Dharma Speech by Supreme Patriarch

On the Occasion of Buddha’s Birthday in the Buddhist Era 2560

On mountains and in vast fields, hundreds of flowers bloom simultaneously in competitive harmony;

Moonlight and the light of the river distantly reflect each other.

By opening up the pristine, mystical and vividly bright eyes of wisdom;

Clearly see this truth of the Buddha, I alone am the world-honored one.

Buddha’s birthday is the very day when farmers plow a field, sow seeds, grow plants and enjoy the rewarding moment of harvest filled with laugh; employees relentlessly work at factories with ceaseless sound of hammers and machines; and everyone on the Korean peninsula takes full responsibilities for what one should do. This is the truth that the Buddha came to this world.   

The temple where the Buddha comes is the very place in which the great way of Mahayana Bodhisattva that shares and relieves pain and sorrow of all beings on the earth with great compassion is vividly realized.  

The day when we are with the Buddha is the time when the two Koreas are reunified, which is the solemn call of our time and people, recovering the spirit and unity of all Koreans; and finally realize our vision of peace and harmony.

The fundamental purpose of science and advancement lies in enriching our lives and contributing to peace of the international community. However, greed of sentient beings misguided scientific progress, leading to development of threatening weapons and destruction of nature, while undermining the absolute value of human dignity and respect for life. As a result, now we end up worrying about the safety of human beings and the future of the earth.

The only way to heal this severe malady of contempt of noble life and worshiping materials is seeing our true nature by earnestly focusing on questioning hwadu, “What is my true self before my parents gave birth to me?”, with devoted practice and single-minded concentration.

Let us reach the realm of great freedom and liberation by awakening to dignity of all beings, which is the fundamental principle of the entire universe, and by embracing the truth in reality that all sentient beings are originally without sorrow and afflictions.

Buddha’s Birthday in the Buddhist Era 2560

Ven. Jinje, Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism