The 2002 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding

Your Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines, Trustees of the Foundation, Distinguished Guests, and Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great honour for me to have been selected as the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding this year, but I only have done what I had to do as a monk and indeed I do feel that I am unworthy of the award. I have realized, however, that this award is not given only to myself, but to everyone who took part in the humanitarian assistance to North Korea and the process of reconciliation. I accept this award on behalf of everyone who has been involved in the due course and I would like to express my profound appreciation to the trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for giving me this award and to everyone who is here today. Also I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the other awardees tonight.

I hope this award will create more interest in achieving peace on the Korean peninsula in the international community and that together we can harbour peace and expand humanitarian assistance and protection of the North Korean refugees. It should be given to the North Koreans who are still going through very difficult times. Furthermore, there are conflicts and wars still going on even as I speak in some parts of the world. For the sake of everyone who is suffering from wars, disasters and ideological conflicts, I hope that they will be resolved soon. Peace Movement starts from understanding and recognising their differences and to be awakened to the fact that we are all connected as one. Hence, we all need to make a transition from relationships of competition and hostility to harmonious ones. Upon receiving this award, I shall put my best efforts forward to realize peace in Asia and the Korean peninsula.

In closing, let me express my sincere gratitude to the late President Magsaysay in whose memory these awards were established. I would also like to express my respect for the people of the Philippines, for having such an honourable award. I thank everyone who is gathered here today, and in the name of the Lord Buddha and the teachers of humanity, I pray that there will be peace, love and happiness among all living beings.

Thank you very much.