Korea ... for kneeling at one with the world

[unreal.livejournal.com]

I didn't know life in a Korean Buddhist temple would be so tough. It was one of the most interesting things I'd ever done but I got out just in time, before I was crippled for life.

South Korea's Temple Stay program is one of the world's great travel success stories; a way for anyone with an interest in religion and culture to gain an insight into the Buddhist world.

When I arrived at the Woljeongsa temple office, a shaven-headed monk was sitting cross-legged on the floor, typing on a laptop.

"Mr Richard, you are in time to do the 108 vows but that means you will miss dinner."


"Oh, naturally I'd like to do the vows," I replied. Why not? I'd already missed lunch and that wasn't too bad.

I slipped into a comfortable orange judo suit, not as bright as those issued to guests of Guantanamo Bay but similar. Then I joined 100 other visitors in the vowing room and was passed an English translation of the vows. They were things I had no trouble vowing unhypocritically - to respect nature, try to be honest and honour all living things.

Unfortunately, Buddhist vowing isn't as easy as vowing never to drink alcohol again. Buddhist vowing means standing while each vow is chanted, then kneeling, falling forward into a prone position and standing up again. Repeated 108 times, on an empty stomach.

Nightfall meant bedtime. 7.30pm seemed a tad early but reveille was at 3.30am, apparently.

That's not hard after sleeping on a thin mat with a tiny, rice-filled pillow. I was nearly hungry enough to eat it. When the gong rang, I was delighted to have an excuse to get up and face the day.

There isn't much day at 4am. Monks chanted in the gloom as we filed into the temple and prayed for an hour; more kneeling and chanting. Buddhism didn't fare well when the religions were being allocated their music. Christianity got Handel's Messiah; Buddhism got a tuneless, keyless drone.

"Is it breakfast now?" I whispered hopefully to my guide. "Soon," was the reply. "After yoga."

Our yoga instructor had to be carried in on the back of a monk, her ankle heavily bandaged. She sat and gave orders while two ridiculously supple demonstrators showed how it should be done.

We started with stretch exercises I last did 30 years ago when in full hockey training. I couldn't do them back then; now even faking it was excruciating.

I hid behind 100 lithe Koreans but the instructor's steely voice broke into English: "Mr Richard, you not trying hard enough!" A hundred heads turned to look.

After breakfast (cross-legged, of course), we were set a writing exercise. At last - something I was supposed to be competent at.

The task was to reflect on what we had learnt in our lives and to write a letter of advice to our descendants.

I wrote just one line: "Take good care of your knees."

Source: Sydney Morning Hareld

Comments

[plantbottle.livejournal.com]

Being Buddhist myself, I find this really interesting. Completely different from what I do at the temple I go to.

[akaich0u.livejournal.com]

I really love being Buddhist. Helped me be a more temperate person and come to terms with/change how whiny I usually am. Buddhist temples are usually hella poor for that reason....never use the donations for anything more than standard upkeep of the temple and charity up the wazoo. I used to be kinda flabberghasted when I see other religious leaders of all people roll up to their 3-story, 5-bedroom house in a Benz b/c growing up in Buddhism you're taught to shun materialism...which I thought was true of all religions more or less, but I guess not.

[plantbottle.livejournal.com]

this! I totally agree.

[hibohabu.livejournal.com]

I think Buddhism is calming because it encourages discipline and improvement from within, a quiet focus on the self without being selfish. However, most people I know and see who identify as Buddhists are also practising Taoists, and it's hard for me to see the Buddhists in them.

I enjoyed the article. Buddhism isn't for everyone, but I like its unobtrusiveness.

[lonelymoon.livejournal.com]

For the most part, I am against religion, but Buddhism isn't really a religion as it is just a peaceful, accepting way of life. I have so much respect for it. I don't think there exists another religion that is so accepting of other cultures, and without a spiritual leader wanting to be proclaimed as a god or an equivalent deity.

I'd like to call myself a Buddhist but I'd just be a hypocritical douche because I'm way too critical/whiny/you name it.

[akaich0u.livejournal.com]

Yeah Buddhism is more of a philosophy, and I really do like the deity-less aspect of it. It really is in harmony with what we already know about the earth and nature and the tenets of it (respect, kindness) aren't rendered obsolete with time or progressing social advancement.

Nah, don't worry about it dude. Truth be told I myself am a pretty bad Buddhist (I forget all the major holidays, can never do the recommended 4 to 10 days of vegetarianism a month and so on) but the most important thing is that you try. It starts out small like calming your temper, chilling out about money a little, etc and then it builds over the years. In that way it involves self-improvement more than anything and so isn't very strict. You're not hypocritical :)

[adropofcitrus.livejournal.com]

this was an amusing read :)

[sashays27.livejournal.com]

I'm in Singapore and my grandmother (74) does this quite often.
I find it crazy as well.

[sashays27.livejournal.com]

i meant crazy as in amazing that it's a really physically difficult routine for old people yet apparently a lot of them are doing it.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

I'm not an oversensitive person, but something about the comparison of the guest robes to Guantanamo prison-jumpsuits, and this lovely line:

Buddhism didn't fare well when the religions were being allocated their music. Christianity got Handel's Messiah; Buddhism got a tuneless, keyless drone.

really bugged me. idk, it just reeks of Western ethnocentrism imo.

[cruel-disorder.livejournal.com]

Yup, this article's just full of 'these weird things those people do, lemme go tell my people just how weird they are'

Basically, a total lack of respect.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

mte

Also, this dude has obviously never listened to "Oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ" (or Buddhist music at all, because toneless? seriously?). It definitely tops Handel.

[lonelymoon.livejournal.com]

Seriously. And there are people who actually enjoy listening to monks chanting. It's peaceful and shit, yo.

[akaich0u.livejournal.com]

Yeah those jokes totally fell flat with me too. I'm trying not to take too much offense since he seems well-meaning, albeit rather dumb lol.

[sirhin.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[kiwilovekiwi.livejournal.com]

LOL the things that's simple for you can be difficult for others. If you do it everyday, it gets easier

It's nice to have a post about Buddhism since his birthday is coming up soon!!!^^

[k0dama.livejournal.com]

Even though some of my family is Buddhist we've never gone to temple more than about once per year for about an hour at most,
and we know 0 scripture lol.

but I don't know anyone who knows scripture.


It's more about a lifestyle of moderation and not being greedy and accepting that change is constant,


not about memorizing what someone thought the Buddha might have said that was
transcribed hundreds of years ago from Hindi(?)
into Chinese according to how it sounded,
yet is read in Korean
and makes 0 sense to neither Koreans or foreigners.

derpy derp derp.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

Sanskrit. :)

[shadow-kitty47.livejournal.com]

I really want to do a temple stay next year when I go to Korea, I think it will be so neat.

Tho the whole waking up at 3:30am thing doesn't sound like all that much fun....

[leana9101.livejournal.com]

I actually went on a three day temple stay in South Korea this past summer. As a Jewish american, it was a completely different and new experience. It was very hard, but interesting and really made me appreciate buddism. I dont think i could be a true buddhist, but everyone should go on a temple stay once in their life.

[lonelymoon.livejournal.com]

That's like a really slow burpee. I imagine I would be in amazing shape if I were a nun.

[zeldas.livejournal.com]

it's an altogether interesting insight to a tiny fraction of a monk/buddhist's daily rituals... but the demeaning tone that's all over this article, argh. feels like your usual "expedition into yet another freaky religion! is it islam? buddhism? hinduism? click here for the rest of the article."

[tweedesire.livejournal.com]

this pretty much the same as what Kanjani8 members ( japanes idol group ) did when they were sent to a Buddhist temple for a 2days 1night stay ~
they totally got 'slayed' but the monks and it was during winter .. xD

Its cool how I can imagine what the writer explained based from what I've watched ~ :)

[sirhin.livejournal.com]

I've went to one of those temple stay programs - the one at Sudeoksa, to be exact - and it was AMAZING. We were in bed by ten for our 3 to 4 am wake up and even though I'm a nocturnal creature, the fact that once I was on the way home to my city, it was still noon and I had already hiked, had a tea ceremony, did "meditation" (something I don't think I'm made for; I'm sure I fell asleep), had breakfast, did a ton of leg exercises (the 108 kneeling things).. I also loved my outfit - very comfortable. The food's also simple and amazing. ♥

And for the record, the chanting is soothing, thanks much.
I actually wouldn't mind going to another temple stay to see how other temples differ. :)