A weekend of Buddhism

Last weekend I had one of the best experiences of my time in Korea so far and one of the most captivating, thought-provoking, self-reflective weekends I have ever had. I took part in a Temple Stay and it was every bit as fascinating as it sounds and unparalleled to any other experience I've ever known.

I woke up nice and early on the Saturday morning to catch the Adventure Korea tour bus bound for Geumsansa Temple in Geumje located in the Jeollabuk-do providence in the southwestern part of Korea. Although unsure of what exactly was awaiting me, I felt excited and content knowing I had some quality alone time ahead of me beginning with the 3.5 hour journey down there.

On the way there we stopped at a rest stop (I swear every rest stop I've ever stopped at on this kind of journey in Korea looks identical! I always think I'm at the exact same one! It's all very confusing) and I had a lunch of, wait for it, ROAST POTATOES which were, albeit not quite as great as the mother's, very good indeed. I knew there and then it was going to be an excellent weekend.

As we got closer the weather took a turn for the worse with very heavy rainfall which unfortunately lasted the duration of the weekend. Of course it wasn't ideal and I spent most of the weekend feeling damp and cold but it definitely did not ruin the weekend. In fact, and I would never usually find myself saying this, it kind of added to the whole experience.

Upon arrival we were given welcome gifts, handed our monastic uniform and assigned rooms. Luckily I ended up sharing a room with four other fun, like minded girls who I ended up having a great weekend with.

Soon after our arrival we had an orientation meeting with the monk who spoke mostly in Korean with a tour guide/ translator to help relay the information to us. Next we made lotus lanterns which was a lot of fun. And after that we had our first meal which was bibimbap- the only meal the monks eat, three times a day, due to its health benefits and lack of meat. I wasn't complaining. It was delicious and is fast becoming one of my favourite Korean dishes now I've got my palate on par with Korea's love of spicy food.

After dinner we attended a Yebul ceremonial service (devotional chanting) followed by tea and question time  with tea and rice cakes with the monk before bed at 9pm ready for our early morning start the next day. 

The 3am wake up was killer. We got dressed as quickly as possible and trudged across in the dark for another Yebul service. It was so difficult to be awake and having to bow and chant at that time and I only had to do it the once. I honestly have no idea how these people do it every day! It wasn't all bad though because we did get to go back and have a little nap afterwards before meeting up again, still in the dark, for a meditation session (one of my favourite parts of the weekend) and a real monastic style breakfast (the kind of breakfast they would have had many years ago. It's much more modern these days.)

There was more rest/nap time available after breakfast which I took advantage of after a little wander with my camera around the grounds. Afterwards we met up once again and took a walk into the forest for another meditation session. This time in the forest surrounded by nature!! This one was a little strange and it much more difficult to concentrate in that setting but it was a good experience nonetheless. People are always extremely busy these days and as a result it's difficult, and often impossible, to ever stop and just be in the moment. It was nice to put the brakes on life for those few minutes and just be silent in the middle of nowhere surrounded by such beautiful nature. It was a very uplifting feeling. 

When we returned, we had tea and rice cakes with the monk before the biggie. What came next was, hands down, the most enthralling part of the weekend for me. We were given a pack of 108 Buddhist prayer beads and a string which we had to put together while doing the 108 Prostrations (if we could manage it.) And I did! But by heavens was it hard work! It's one of the hardest workouts I've ever done. For the last twenty or so I couldn't even feel my legs (and don't even get me started on how much pain I've been in this week just trying to walk and going up, and especially, down the stairs has been pure hell!) I was determined to do it until the end and there was not a chance I was going to give up until I completed what I set out to no matter how much it hurt or how much I wanted to stop. (My stubborn determination- one of my best AND worst traits.) But more there was so much more to it than the physical aspect. The spiritual and emotional aspects presented me with some of the most intense feelings I have ever felt in my life. And that time really did give me a lot to think about. For each bead we put onto the bracelet we had to say a prayer for something. (And let me just state something here, I am Christian. Was I in a Buddhist Temple taking part in a Buddhist act of worship? Yes. Was I praying to or idolising another god? No. I was praying to MY God. And as controversial as this might seem to some devout Christians, my own relationship with my God is my business. Nobody else. The building and the type of prayer was irrelevant because I was talking to Him and He was listening.) So like I said, for every bead we had to say a prayer for something. Most of my prayers were for the important people in my life and for people that I have known throughout my life, particularly those that have made an impact on my life, good and bad, whether we're in contact now or not. So as you can imagine it was a very emotional time and I was in quite the state when I finished. Physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted but feeling as though I was flying at the same time. It was a very special moment in my life and a memory I'll cherish forever along with my most prized possession; my Buddhist prayer bead bracelet. 

Before we set off on our journey back to Seoul we had our final meal of bibimbap. On the way back and during the days that have followed I've reflected on what that weekend has done for me. It really was one of those life-changing moments that came at exactly the right time in my life. It was a perfect conclusion to everything that I have been through lately. The confirmation that I am on the right track and the inspiration to keep going. One of the most successful soul searching moments to date and a very special weekend that will stay with me forever  ♥