In early December 2025, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, a Korean Dharma master and prominent Buddhist activist, led a delegation of volunteers and advocates from the Buddhist humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) to the Philippines. The journey was a week-long expression of socially engaged Buddhism and compassion in action, as they held completion ceremonies for eight schools established by JTS over the past year in the mountains of Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island. Five of the schools were for indigenous communities in remote mountain villages, and three were special education centers for children with disabilities.
The delegation, which included JTS Korea president Gena Park, JTS Philippines president Jaekuk Roh, and former congressman Kihwan Hyun, among others, traveled to remote areas, often crossing rivers and hiking mountain trails to reach the communities. At each ceremony, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim honored the people who had made the schools possible, including the Datu (indigenous community leader) who donated land, the education coordinator who fought for budget allocations, and the JTS staff volunteers who oversaw construction.
The schools were built on the principle that alleviating suffering requires the active participation of the communities themselves. The JTS team worked closely with local communities, who carried construction supplies themselves when trucks couldn’t reach their community. The schools were designed to be inclusive, with special education centers positioned adjacent to regular classrooms, embodying the principle that all beings possess Buddha-nature and deserve equal opportunity for development.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s approach was nuanced, acknowledging the inherent tensions between formal education and preserving indigenous languages and traditions. He emphasized the importance of protecting the land, nature, and faith, and proposed traditional dance competitions, speech contests, and tree-planting campaigns to promote environmental ethics and sustainable living.
The week’s ceremonies represented just over half of JTS Philippines’ work in 2025, with 15 schools built in total, 10 for indigenous communities and five special education centers. The true significance of the week lay in the Dharma seeds planted and cultivated, with Ven. Pomnyun Sunim consistently redirecting the focus from the physical structures to the living purpose they serve: the preservation of indigenous culture and identity, the inclusive embrace of children with disabilities, and the fundamental right of every child to education.
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s vision is comprehensive, with discussions ranging from teacher training to disaster relief to medical camps providing cataract and cleft lip surgeries. The challenges were acknowledged, including finding volunteers willing to live simply in rural conditions, especially among those with technical skills. However, the model persists because it embodies the principle that genuine service requires personal sacrifice and a direct relationship with those being served.
The week in Mindanao offered a living example of the bodhisattva ideal, with villagers, teachers, local officials, and volunteers discovering their shared capacity to act for the common good. The result was a small widening of possibility in places where distances, armed conflict, and poverty have long inhibited children’s opportunities. The work of compassion unfolded in the smiles of students, the grateful tears of local elders, and in the weary, satisfied silence of volunteer activists.
