The Buddha― A True Revolutionary

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“Why must one die for another to live?
Is there no way for us to live together?”

At the age of twelve, Siddhartha began to grapple with the suffering of the world. He eventually abandoned his life as a prince and set out into society. In a world filled with discrimination and violence, he lived his entire life as a seeker and a revolutionary, striving for a world in which all people could be happy. This book expresses Venerable Pomnyun Sunim’s deep longing for his teacher—the Buddha—and traces the footsteps of this remarkable human being.

After leaving the palace, Siddhartha undertook extreme ascetic practices in search of answers to his existential questions. Through the realization of dependent origination and the Middle Way, he ultimately attained the highest enlightenment—something no one before him had achieved. Thus, he became the Buddha, the Awakened One.

Yet the Buddha did not remain in personal enlightenment. Until his passing into Nirvana, he tirelessly worked to liberate sentient beings suffering in the world. However, the times were oppressive, and society was harsh and unforgiving. Hundreds of small and large states were constantly at war. Social class was destiny, an inescapable burden for most. Even those with talent or wealth could not escape their status, and women were denied all rights. It was considered natural to build one’s happiness upon the suffering of others.

The Buddha rejected this “natural order.”

“In the Dharma of the Buddha, all are one.”
“Love the people as you would your only child.”
“Allow women to enter the monastic life.”
“Do not shed precious human blood over trivial matters like water.”

The Buddha affirmed the rights of women, refused to accept caste discrimination among his disciples, and urged kings to care for their people and pursue peace. These were words and actions that challenged an oppressive and brutal world.

“Anyone who attains enlightenment can become a Buddha.”

He further taught that by freeing oneself from ignorance and attaining enlightenment, one could be liberated from all suffering. While the Buddha’s personal awakening was extraordinary, this declaration was truly revolutionary. His teachings shook the very foundations of the existing social order.

By reflecting on the life of the Buddha, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim realized that the Buddha was a revolutionary who transcended the limitations of his time and opened the path to a new world. The Buddha’s life embodies not only personal spiritual practice but also social engagement. This is the essence of the teaching he left behind.

To share this insight with a broader audience, Venerable Pomnyun Sunim delivered lectures on EBS, which were later compiled into this book.

Through this book, we hope readers will imagine the world that the revolutionary Buddha envisioned—and take even a single small step toward putting it into practice. That is the path of carrying forward the Buddha’s teachings.