Engaged Buddhism Special Report: Venerable Pomnyun Sunim and JTS Conduct Emergency Relief Operations in Assam After Severe Floods

Venerable Korean Dharma Master and Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님) and volunteers from the Buddhist humanitarian organization JTS Korea carried out relief operations in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, on July 12, in response to catastrophic flooding that affected the region during the recent monsoon season.

Two months of monsoon rains have inundated northeast India and eastern Bangladesh, with prolonged torrential rains, particularly in mid-June, causing widespread flooding and landslides as water levels rivers have reached dangerous levels. According to media reports, 79 people were killed in the floods and more than 300 were displaced, with floodwaters submerging homes and inundating farmland. Assam regularly experiences large-scale destruction every monsoon season due to its vast network of rivers.

The JTS Korea emergency relief team was dispatched to Assam on July 9 to conduct a preliminary assessment of the situation on the ground and prepare relief supplies. Among the areas inspected, the village of Puragaon, in Morigaon district, was found to be in a particularly precarious situation, having received no external assistance.

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim founded the humanitarian organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism, and based on the principle that helping others is the best way to enrich one's own life. Charged with bringing hope, empowerment and self-reliance to disadvantaged communities in developing countries, JTS is run and operated by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit marginalized communities. JTS carries out relief work in countries affected by humanitarian disasters and has engaged in humanitarian projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The humanitarian organization has also been granted special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

When Venerable Pomnyun Sunim arrived, three villages in the region were submerged by water, affecting 1 households. The displaced residents had been living in tents on an untouched riverbank for a week.

“If this river overflows its banks, the damage will be enormous. To avoid flood damage, people should not live outside the river banks, but because of poverty, they have no other place to live,” observed Venerable Pomnyun Sunim.

Although some of the government's initial food aid eventually reached the region, it was only enough for four days and now, due to the lack of further rains, the government has stopped provide this help.

The team of five JTS volunteers worked with local volunteers to quickly prepare food packets containing rice, dal, oil and salt, as well as much-needed baby formula and mosquito nets. urgent.

After inspecting the flood-affected area, Sunim went to the relief distribution area. Before the JTS team began distributing relief supplies, Sunim spoke words of comfort and encouragement to the displaced people.

“Were you caught off guard by the heavy rain? Is everyone safe? Have you lost any animals? “, he asked. “I send my condolences to those who have lost so much due to the flash floods. Although it may not be much, we hope that the supplies we provide today can be of some help. Please maintain order and receive supplies one by one. »

Sunim then led the JTS volunteers to distribute the relief supplies, unload the bags of rice and ensure that everyone received their share. Women with babies received extra formula and biscuits.

The village head expressed gratitude on behalf of the residents: “Although the entire state of Assam suffered from floods, no one came to the aid of this region. But JTS came to us. We are truly grateful. »

The JTS emergency relief team distributed relief supplies to three villages over the next two days. Venerable Pomnyun Sunim gave some instructions to encourage them in their work and to ensure the smooth running of the relief operations.

“Safety is always the most important thing when distributing relief supplies. If distribution is scheduled for 7 a.m., only those who arrive before 7 a.m. should receive the relief,” Sunim explained. “Those who arrive later must wait outside. Otherwise, those who arrived earlier will protest. Also set up stakes and lines so people can queue in single file. In this way, order can be maintained. For elderly people who are not strong enough, young people from the village must receive and carry aid for them. »

“Once the initial distribution is complete, line up the stragglers and distribute to them. This does not mean that latecomers will not receive supplies, but if latecomers continue to cut, it will cause confusion. If it's raining heavily and most people are late, postpone the distribution for an hour or two. Start when there are enough people gathered. If you take into account the circumstances of each individual, the whole system will collapse, resulting in conflict. Please put safety first...let's all work together to ensure fair distribution... During distribution, there will always be latecomers, people who lose their coupons, and others who ask for more even after receiving one. Our goal is to minimize these problems, not eliminate them completely. »

After ensuring that the humanitarian operation was going smoothly, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim left for Assam's second largest city, Silchar, where he met Dr. Ravi Kannan, 2023 winner of the prestigious Asian Ramon Magsaysay Award . Dr. Kannan is the Director of Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Center (CCHRC), a non-profit organization that provides oncology treatment to thousands of underprivileged cancer patients each year.

“When patients arrive here, they receive support,” explains Dr. Kannan. “The first visit is crucial because most patients arrive with immense fear of their condition. We carefully explain to them the support available. At this hospital, payment of 500 rupees (US$6) during the first consultation covers all subsequent treatment costs. This helps ensure that financial burden does not prevent patients from receiving care. »

“You are doing a wonderful job,” said Venerable Pomnyun Sunim.

“The hospital operates until the last patient is seen,” continues Dr. Kannan. “There is no fixed closing time. As patients come from far away, our principle is: if someone comes, we must see them. This ensures that no poor patient who has traveled a long distance leaves disappointed. . . .

“This hospital does not have special rooms for those who can pay more. All patients pay the same price and receive the same care. If we were to ask more of those who can afford it, we would be forced to give them special treatment, which would mean less care for the poor. . . .

“As you know, cancer treatments and surgeries require a lot of blood. It used to be difficult to get blood, so we had to ask early on which family member would be willing to donate blood. To ease this burden, we have implemented a system for citizens to donate blood. The response was overwhelming, so we no longer need to ask families to donate blood. . . .

“Normally, it takes 3 to 10 days to get the results of a biopsy. Here we have developed a system that can get the results within an hour. Indeed, poor patients often do not return if they have to wait days for results. Our system ensures all tests are completed within 24 hours, saving over 70% time and money. »

After touring the hospital facilities, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim answered questions from Dr. Kannan and his team over dinner.

Q: Do you have any regrets in your life?

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim: I have no particular regrets. Some days are good, others bad; I simply live each day as it comes. Whether it was a good day or a bad day, looking back, there's not much difference. Whether ten years ago there was a meal of meat or vegetables or whether I went to bed hungry, what difference does it make today? It seemed important at the time, but in hindsight it no longer matters. Whether I sleep in a nice hotel today or under a tree in Silchar may seem important today, but ten years from now, where I slept in Silchar will not matter.

Q: Don't Are some things more valuable, like life and death?

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim: I don't think anything has intrinsic value. It's just that we assign value to things. For example, “We should feed the hungry” or “Children should be able to receive an education at school.” They are simply meanings that we assign to things. There is no intrinsic meaning. I think a rabbit that lives its life and a human that lives its entire life are no different. We live simply because we were born into this world. Seeing the world this way allows us to stay present and enjoy life as it is.

Compare the satisfaction of buying a nice outfit for yourself with the satisfaction of gifting clothes to someone who doesn't have any. Choose the one which suits you best. Compare the satisfaction of eating good food with the satisfaction of sharing food with those who are hungry. Decide which one is best for you. Doing good deeds to be reborn in a better place in the next life is not important. Always make choices and take responsibility for the results. There is no “best” choice.

We hesitate because we don't want to take responsibility for our choices. We constantly ask ourselves which choice is better, but there is no right or wrong choice. We hesitate because we do not want to take responsibility for the consequences.

After chatting for two hours, Sunim expressed his gratitude to Dr. Kannan and his wife for their hospitality: “Thank you for the delicious dinner and for personally guiding me despite your busy schedule. Seeing the smile and kindness on your face, I understand why so many people respect you. »

Sunim returned to CCHRC the next day for further discussions with Dr. Kannan on potential collaborations and to hold a Dharma Q&A session with hospital staff.

Venerable Pomnyun Sunim is a well-respected Korean dharma teacher, author, and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives and projects around the world, including: JTS Korea, an international humanitarian aid organization working to eradicate poverty and hunger; Jungto Society, a community of volunteers founded on the teachings of the Buddha and dedicated to solving modern social problems that lead to suffering; Ecobuddha, an organization focused on environmental ethics and sustainable living based on the teachings of the Buddha; and Good Friends, which promotes reconciliation and cooperation between North and South Korea, and provides humanitarian aid to North Koreans. Venerable Pomnyun Sunim also works closely with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB).

In October 2020, the Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Venerable Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of his international humanitarian work, intensive environmental and social activism, and tireless efforts to build trust and goodwill between communities of different faiths and cultures, with the aim of world peace.*

* Buddhist monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim receives the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)

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Pomnyun
Jungto Company
JTS Korea
JTS America
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)

Indian state battling floods prepares for more rain (BBC)
Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in northeast India kill at least 16 (AP)
Floods in India's northeastern state of Assam kill 79 as monsoon season intensifies (ABC News)

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