Becoming Happier

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim is a peace activist who delivers messages of peace and reconciliation, a umanitarian activist who provides various forms of aid to developing countries, a thinker who is paving the way toward a new alternative civilization, and an awakened practitioner. In 1988, he founded the Jungto Society, a community of practitioners who vowed to free themselves from suffering and devote themselves to serving others and the world by leading the life of a bodhisattva. Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s Dharma talks are clear and straightforward. He has an exceptional ability to explain the Buddha’s teachings in simple, contemporary language. As a result, his spoken and written messages go straight to the heart of the matter and enable people to redirect their eyes inward and self-reflect. Furthermore, the esoteric content of Buddhist sutras come to life through his wisdom, intuition, and insight. As of April 2022, YouTube videos of Sumin’s Dharma talks have had more than 1.7 billion views. He shares his wisdom with the general public on how to free themselves from suffering and how to become happy through his Dharma Q&As and the Happiness School program. To date, he has delivered more than 12,000 Dharma Q&As in South Korea and about 300 Dharma Q&As in other countries around the world, including the 115 talks he gave during his global tour in 2014. Also, since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has been interacting with hundreds of thousands of people through his weekly online Dharma Q&As in Korean, and bi-weekly talks in English. (See his website: https://pomnyun.com/) Among the more than 50 books Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has published in Korean so far, the most notable are Things Are Good as They Are Now, Buddha, and Commentary on the Diamond Sutra. His books encompass a wide range of subjects. His books, Words of Wisdom for Newlyweds, Becoming Happier, and I Am a Decent Person, provide insightful advice to young people. Lessons for Life is a guidebook for people living in modern society. Prayer: Letting Go is a manual for lay practitioners. Practice Guidebook for Teachers imparts wisdom for teachers. The River of Life Flows discusses an alternative solution to the environmental problem. And Why Is Unification Necessary? offers a vision for peace and unification on the Korean peninsula. Some of these books have been translated into other languages, such as English, French, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Eight books have been translated into English, including Awakening, True Freedom, Prayer, and Monk’s Reply to Everyday Problems to list a few. Six books have been translated into Chinese, 3 books into Thai, 2 books into Japanese, 2 books into Vietnamese, and 1 book into French. Among the few books that were translated into multiple languages is My Happy Way to Work, which was translated into Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Another is Becoming Happier, which has English, Vietnamese, and Japanese versions. Based on the idea that practice at the individual level goes hand in hand with social engagement, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim has engaged in extensive peace initiatives for various causes including a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula, refugee support, international relief efforts, and interfaith reconciliation and cooperation. Throughout the years, he has received numerous awards in recognition for his efforts. In 2002, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding, and he was presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize in 2021.