Celebrating the Buddha’s Birthday in 2025

Four-fold community, citizens of Korea, 

Today, we have come together to celebrate the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha, who arrived in this world with the cry, "I am the only one honored above the earth and below the heavens." I would like to extend my deepest gratitude and best wishes to all of you who have joined us on this momentous occasion. 

We should once again deeply reflect on this gatha, which Sakyamuni Buddha exclaimed at the moment of his birth.

"I alone am honored in this world.” 

This declaration invites us to be awakened to the reality that we are the ones who create and mirror the world we experience, which leads to the fundamental truth that “Everything is created by my mind.” 

This means when I blame the world, I am blaming myself. Conversely, when my own suffering and afflictions are eliminated, the world is transformed into the Buddha’s Pure Land. When I become a Buddha myself, the world is revealed as a Buddha. At this point, peace and happiness will be fully realized, even with nothing in reality changed.   

“Because this arises, that arises,” said the Buddha, highlighting the interconnectedness of all phenomena and the intertwining of all beings by causes and conditions. This truth is also enshrined in modern science as the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of mass, and in quantum mechanics as the superposition and entanglement phenomena. Just as the appearance of ‘0’ is accompanied by the simultaneous appearance of ‘1,’ all phenomena in the world are interconnected. The emptiness of ‘0’ is no different from the unhindered manifestation of ‘1.’ 

However, we are caught in a vicious cycle of discrimination, the biased distinction between right and wrong, between pleasant and unpleasant, that persists and perpetuates samsaric suffering. The intensity of the desire, the depth of the suffering, and the strength of the attachment are directly proportional. 

To break free from this vicious cycle, it is essential to let go of the mind that discriminates, blames, or hates others. It is essential to understand and realize the Buddha’s message conveyed through his exclamation, "I am the only one honored above the earth and below the heavens,” that is, we must honor ourselves, and devote ourselves to cultivating inner peace and compassion.

It is only through this process that we will be able to transcend the samsaric cycle of pain and suffering. Once this is achieved, infinite wisdom and unobstructed action will naturally manifest. On this foundation, we must realize justice and have unshakable faith, but we must also be mindful that if we have excessive ambition in our hearts, we will also have to bear the consequences in the form of excessive suffering. What we do and how we do it is important. However, it is even more important to ensure that our actions are driven by selflessness. 

At present, Korean society is crossing troubled waters.

There will be things that went right and things that went wrong, and it is important to painstakingly examine the events that transpired. But at the same time, we must be able to control our emotions and prevent ourselves from being hijacked by our karma. If we all practice and live by these principles, we can work together to move our society and country forward and set them on a hopeful path of revival.

To this end, each one of us, each fellow Korean, must cultivate the strength to control his or her mind. When we fully realize the Buddha’s teaching of "I am the only one honored above the earth and below the heavens,” and attain inner peace and compassion, the peace of the world will naturally come true. 

There is indeed the best path leading us to this.

It is Seon and meditation. 

Practice Seon meditation every day, even if it is just for five minutes. Cultivate the mind. Transcend the barriers that divide religions and cultures from one another, as well as the boundaries that keep us separate from each other. If we become a true master of our mind through meditation, we can create the Buddha’s Pure Land on this earth, right here, right now. 

Furthermore, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism deeply shares the pain of those who have lost their lives and homes in the recent devastating wildfires. 

This suffering is not theirs; it is ours. It is a responsibility that we all must bear and overcome together. I would also extend my deepest condolences and sympathies to the people of Myanmar for the tragic loss of life in the earthquake.

We pray that the grief of those who have lost loved ones in the face of disaster and suffering will soon be healed and that they will find hope and courage once again. Please, let us follow the holy path initiated by the Buddha's arrival on this earth and together strive to create a serene and glorious Pure Land where you, our neighbors, I, and the world can all share smiles.

May the Buddha's infinite radiance of compassion shine endlessly on each of our lives and on the world, which currently groans with war, division, disaster, and suffering.

Most Ven. Jinwoo, President of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

On the occasion of the Buddha’s birthday