Delivery Of Sweet Potatoes – “Sunim, You Are Just Like Santa Claus”

A Day in the Life of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim

Gong Hee-jeong and Jo Jun-ho, a couple living in Jechoen who subscribe to “A Day in the Life of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim,” donated two tons of sweet potatoes they farmed this year. They became second-career farmers this year and planted sweet potatoes for the first time on a trial basis. However, being unable to find a suitable buyer, they contacted Jungto Society and expressed their wish to donate the sweet potatoes. “Thank you for sharing the produce you worked hard to grow.” “Thank you for taking them. My wife did all the work and I just helped a little.” To express his gratitude, Pomnyun Sunim presented the couple with one of his books, which he signed.

After exchanging greetings, Pomnyun Sunim put on an apron and began boxing the sweet potatoes. 20 kilograms of sweet potatoes were put into each recycled box and taped securely.

“Thank you for sharing the produce you worked so hard to grow. I can’t help you with selling them because the business transaction is not allowed in Jungto Society. However, I will deliver the sweet potatoes to a residential facility for disabled people, a hospice hospital, and a center for foreign workers. This money is for the seeds, please take it. You will be farming next year also, right?” “No, thank you, Sunim. I am donating the sweet potatoes because I really want to. I have learned a great deal about farming from you, reading the daily blogs in “A Day in the Life of Ven. Pomnyun Sunim.” Ms. Gong adamantly refused to take the money.

While riding in the truck loaded with sweet potatoes, we were able to view the winter scenery through the window. It felt as if we were going on a picnic. After driving for three hours, we arrived at Unmunsa Temple at 12:30 pm.

At first, no one recognized Pomnyun Sunim unloading the boxes in front of the kitchen, wearing work clothes and a mask. The monks at Unmunsa Temple were quite surprised when they recognized Pomnyun Sunim quietly unloading the boxes and quickly came to help him.

“Sunim, we were waiting for you to call but you arrived unannounced. Have you had lunch yet?” “Yes, we brought our lunch. A couple in Jecheon who became second-career farmers donated a large amount of sweet potatoes, so I brought some to share with you. I have to go now.” Pomnyun Sunim left Unmunsa Temple right after unloading the boxes of sweet potatoes.

On our way to the hospice hospital, Pomnyun Sunim ate sweet rice cake and fruit, which we packed in the morning, in the truck. We arrived at Jajae Hospital in Eonyang, Ulsan at 1:20 pm. Pomnyun Sunim was unloading the boxes of sweet potatoes in front of the kitchen quietly as he did at Unmunsa Temple when the director of the hospital, Venerable Neunghaeng Sunim, came running.

Note: Jaejae Hospital is a hospice located in Ulju-gun, Ulsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

“Sunim! You should have given me a call… Thank you so much. Have you had lunch? How about a cup of tea before you go?”

“I already had lunch. Anyway, we can’t eat together because of COVID-19. I came to deliver the sweet potatoes donated by second-career farmers living in Jecheon. Now, I have to go to Geojedo Island. I can’t imagine how difficult things must be at the hospital due to the pandemic.

Yes, I don’t know how we will be able to manage.

“I hope you weather this difficult time well. I think things will continue to be difficult until next year. One lives when one is dead. Please, keep up your spirits.*

* In the Korean TV drama Rooftop Prince, the prince gives a riddle to his sister-in-law, “What lives when it’s dead and is dead when it is alive?” Her answer is Lotus. She says, “A lotus must die to become a flower again. So, it will live when it dies.”

“Yes, we will. Thank you for the sweet potatoes. Goodbye and take care.”

It took only ten minutes to unload the boxes, so we headed to Geojedo Island at 1:30 pm.

After driving for two hours, we arrived at Aegwangwon, a residential facility for mentally disabled people on Geojedo Island at 3:30 pm.

The staff at Aegwangwon presented us with a yuja (a citrus fruit) marmalade they had made themselves and a 2021 calendar.

Note: Aegwangwon is a residential facility located in Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do in the southeastern part of Korea for mentally disabled people run by Christians.

Kim Im-soon, the director of Aegwangwon’s account of how Ven. Pomnyun Sunim’s relationship with Aegwangwon began: “In Sept. 2003, after Typhoon Maemi hit Korea, the water supply at Aegwangwon was cut off. We had no drinking water since the water pipes were destroyed during the typhoon. So, the children drank water flowing down the hill. As a result, many of them suffered from diarrhea, and everything was a mess.

At the time, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim was attending a meeting in Seoul when he heard about our situation. He left Seoul early the next morning and arrived in Geojedo in the afternoon. He brought 4,000 2-liter bottles of water three truckloads of food and daily necessities. When I saw him getting out of a truck in his monk robes, I said, ‘Sunim, this is a place for people who believe in Jesus, not the Buddha.’

And, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim said, ‘It doesn’t matter if you are Christian or a Buddhist. We should help each other when things are tough.’

That’s how Pomnyun Sunim’s relationship with Aegwangwon started.”

Sunim said, “Now, we are all done. Thank you for your hard work.”

We all clapped our hands. The truck became lighter, and we were all tired, but we were proud of the work we had done. Sunim smiled cheerfully and said, “It was fun.”

“Yes. It was a lot of fun. You were just like Santa Claus.”

We saw the sun setting over the ocean through the window. While we were dozing, the truck arrived at Dubuk Retreat Center.

We unloaded the remaining boxes of sweet potatoes and had dinner. We ate winter kimchi (A traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables) we made a few days ago with cooked newly harvested rice, which was really good.

After dinner, Sunim packed food for the ten-day meditation retreat, which consisted of side dishes and napa cabbage. During the online meditation retreat, participants will prepare food for themselves at home, so Sunim has decided to cook meals for himself.

After packing the side dishes, we left Dubuk Retreat Center and arrived at Mungyeong Jungto Retreat Center after 9 pm. A waxing moon was shining softly over the dark retreat center.