Venerable Jimyung follows the flow of the clouds and water, traveling across the American continent. He encounters nature and the human world directly, observing them deeply. In Buddhist terms, he is on a journey of “manhaeng (a pilgrimage of all actions).”
On August 16, the Korea Daily met Venerable Jimyung at LA’s Prajna Gate Buddhist Temple (headed by Abbot Hyuncheol). He was preparing to continue his journey, and we asked him about his experiences on this pilgrimage.
Venerable Jimyung travels with nothing but the clothes on his back. However, what seems like having nothing is merely an illusion. The fears he faced during his travels allowed him to see the true nature of things.
“When I first started traveling, there were moments when I was suddenly afraid that my car or travel belongings might be stolen in a strange place,” Venerable Jimyung said. “It made me realize how much I was still attached to material possessions.”
His journey began on July 5 in LA. Over the course of about 40 days, he has traveled by car through Washington, Utah, Oregon, and western Canada. Prajna Gate Buddhist Temple serves as a kind of base camp. So far, he has covered over 12,000 miles. After a brief stop to rest and service his vehicle, he is ready to embark on the next leg of his pilgrimage.
Venerable Jimyung is a high-ranking monk. He previously served as the abbot of Beopjusa Temple in Boeun County, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Currently, he is the guiding teacher at Beopjusa, providing spiritual guidance to other monks.
This distinguished monk chose the path of “manhaeng” to face hardships head-on, and that too across the vast American continent. The road is always fraught with challenges.
“Fear of danger is always with you when you travel,” he noted. “Sometimes, it can be as simple as struggling to find a restroom or getting lost in the vast landscape.”
Even Venerable Jimyung, who voluntarily took on this pilgrimage, faces the realities of life. Once, he was warned by a park ranger for sleeping in his car at Yosemite National Park, unaware that it was against the rules.
These are experiences one can only have on unfamiliar roads. Enlightenment exists everywhere, at any moment. This is why every moment of travel is a form of spiritual practice.
When asked why he chose the United States as the place for his pilgrimage, he said he wanted to experience the vastness of the land firsthand.
“When a limited human life faces the boundless life of nature, there comes a moment when you feel the boundaries of life,” he explained.
He believes it would be against the Dharma to keep the experiences he gains to himself. Along with being a monk, he is also a travel YouTuber, sharing every moment of his pilgrimage on his channel, “Jm S.”
“I wanted to express my gratitude to those who made this journey possible by supporting me with a vehicle and other necessities,” Venerable Jimyung said. “I started YouTube to give them a glimpse of the grandeur of nature, even if only indirectly.”
He mostly sleeps in his car and sustains himself with minimal food, like canned goods, nuts, and boiled eggs. Despite this, he remains diligent in uploading his YouTube videos. He edits his videos himself, often uploading them using Wi-Fi at motels where he stops to shower or do laundry. His videos honestly capture the breathtaking landscapes and the struggles and realizations he experiences on his pilgrimage.
He once even crossed the Pacific Ocean in a yacht. This was in 2004 when he sailed over 9,000 miles across the ocean in a yacht named “Paramita.” The massive waves brought him both fear and enlightenment.
“No matter how big the waves or how strong the storm, everything eventually passes,” he said. “You just need to keep making continuous efforts to overcome it.”
As the world faces economic hardships, with many lamenting how difficult life has become, Venerable Jimyung offers this perspective: “Everything will eventually pass. It’s important to accept things as they are and let them flow by.”
On August 17, he set out again, embarking on a pilgrimage to experience the vastness of nature. Over the next month, he will travel to the eastern regions, including Quebec, Canada. Once his pilgrimage is complete, he plans to return to LA before heading back to Korea.
With his hands on the steering wheel, Venerable Jimyung continues to observe nature and life as they are. At the end of the road, enlightenment always awaits—this is the true essence of travel.
BY JOONHO CHOI, YOUNGNAM KIM [choi.joongho1@koreadaily.com]
