Biography of Venerable Sungjin
“Propagation of Dharma is essential to a bhikkhu.”
I was born in summer of 1970, from an ordinary Buddhist family in Busan, Korea. My mother believed her prayer to Buddha granted her a son, so she started to go to monasteries more often after my birth. I grew up in the religious environment, waking up to the sound of reciting sutra, visiting temples holding mother’s hand.
In 1991, I was admitted to Dongguk University, founded by the Jogye Order, to major in Buddhism. On the second year of college, I was elected as the student representative of College of Buddhist Studies. At that time, the political situation in Korea was very unstable facing democratization. I also participated in demonstrations, but I grew tired of judging and discriminating people according to their political beliefs. During those time, I met Ven. Wolsung, who later became my master, in the early spring of 1993.
When I bowed to him three times and sat, tears started rolling down my face. I suddenly had realized how selfishly I had lived my whole life. Then he asked me a question.
“What is this thing that asks questions and gives answers to me?"
I didn’t have any answer to the question. A few days later I became a Buddhist monk, desiring to find the answer to the question, under Ven. Wolsung. I devoted myself to Buddhism at Sungkwansa, with my master till the summer of 1997 and I became a military Buddhist chaplain in Republic of Korea Air Force, an officer that serves a spiritual need within a military area of operations.
The years I spent as a military chaplain was an important time for me as I became more interested in the propagation of Dharma towards the younger generation. After 3 years, I was discharged as a captain and went back to Sungkwansa as an abbot.
The first thing I did as an abbot was finding a small place in the town and building a student union to teach Dharma to students. Then I worked with a local high school to create a scholarship named with my mentor’s nom de plume and started the first Buddhist club at the school.
Later, I decided to study English because I felt the need to learn the language to be able to communicate with the younger generations of the world and spent a few years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Afterward, I practiced Seon in Baekyangsa Unmoon Seonwon which is one of very famous meditation monastery for 3 years and later took a position as a director in Jogyesa, the head temple of the Jogye Order in Korea.
During my time in Jogyesa, I also took up a role as a manager for the college student club and the young adult club and pondered upon how we should reach out to the younger generations. With the college student club, we ran a fundraiser and created an international volunteer group within Jogyesa.
I stayed with the young adults in Jogyesa for seven years and learned the hardships that today’s younger generations face in everyday life and also realized that it is monks’ duty to help them find wisdom and energy within themselves to overcome the hardships.
I have been using various mass media to communicate with more people and to propagate Dharma. For the past 3 years, I had hosted the faith counseling radio program on BBS (Buddhism Broadcasting System). Since March 2016, I have lectured easily how to practice and apply Dharma in our daily life on BBS TV program. The program name is Happiness Gongyanggan. It is a name of a kitchen of a Buddhist monastery.
I believe getting to work with Paramita Youth Association, which was created by the Jogye Order for the sole purpose of serving the younger generations was Buddha’s blessing. Also, I gained a tremendous hope and courage for the future of our younger generations of the world that the members of Sangha and lay people around the world could come together during 2016 WFBY (World Fellowship Buddhist Youth) Convention under Buddha’s mercy.
I am currently preparing for the Paramita International Youth Camp in Ulsan Korea for the first time as an executive director. I am determined to devote myself to the congregation so that the youth of the world gather around and communicate with each other regardless of ethnicity and nationality and coordinate towards a better future through the peaceful mind. Also, I wish that the members of WFBY could collaborate to create an annual international youth volunteer gathering to help other Buddhist nations in need.
Lastly, I’d like to emphasize that propagation of Dharma is essential for monks through a quote in Samyutta Nikaya that I give to newly ordained monks.
“Teach, O bhikkhus, the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing. Reveal the entirely complete and purified holy life. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma.” Samyutta Nikaya
I was born in summer of 1970, from an ordinary Buddhist family in Busan, Korea. My mother believed her prayer to Buddha granted her a son, so she started to go to monasteries more often after my birth. I grew up in the religious environment, waking up to the sound of reciting sutra, visiting temples holding mother’s hand.
In 1991, I was admitted to Dongguk University, founded by the Jogye Order, to major in Buddhism. On the second year of college, I was elected as the student representative of College of Buddhist Studies. At that time, the political situation in Korea was very unstable facing democratization. I also participated in demonstrations, but I grew tired of judging and discriminating people according to their political beliefs. During those time, I met Ven. Wolsung, who later became my master, in the early spring of 1993.
When I bowed to him three times and sat, tears started rolling down my face. I suddenly had realized how selfishly I had lived my whole life. Then he asked me a question.
“What is this thing that asks questions and gives answers to me?"
I didn’t have any answer to the question. A few days later I became a Buddhist monk, desiring to find the answer to the question, under Ven. Wolsung. I devoted myself to Buddhism at Sungkwansa, with my master till the summer of 1997 and I became a military Buddhist chaplain in Republic of Korea Air Force, an officer that serves a spiritual need within a military area of operations.
The years I spent as a military chaplain was an important time for me as I became more interested in the propagation of Dharma towards the younger generation. After 3 years, I was discharged as a captain and went back to Sungkwansa as an abbot.
The first thing I did as an abbot was finding a small place in the town and building a student union to teach Dharma to students. Then I worked with a local high school to create a scholarship named with my mentor’s nom de plume and started the first Buddhist club at the school.
Later, I decided to study English because I felt the need to learn the language to be able to communicate with the younger generations of the world and spent a few years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Afterward, I practiced Seon in Baekyangsa Unmoon Seonwon which is one of very famous meditation monastery for 3 years and later took a position as a director in Jogyesa, the head temple of the Jogye Order in Korea.
During my time in Jogyesa, I also took up a role as a manager for the college student club and the young adult club and pondered upon how we should reach out to the younger generations. With the college student club, we ran a fundraiser and created an international volunteer group within Jogyesa.
I stayed with the young adults in Jogyesa for seven years and learned the hardships that today’s younger generations face in everyday life and also realized that it is monks’ duty to help them find wisdom and energy within themselves to overcome the hardships.
I have been using various mass media to communicate with more people and to propagate Dharma. For the past 3 years, I had hosted the faith counseling radio program on BBS (Buddhism Broadcasting System). Since March 2016, I have lectured easily how to practice and apply Dharma in our daily life on BBS TV program. The program name is Happiness Gongyanggan. It is a name of a kitchen of a Buddhist monastery.
I believe getting to work with Paramita Youth Association, which was created by the Jogye Order for the sole purpose of serving the younger generations was Buddha’s blessing. Also, I gained a tremendous hope and courage for the future of our younger generations of the world that the members of Sangha and lay people around the world could come together during 2016 WFBY (World Fellowship Buddhist Youth) Convention under Buddha’s mercy.
I am currently preparing for the Paramita International Youth Camp in Ulsan Korea for the first time as an executive director. I am determined to devote myself to the congregation so that the youth of the world gather around and communicate with each other regardless of ethnicity and nationality and coordinate towards a better future through the peaceful mind. Also, I wish that the members of WFBY could collaborate to create an annual international youth volunteer gathering to help other Buddhist nations in need.
Lastly, I’d like to emphasize that propagation of Dharma is essential for monks through a quote in Samyutta Nikaya that I give to newly ordained monks.
“Teach, O bhikkhus, the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing. Reveal the entirely complete and purified holy life. There are beings with little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma.” Samyutta Nikaya
Venerable Sungjin in photos
Venerable Sungjin in media
- BBS TV program - Happiness Gongyanggan which is a name of a kitchen of a Buddhist monastery.
To view the lectures of Buddha Sungjin, visit here
- Oh, My God - TV program in Korea to talk about daily life matters with various religion leaders.
To view his video clips visit here
Upcoming book of Venerable Sungjin
Click the image to check the book
