Buddhist Temple Stay

My true and sincere aim has been to update my blog weekly with the many experiences I have had over the past two months (three Mt. Halla hikes, the Rapeseed flower and Cherry Blossom festival, my third visit to Udo island, Buddha’s Birthday festivities, and my trek to Hamdeok beach and back via bicycle over a distance spanning just under 40kms round trip [certainly my greatest athletic accomplishment since winning 3rd place for Shot Put during Track and Field Day in 8th grade]). But the intention of continuous and consistent blog posts has come short of being even close to realized, as a result of many things keeping me busy on a daily basis, in addition to the high temperatures and beautiful weather we have been having here in Jeju which have regularly planted me beachside far away from an Internet connection or a computer (its the middle of May here, and I already have a pretty nice tan going). Tonight however, as I near the 24 hour mark of fighting sleep, I feel that I must update you on the events of the past weekend, because if I fail to do it now, knowing my track record, I may never “enlighten” you to this interesting experience (no pun intended).

Back in August (yes, almost 9 months ago exactly) I resolved to do 3 things while in Korea: 1) Learn to Speak Korean, 2) get into shape and 3) learn about Buddhism. I have been working on the first two tasks with sincereeffort (but varying degrees of success) since that time, however up until this weekend, my education in Buddhism was limited to books I flipped through and brief and broken conversations with lay Korean Buddhists. Nonetheless, this weekend was an exception when me and several other friends and acquaintances settled in at Yakcheonsa Temple in Seogwipo, for a 2 day, 1 night Buddhist temple Stay.

Yakcheonsa Temple is a part of the Jogye order of Korean Buddhism. Korean Buddhism or Tongbulgyo Buddhism has a distinct philosophy which upon its inception in Korea, sought to mediate the perceived internal inconsistencies of the Chinese Mahayana Buddhist tradition (which it is most closely related to), that shifted across the borders of China around 372 A.D.

These variations are less pronounced however, than the specific philosophical differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism (the two predominant traditions throughout the world) which are divided more or less geographically between East and West Asia respectively. Mahayana Buddhism is distinct from Theravada Buddhism on several tenets but most essentially is perhaps a less esoteric Buddhism than the older and more conservative Theravada tradition (i.e. Mahayana is more inclusive as it asserts that the bodhisattva path is open to all people, not just those preserving and and strictly adhering to the original doctrine [i.e. Monks and nuns] and provides a specific path for striving bodhisattvas to pursue). A bodhisattva is an individual aspiring to achieve enlightenment and is considered a “future Buddha” as the term Buddha istelf actually means “enlightened one”.

Siddhartha Guatama, or original Buddha started out as a bodhisattva himself, and is not in fact a God whom we worship (though from the outside it may appear that way as it is his likeness that we see in the largest Buddha statues of Buddha halls and Shrines.These are used much like chants and mantras to help clear the mind and maintain focus during veneration and meditaion rather than for divine worship). Guatama Buddha was rather a living, breathing man who through his own reflections and experiences provided us with his Dharma path or the “Middle Way” to awakening or enlightenment (a path of moderation which avoids the extremes of self-indulgence and self- mortification).

 In early Buddhism, becoming enlightened or achieving “bodhi” carried a meaning synonymous with nirvana (the state of mind in which one is free from craving, anger and other afflictive states) though today, the two traditions of Buddhism disagree about the synonymity of these terms and other religious aspects of enlightenment such as a Godly awakening to the origin and functioning of the Universe. In fact from the small amount of historical information we actually have about Siddhartha Guatama, he never made any personal claims to some privileged esoteric  knowledge about God or the Universe at all. When describing his awakening to the 5 ascetics who became his disciples, he spoke simply of having a freedom of heart and mind from the compulsions of craving, calling this freedom the taste of Dharma. What Buddhism has become today in terms of a major world religion, is all a fact of scriptural interpretation.

Buddha’s Dharma is what we now consider a set of teachings or four enobling truths to be acted upon; those of anguish, its origins, its cessation, and the path leading to its cessation. He said that anguish was to be understood, its origins to be let go of (its origins being craving for something other than what is), its cessation realized and a path to be cultivated. These truths were not set out as 4 propositions to be believed (though they are often laid out that way), nor are they a series of linear steps to be progressed through in order to achieve awakening. Instead, they are a complex group of interwoven phases which must be acted upon in their own particular way, but together are a single continuum of action (i.e.one does not exist without the other). According Guatama Buddha, only through knowing these truths could a person truly become awakened.

This is where the aspect of meditation comes in…. clearing ones mind and being with ones self and all of the mundane realities we are usually distracted from observing while indulging in daydreams, fantasies, and thoughts about the past or the future, is said to be the key to living an awakened life. By spending time in meditation it becomes evident that most often we are fleeing the present (try to sit for even 5 minutes with the intention of thinking about nothing but what is presently around you). This avoidance of the present is actually a reluctance to face change and the difficulties that are part and parcel of it.  These difficulties can be translated into “anguish”… and this is where the Dharma path comes into play.

Whether enlightenment means seeing the world and living in it with a new set of eyes by letting go of craving, or it actually is an insight to God and the interworkings of the Universe, are things I do not currently know and can’t be sure I ever will know.  However, I went into my temple stay experience with an open mind knowing that the people that devote their life to this path in a religious way (with all the rigors involved in attaining their desired end), will probably be leaning toward the latter.

While I must admit the clergy was quite forgiving in terms of our own etiquette and behaviour on the temple grounds, no matter how appealing a life free of anguish may sound, the boddhisatva life is perhaps less than enviable. Out of the 24 hours we spent at Yakcheonsa temple, at least 10 were meant to be spent in silence, 4 were spent in veneration and though 6 were set aside for sleep, it was more like only 4 were actually realized… and this was only how we as visitors spent our time there.

We arrived on the temple grounds at 2pm on Saturday, and after checking in we were immediately taken to our communal room to change into more conservative temple clothes which consisted of simple Korean working clothes called Garot. Temple etiquette dictates that one not wear bright colors, excessive accessories, heavy make up, or revealing clothing. While Garot is certainly loose and comfortable, it is a far cry from being conducive to the temperatures during the summer months on a subtropical island, and again this is what we as lay Buddhists had to wear during our visit, while men who have achieved monkhood spend their days in layers of cotton robes. We were then taken into the Buddha hall where we received a short welcoming speech and a lecture on how to sit, bow and what posture to take to meditate. We were also shown by some willing (and unwilling) participants, how a monk is reminded of their goal if they begin to doze off during what are sometimes 13 hour long meditation sessions (it involves a long, flat bamboo stick and the shoulder area of ones back). We were then taken on a tour of the temple grounds. We were shown the temple and its shrines, an underground meditation cave and an ancillary building showcasing 500 of Siddhartha Guatama’s followers who too reached Buddhahood.

After our tour, we were taken to a meeting hall where we were given the opportunity to participate in the monastic eating practice of Balwoogongyang. Balwoogongyang refers to Korean Buddhist dinning etiquette where “Balwoo” refers to a bowl appropriate for the proper amount of food, and “Gongyang” simply means eating temple food. Balwoogongyang is not only a way of consuming food, but also part of Buddhist discipline. Through this practice, people share food and elevate their community’s unity by reconciling equality (all monks eat the same food at the same time in complete silence).  Additionally not even a single grain of rice is wasted in order to be mindful of the overindulgence afforded to some areas of the world, while hunger and starvation are what is prevalent in others (food is also considered necessary for the sustenance of life and not for physical satisfaction amongst the Buddhist clergy). Silence is commanded to the extent of refraining from making noise with ones bowls in order to remain focused on a clear mind and to maintain a practice of mindful eating. Our meal, (of course vegetarian to remain aligned with the Buddhist precept of “non-violence”) consisted of cabbage soup, rice, kimchi, bean sprouts, seaweed and two styles of pickled radish. Soup and rice were served from large communal pots, and the side-dishes were offered on a large platter to be shared equally with the four individuals neighbouring most closely to you. A stringent and timed, step by step process was dictated by the crack of a bamboo stick as the whole process was to be enacted in silence. To view an outline of the practice similar to the one we participated in see: http://koreaitour.com/koreaitour/english/experience_duringthemeal.htm

After dinner we reconvened in the Buddha Hall for the Evening service called “Yebul” in Korean. This practice takes place at the temple 3 times a day and is enacted in order pay homage the Triple Gem or “Tiratana”. The Tiratana refers to the Buddha (the enlightened one), the Dharma (the path) and the Sangha (the followers). Through this service, one commemorates the Buddha, remembers the lives of the many people who have followed Buddhism and makes a vow to follow their footsteps and to follow Buddhism with sincerity. The Yebul thus consists of the “Yae- bul-mun” chant and a series of bows used to bring about clarity of mind. We then seated ourselves in front of the Buddha shrine and spent some time attempting Seon (Zen) Meditation. Doing Seon meditation is to empty all thinking activity and bring oneself to the here and now and ones original nature (a task I can not say I was very successful at.. I spent most of my time thinking about how to stop myself from thinking). I’m not sure how much time actually passed, but despite my lack of mind clearing abilities, the crack of the bamboo stick shocked me out of my calm and relaxed state and back into the reality of the outside world. I think a peaceful feeling remained with all of us for a little while, and after the head monks closing remarks, we were all in awe of the beauty of the lanterns lit up outdoors, as we turned around and it was suddenly night.

The next two hours before we headed to bed were spent in free time, a question and answer period with the monks and a very summer-camp-like activity where we learned how to paint the likeness of the Buddha with water color paint. I am not certain of the significance behind this activity, however depictions of the Buddha are after all reminders to stay focused, and perhaps the activity of painting his likeness is an activity to help bring about that kind of clarity.

Bedtime was at 10pm and we were separated into 3 gender segregated rooms (there was a much higher ratio of girls than guys), and attempted to fall sleep as quickly as possible on blankets placed over the overheated hardwood floor. It felt like I had just fallen asleep when we were awoken to the clanging of the traditional wooden Buddhist instruments (called MokTak) and the accompanying Buddha venerating chant being hummed in unison by the even earlier rising monks. It was 4am, and time to dress for the morning service.

Morning service was much like the evening service aside from the 108 prostrations or bows we performed upon its conclusion. At about 5:30 in the morning, this activity left us all exhausted and in a sweat because each prostration is conducted by half bowing with hands positioned heart-center, kneeling on to a cushion on the floor, bowing fully forward with forearms and head on the ground, resuming heart-center position and lifting oneself to standing using only our legs… all 108 performed within a matter of less than 10 minutes… and all enacted with the intention of remaining focused. Needless to say my legs were quite sore the next day, leaving me wondering how an aspiring monk can complete 3000 of these before becoming a member of the clergy. Again we bowed to the Buddha statue as we departed the Buddha hall (as is proper etiquette when entering and leaving) and another beautiful surprise was before us as we turned around, the Sun was up and it was day.

Breakfast was next and consisted of much the same elements as the dinner the night before. My hunger was the only thing that enabled me to finish the mundane meal before me, and being the unawakened individual I am, I began to pitty the monks for their inability to enjoy such worldly pleasures as delicious food.

After breakfast we had another Q&A session withthe head monk who provided us with some basic concepts about Buddhism, and life as part of the clergy. Surprisingly a monk of the Jogye order enjoys relative freedom with holidays of as long as 2 months a year. The particular monk we were speaking with had the opportunity to travel to something like 60 different countries – bill footed by the Temple. Though this aspect of monastic life sounds rather exciting, much of his travels were dedicated to religious training and meditation retreats in which he would spend the majority of the day aside from sleep in deep meditation and self reflection.

At 9:00 we participated in a traditional tea ceremony or “Dado”. This was another opportunity for self reflection, and even with something as simple as a cup of tea every detail was attended to from the water temperature, to the way the cups were first rinsed and warmed, to the aroma of the dried tea leaves as they were placed into the teapot with a small amount of water, the amount of time the tea was brewed, its color, to exactly how the teapot was held, the tea served and then mutually enjoyed. Making and drinking tea is in line with the Buddha’s original doctrine as the posture taken while drinking tea closely resembles Seon meditation posture. Participating in a tea ceremony is supposed to provide yet another opportunity to practice Seon while having the pleasure of enjoying the tea itself. To see the step by step process, see: http://www.tongdosa.or.kr/english/templestay/program.asp and scroll to the bottom of the page.

After this we participated in a walking meditation ceremony in which we were each given a MokTak (a traditional instrument made of wood) which we too clanged in unison, and to which we chanted a Buddha veneration. Though this activity was supposed to be yet another method to clear the mind, it was slightly more comical than peaceful as most of us were in a Zombie like state, unsure of exactly what we were chanting (it was obviously all in Korean) and the loud repetitive sounds were doing more to strum a nerve, causing a bit of a headache for me, than to provide an opportunity for concentration. Nonetheless, it was an experience unto itself, and just another glimpse into the rituals and activities which the monks participate in on a daily basis.

After this event, the experience at the temple stay began to wind down in terms of spiritual and ritualistic eduction. We took some free time to explore the temple grounds, took a small nap, cleaned the rooms in which we slept, ate lunch (which again mirrored the contents of the previous two meals and was thus something I completely avoided this time) and then entered the Buddha hall one last time for the closing ceremony. The monks thanked us for our diligent participation as we did likewise for their time spent with us. We took some “commemorative photos” as a group (and as I believe Robyn pointed out, none of us would be surprised if we end up on next years temple stay program Brochures) said goodbye to the monks, and were on our way back home ready to appreciate living in the moment… specifically those moments right before sleep nestled comfortably on our own beds.

Though the experience did not leave me feeling particularly more spiritual on account of the large number of people and the inevitable dynamic that a first time encounter with something foreign and unknown creates, it was certainly an experience I am so thankful to have had and to have learned from. If nothing else it has inspired me to learn more about Buddhism as both a religion and a philosphy, and to perhaps reflect on my own views of religiosity, spirtuality and what awkening actually means. Thus far, I must say that as a world religion Buddhism seems to be the one I would be willing to align myself most closely with. However, having said that, it is the original philosophy which impresses me and not necessarily the ideologies and belief systems that have have become associated with it. This is where alignement with one religion or another becomes tricky, thus I intend to move forward from this experience not as a self proclaimed Buddhist, but rather an individual with a great amount of interest in Buddhism, while remaining weary of delving blindly into any form of ritualism or faith.

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