Jogyesa Temple on Buddha's Birthday. ⒸHanmi Ilbo

The heavens are still, yet all beings teem with life in this season, and the lamp that illuminates the darkness of the Saha world is rekindled. We welcome the 2570th Year of the Buddhist Era (2026), Buddha's Birthday, yet the reality of South Korea we face today is utterly tragic.

The cry of a baby Buddha, which echoed from the city of Kapilavastu over 2,600 years ago, was a declaration of the dignity of life. However, this land is now submerged in pitch-black darkness due to hatred, conflict, and the immorality of its leaders. As one entrusted with the sacred duty of protecting the nation, I wish to deliver a stern rebuke and the Buddha's true dharma to this chaotic world.

The Path of Mutual Destruction Forgetting Dependent Origination, Fueled by Left-Right Ideological Conflict

Present-day South Korea is torn apart, its national discourse fractured by extreme left-right ideological conflict. The dependent origination (Yeon-gi) taught by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha is the truth of interdependence: 'When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises.' Yet, our society is now filled with self-righteousness and arrogance, believing that one can only survive by destroying the other.

Forgetting the wisdom of dependent origination that 'I cannot exist without you,' the blades of hatred hurled at each other are merely poisoned arrows that will ultimately lead us all to ruin.

We must engrave the Buddha's words in our hearts: hatred cannot be repaid with hatred; it can only vanish with love and forgiveness. We must cast aside the lust for power hidden behind the facade of ideology and embrace the spirit of national protection, prioritizing the nation's security and peace, which is more crucial than ever.

Immorality of Leaders and Widespread Criminal Allegations Disrupt the Nation

The reality of our leaders, who should be upholding the nation's discipline, is even more dire. From the President to high-ranking officials, they stand on trial, and this situation, where criminal allegations have become commonplace, inflicts indelible shame and distrust upon the people. When leaders fail to govern themselves and become slaves to greed, their nation cannot escape the suffering of ignorance.

The Buddha warned against the three poisons: greed, anger, and delusion (Tam-jin-chi). In a world where those who wield power and evade the law run rampant, discussing justice and morality is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.

While leaders should be beacons of light guiding the people, they have instead become the source of deepening darkness. Leaders must repent before the people and restore an honest spirit of diligent practice (Jeong-jin) by confronting their own faults.

Be Your Own Light, Be the Light of the Dharma: The People Must Become the Light Themselves

The 'Be your own light, be the light of the Dharma' (Ja-deung-myeong Beop-deung-myeong) message left by the Buddha upon his passing is an encouragement for a self-reliant life and a final exhortation to follow the path of truth, unswayed by injustice.

The more leaders become corrupt and society becomes chaotic, the more we, the people, must make ourselves our own light and rely on the true dharma. We must not be swayed by the honeyed words of politicians or ideological incitement, but instead, trust in our inherent Buddha-nature and steadfastly walk the path of justice.

Buddha's Birthday is not merely a celebration of the birth of a past sage. It must be a day of resolution, a commitment to infuse this land, dominated by falsehood and greed, with the warmth of compassion. Though each lantern we light may be small, I am confident that these lights will converge to become a great flame of wisdom that illuminates the corruption of our leaders and dismantles the walls of ideology.

Let Us Open the Lotus World of Great Harmony with the Power of National Protection Buddhism

The purpose of Shakyamuni Buddha's coming to this land was to create a world of freedom and peace for all. I earnestly hope that, starting from this Buddha's Birthday, we can break down the walls of religion and ideology to correct what is wrong and open a space for great harmony where we treat each other as Buddhas.

Emulating the spirit of national protection shown by the virtuous monks who rose up courageously when the country was in turmoil, we must all become lamps that illuminate the darkness of the Saha world. When our diligent efforts to practice compassion in our respective places and to not remain silent in the face of injustice converge, this land will finally be reborn as a fragrant Lotus World.

The Buddha is not far away. The Buddha is already here, in the outcry of the people yearning for justice and in the compassionate hands that embrace our suffering neighbors.

On the occasion of the 2570th Year of the Buddhist Era, Buddha's Birthday, I earnestly pray for the prosperity of South Korea's national destiny and for the lamp of peace to be lit in the hearts of all our citizens.

◆ Ven. Euicheon

Chief Abbot, Korean Buddhist Order of National Protection

First Commander of the National Protection Monk Corps