988 by Ven. Pomnyun to apply Buddhist teachings to real-world sufferings, held a three-day event called Youth Festa, reviving his nationwide touring Youth Concert series from 2011-18. The renewed event is designed to address the anxieties and struggles facing today's young Koreans.

"The event's core mission is to comfort young people and help them wake themselves up," the venerated monk said in his opening speech Friday. "I'm just here to give them a little push to look within."

During the interview, Ven. Pomnyun expressed his hope that the event helps young people find "hope in their lives" and encourages them to "step outside to build social connections."

Beyond serving as a mentor to his followers, he is also an active author, and social and peace activist. The Jungto Society has multiple umbrella nonprofit organizations, including the Peace Foundation, founded in 2004 to promote permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

While refraining from discussing in details, he noted international geopolitics and inter-Korean relations were among the topics weighing heavily on his mind recently.

Also he is currently deeply engaged in a three-year project in Bhutan focused on creating a sustainable, community-based development model. The Join Together Society, another Jungto Society affiliate, has been working to improve fundamental living conditions building homes and schools, and upgrading infrastructure, like water supply and roads.

The interview was conducted just one day after he returned from Bhutan. His typically packed schedule, which demonstrates his active engagement with his community and followers, is documented on the Jungto Society's website as "The Day of Sumin," referring to the Korean word for monk.

Expressing his regret over his hoarse voice — a subtle sign of his fatigue — the 72-year-old monk hinted that he was considering wrapping up the Dharma talks he began in the early 2000s.

"Perhaps it is time to bring this to an end," he said, adding "You get tired of anything if you stick with it too long."

He continued: "About 20 years ago, I had a lot to say to the world — about what life should be and how the world works. After sharing my thoughts through books and talks, I now feel I have said all I need to say."