Geumsunsa Temple is the Buddhist temple that Yolekha had reserved for my templestay. A two day, one night immersion into the life in a Buddhist community.

We learned just days before that another friend of Yols, who like them, has come to live and work in Korea, was also going for the templestay on the same day as me, so I met up with them and shared a taxi out to where the temple is. It is in part of the mountains that surround Seoul.

We checked in and were given the vest and pants that all templestay participants wear as part of the experience. It was like the monk in training clothes.

I was told that I would be sharing a room with a Korean woman. The gal that checked me in was pretty funny and had me laughing. There was a conversation with her and another of the temple gals about how she was explaining the rooms and I found it hilarious how they were gently ribbing each other about it. My laugh caught them off guard and they began smiling and a much quieter giggle in response. I apologized for the level of my laugh and said that it just comes out that way. She giggled again and said that in their presence, I could laugh as much as I wanted. I told her that my prayers were already answered then, and went to find my room.

We had a tour of the grounds and various temples within. There was a special spot down some steep damp stairs cut out from the rock that we needed to pass through to gain access to a smaller space with a different Buddha statue. This space was just next to the waterfall and was for morning chants or anytime meditation. So nice.

As part of the tour, we also learned the three prostrations one does when entering the temple to pray. You kneel, bow your head to the floor, then palms up next to your ears and raise them while keeping the head down, then reverse: palms down, push away from ground, raise to kneel and pop up to a standing position. Our guide did say that we may raise up one leg at a time if popping up didn’t happen for us – I think she was talking to me since I was once again the oldest person in the room.

We were then ushered into the last worship space to be shown. We met a monk there and he started his time with us doing some stretches and warming up our joints. The gal that had brought us, only interpreted portions where it wasn’t completely obvious what the Korean speaking Monk was instructing us to do.

He then brought out this several foot long wooden thing that would make a loud clap when hit upon his open palm and catching his nuances, could be used to wack participants who didn’t do as instructed.

He then started what I soon deduced were the 108 prostrations of Buddhism. I have listened to them before, but never participated in a ceremony of them. I guess the monks here, know them by heart and must say them in their mind as the go from standing, to head on floor 108 times, but I would have liked to hear them. Instead, we were to recite “who am I “ as we bowed. About 15 repetitions into these Buddha Burpees, I maintained the kneeling position and just went – knees, head, hands, knees for the remainder. I was wondering if we had been told that this was coming and I had missed the interpretation of it, or if this was just part of their immersion into the life of the monk.

We then had tea and discussions with the monk. This was held sitting on the floor in a semicircle around the Monk. We had a small cup for our herbal tea and a small mat for our comfort. A recliner would have been more to my comfort at this time, but that wasn’t happening. It went something like this: someone asks question in Korean, monk gives lengthy answer in Korean and then the rest of us get a 30-45 second brief in English of what was discussed. I have since been told that the interpretations from Korean to English will always be just a fraction of what they have said.

We were instructed on how dinner was to go. Take off shoes – you do this upon going into any space on the grounds- wash hands, take your place and eating utensils and fill your plate, eat quietly and eat only what you need, but eat what you take. After the meal, wash your dishes, stack plates and go outside and await the drum ceremony.

He played that drum for several minutes, then played the sticks inside the wooden fish, then the gong and then we were permitted to go up and ring the bell twice each. What a wonderful way to send off prayers.

We then had a singing bowl meditation with out tour guide gal. We layed on the mats with our heads toward the bowls and she soothed away our day.

We headed up for the evening monk chanting ceremony. There were some up and downs throughout , but nothing like we had to do earlier. I realized that while I understood the prostrating, the movements didn’t allow me to let the chants wash over me as I prefer when experiencing songs or chants in languages I do not know.

We were then given free time to trace Korean writings or a sketch. When complete, you were to write other prayers you had and they would take them to one of the temples to be answered. I traced the sketch. It had also become dark and the lanterns lit up the grounds in a most beautiful way.

The two gals in the photo with me on the bridge were two friends who had come up together. I sat across from them at dinner and we chatted with the help of our phone translators throughout dinner. We had obviously forgotten about the eating in quiet instructions, but no one reprimanded us and it was lovely to get to know them a bit. They asked to take the photo with me at the bridge, which made me smile inside and out. They were also the ones who sat with me during the sketch/calligraphy portion of the evening. I recently heard someone say “if I had met you in kindergarten, I would have wanted to hang my coat next to yours”. That is the energy I felt from these two gals. Several of us then migrated back to the common room and I had some lovely discussions with a man from Germany and more with the Korean moms.

I finally went up to the room and met my roommate. She was a young Korean gal who was staying two nights at the temple and this was her second night. She spoke some broken English, so we talked about where I had been and what I still wanted to see or do. She provided her thought on some places. It was a welcome and different perspective.

They begin to awake you at 4:40 am with the tinkling of the handbells in the courtyard. By 4:50, they are ramming the big bell with the log. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the morning chanting session, so I dressed and went to the worship area, but instead of going in and participating, I sat just outside where I could better hear and feel their chants without the physical exertion getting in the way. Most of the few who did get up for the predawn ceremony, went back to bed, but I found the hot water and instant coffee and got to enjoy walking the grounds alone – except for a quick passing of an occasional monk.

We then had breakfast and free time. I had another discussion with the German fellow and he said the hiking trails up above the temple were nice although there was some rock scrambling involved in places. The gals I had come with were leaving early as they were headed south to the town of Busan later that day, so I decided I could take a hike and then find the bus/train/subway home. I hiked up a while and it was beautiful. I thought I might have time to check out some of the peaks around me, but then I passed a post with emergency instructions and realized that I had broken most of the rules of hiking and I should likely head back. After all, I had failed to tell anyone where I was – the German guy could likely have guessed, but would he still be there if I didn’t return? I had no supplies beyond my mug of coffee that I brought along. And I was hiking alone in an area I was unfamiliar with. I guess maybe I had gotten a bit too used to venturing on my own. Still, no regrets.

I ran into my new pals and asked if they were taking the bus or subway home and she said that they drove. She went up to speak with the other gal and then offered me a ride to the subway station.

They actually drove me all the way into Seoul and dropped me off at the main palace stop.

On the drive, I learned that they have been friends since their kids were young. I loved that I connected with a new mom’s group. The one gal also admitted that I was the first foreigner that she had ever spoken with. I’m not sure what kind of standard that set for future encounters, but I gave her a hug goodbye when I left them.

I got one more pic of all of us since their one at night was harder to view.

It was a grand experience and I’m glad I went.

Amituofo

Sally