Angel
New Member
By Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
South Korea’s long history of Buddhism has given rise to countless temples across the country.
When I was planning a trip there, I learned about the templestay program and thought, “What better way to spend my birthday than to stay at a temple?” There are several temples to choose from, some are even conveniently located in Seoul. I, however, opted to try the one further down south on the slopes of Mount Taehwa.
A resident monk leading the evening Yebul, a Buddhist ceremony, at the Daegwanbojeon.
Magoksa (built: ninth century) is one of Korea’s seven outstanding Sansa, or Buddhist mountain monasteries, that have been recently inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 2018. These remote spiritual complexes are considered as living heritage sites that have not changed for over a thousand years. They represent a tradition that blends early Korean Buddhism, Shamanism, and even the worship of heroes, which is considered to be a unique form of religious belief and practice. These Sansa fill in what the more famous Bulguksa and Haeinsa temples generally fail to offer: a genuine sense of “old age” in its buildings.
I arrived in Magoksa after quickly exploring Gongju, home to the World Heritage-listed Gongsanseong fortress and Songsan-ri necropolis. The trip from there took an hour, and there were only two other passengers in the bus that proceeded all the way to the temple. From the last bus stop, we still had to trek for some 20 minutes to get to the ceremonial wooden gate of Magoksa. The two visitors I walked with, who endlessly sang me the “Happy birthday to you” song after learning it was my special day, had to pay an entrance fee, of which I was exempted from as I was a staying overnight.
A night shot of the Dharma bell pavilion beside our living quarters
Magoksa captured how I imagined a mountain monastery to be: surrounded by ancient forests, embraced by a refreshing stream, not much people around, very tranquil and isolated. Right there and then, I knew I chose a superlative place for my first templestay experience. I was immediately greeted by our friendly attendants and was introduced to my fellow “apprentices.” There were only six of us, and the hosts made our stay all the more special by letting us sleep in the monastery’s original living quarters—another group was placed in a concrete building built 200 meters away. Our rooms were basic but they featured an ondol, a traditional underfloor firewood-fed heating system.
After settling in, I found a quiet corner at the Yeongsanjeon, the oldest building in the monastery, and meditated there until it was time for the next activity. Later that day, we were given a tour around the monastic grounds and then endorsed to the program’s attending monk who, shortly after, facilitated the evening bell ringing. The bell and drum pavilion was literally beside our rooms so there was no way for us to miss even the 4 a.m. bell ceremony.
Our group with the templestay attending monk holding the lanterns to be used in the upcoming birthday of the Buddha.
We were also invited to join the evening Yebul at the Daeungbojeon, one of the Dharma halls. We tried our best to follow the sonorous chanting of the resident monks, but it was, as expected, an exercise in futility. Afterwards, we were led to a meditation chamber to perform the “108 Bows,” a meditative ritual that involves 108 prostrations. This activity seemed highly laborious at first—and it really was—but we eventually got used to the rhythm and were able to accomplish it.
The following day, our attending monk gathered us for a light morning exercise in the Madang, the open yard distinct to mountain monasteries. At the center of the Madang is a rare five-story Tibetan-style stone pagoda and around it are Magoksa’s most invaluable wooden halls. It was also there where we started a guided meditation walk, leaping from one rock to another to cross the stream and hiking up the mountain to rest at one of the most sacred spaces in Magoksa. Surprisingly, not a single tree grew on that spot and all the trees around it bent inwards creating a natural dome, as if that area was really intended that way. The walk was meant to expose us to some practical Buddhism teachings, as well as help us find balance and inner peace.
The program ended with an intimate tea ceremony with the monk, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better, to ask the questions we still have, and, ultimately, to network in Facebook. While drinking, we also performed beadwork and learned how it is used. We took the final product with us as our own souvenirs from participating in a monastic community.
The older Bongjeongsa is another Sansa situated in Mount Cheongdeung near Andong. The monastery has eight cultural treasures around its Madang, most important of which is the Paradise Hall being the oldest extant wooden building in Korea. It was a funny coincidence, too, that the day of my visit marked the 10th year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the said temple. While Bongjeongsa sees fewer visitors, it also offers templestay.
Thank you
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/21/templestaying-in-a-korean-sansa/
South Korea’s long history of Buddhism has given rise to countless temples across the country.
When I was planning a trip there, I learned about the templestay program and thought, “What better way to spend my birthday than to stay at a temple?” There are several temples to choose from, some are even conveniently located in Seoul. I, however, opted to try the one further down south on the slopes of Mount Taehwa.
A resident monk leading the evening Yebul, a Buddhist ceremony, at the Daegwanbojeon.
Magoksa (built: ninth century) is one of Korea’s seven outstanding Sansa, or Buddhist mountain monasteries, that have been recently inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 2018. These remote spiritual complexes are considered as living heritage sites that have not changed for over a thousand years. They represent a tradition that blends early Korean Buddhism, Shamanism, and even the worship of heroes, which is considered to be a unique form of religious belief and practice. These Sansa fill in what the more famous Bulguksa and Haeinsa temples generally fail to offer: a genuine sense of “old age” in its buildings.
I arrived in Magoksa after quickly exploring Gongju, home to the World Heritage-listed Gongsanseong fortress and Songsan-ri necropolis. The trip from there took an hour, and there were only two other passengers in the bus that proceeded all the way to the temple. From the last bus stop, we still had to trek for some 20 minutes to get to the ceremonial wooden gate of Magoksa. The two visitors I walked with, who endlessly sang me the “Happy birthday to you” song after learning it was my special day, had to pay an entrance fee, of which I was exempted from as I was a staying overnight.
A night shot of the Dharma bell pavilion beside our living quarters
Magoksa captured how I imagined a mountain monastery to be: surrounded by ancient forests, embraced by a refreshing stream, not much people around, very tranquil and isolated. Right there and then, I knew I chose a superlative place for my first templestay experience. I was immediately greeted by our friendly attendants and was introduced to my fellow “apprentices.” There were only six of us, and the hosts made our stay all the more special by letting us sleep in the monastery’s original living quarters—another group was placed in a concrete building built 200 meters away. Our rooms were basic but they featured an ondol, a traditional underfloor firewood-fed heating system.
After settling in, I found a quiet corner at the Yeongsanjeon, the oldest building in the monastery, and meditated there until it was time for the next activity. Later that day, we were given a tour around the monastic grounds and then endorsed to the program’s attending monk who, shortly after, facilitated the evening bell ringing. The bell and drum pavilion was literally beside our rooms so there was no way for us to miss even the 4 a.m. bell ceremony.
Our group with the templestay attending monk holding the lanterns to be used in the upcoming birthday of the Buddha.
We were also invited to join the evening Yebul at the Daeungbojeon, one of the Dharma halls. We tried our best to follow the sonorous chanting of the resident monks, but it was, as expected, an exercise in futility. Afterwards, we were led to a meditation chamber to perform the “108 Bows,” a meditative ritual that involves 108 prostrations. This activity seemed highly laborious at first—and it really was—but we eventually got used to the rhythm and were able to accomplish it.
The following day, our attending monk gathered us for a light morning exercise in the Madang, the open yard distinct to mountain monasteries. At the center of the Madang is a rare five-story Tibetan-style stone pagoda and around it are Magoksa’s most invaluable wooden halls. It was also there where we started a guided meditation walk, leaping from one rock to another to cross the stream and hiking up the mountain to rest at one of the most sacred spaces in Magoksa. Surprisingly, not a single tree grew on that spot and all the trees around it bent inwards creating a natural dome, as if that area was really intended that way. The walk was meant to expose us to some practical Buddhism teachings, as well as help us find balance and inner peace.
The program ended with an intimate tea ceremony with the monk, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better, to ask the questions we still have, and, ultimately, to network in Facebook. While drinking, we also performed beadwork and learned how it is used. We took the final product with us as our own souvenirs from participating in a monastic community.
The older Bongjeongsa is another Sansa situated in Mount Cheongdeung near Andong. The monastery has eight cultural treasures around its Madang, most important of which is the Paradise Hall being the oldest extant wooden building in Korea. It was a funny coincidence, too, that the day of my visit marked the 10th year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the said temple. While Bongjeongsa sees fewer visitors, it also offers templestay.
Thank you
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/21/templestaying-in-a-korean-sansa/