A Soul-Soothing Temple Stay at Yongmunsa, Yangpyeong
My temple stay at Yongmunsa, revisited after a month, was even better than before.
The simple yet precious temple food remained exquisite, and the tranquil ambiance of Yongmunsa, nestled in the mountains, eased my mind.
On the first day, the on-and-off rain prevented a campfire, but instead, we had a longer tea time with the monk. The words I heard while sipping warm tea lingered in my heart, making this temple stay even more special.
Anticipating what the second day would bring, I calmly record the day.
I greeted the second morning with clear and refreshing air. The rain that had fallen all night had stopped, and the silence of the mountain temple deepened in the clear air.
At four in the morning, after the dawn service and 108 bows, my body and mind seemed to awaken together. Before the morning meal, I slowly walked around the Yongmunsa temple grounds.
Drawn by the sound of the wooden percussion coming from the main hall, I went inside, quietly took a seat, and meditated briefly while listening to the monk's chanting.
That early morning moment on the second day was perfect as it was, with nothing more to wish for. Of course, the 108 bows at dawn were a bit challenging, but that was because of waking up so early, not because the service or the bows themselves were difficult.
Rather, the process was a valuable experience that cleared my mind and emptied it out. They said it had rained all night, and it seemed like quite a lot had poured down.
Crossing the small bridge from the temple stay training center to the buildings, I suddenly stopped. Just the day before, it was almost a dry valley, and a month ago, there wasn't even a waterway, but now, streams of water were flowing down the steep slope.
The sound of water flowing between the stone steps awakened the morning of the mountain temple even more clearly.
The last meal at Yongmunsa, the morning meal. The simple but neat taste remained unchanged.
The day before, I casually mentioned to my companions that I hoped there would be cabbage soybean paste soup, and as if that wish had reached them, cabbage soybean paste soup came out for the morning meal.
When it comes to temple food, wild greens and soybean paste soup are the first things that come to mind. Perhaps that's why those words came out unconsciously.
There was also braised tofu with red seasoning, which was a bit spicy for temple food, but it stimulated my appetite. Yongmunsa's tofu always tastes delicious.
Even if it's temple food, I think the monks would welcome delicious braised tofu like this.
After finishing the morning meal, I stood in front of the three-story stone pagoda with a clear mind in the early morning hours when I would normally be asleep, to digest my food.
And with my hands clasped together, I walked around it three times clockwise. The monk told me that it was a way to accumulate great merit.
The pagoda in a temple contains the Buddha's relics or artifacts, and it symbolizes the Buddha himself. The act of walking around the pagoda to the right originated from the ancient Indian 'Yojap (繞塔),' and it contains the meaning of practice and respect.
Tapdori (walking around the pagoda) may seem like a simple folk ritual on the surface, but in reality, it is a religious practice of paying homage to the Buddha, praying for one's wishes, and accumulating merit.
After finishing the morning meal and Tapdori and returning to my room, I guess waking up at four in the morning was too much. On top of that, after eating a hearty meal, my eyelids quickly closed as soon as I entered the room.
Just in case, I set an alarm for 20 minutes before the start of the next program and fell asleep.
It seemed like I wouldn't be able to do Ulliok (work service) this time either, and as expected. The last program of the temple stay was making a Danju (short Buddhist prayer beads) and writing wishes on ginkgo leaves.
I headed to Hyuwoldang for this.
The day before, it rained on and off all day, but the sky was gradually opening up with only clouds hanging around. First, I started making the Danju.
The number of beads in a Danju is mainly 7, 12, 21, 27, or 36, but for wrist use, a configuration of 21 or 27 beads is most common. But the beads I received from the monk were 25.
21 is said to be a traditional number symbolizing the 21 stages of a Bodhisattva's practice. Surprisingly, exactly 21 beads fit on my wrist, which was a small coincidence that felt meaningful.
Many people think that Juzu (long Buddhist prayer beads) and Danju are the same thing, but in fact, there is a difference in the number of beads and their usage. Danju can be said to be a kind of 'abbreviated Juzu'.
Juzu consists of 108 beads and is worn around the neck, mainly used as a tool for original practice such as reciting mantras and sutras. On the other hand, Danju is a short form with 21 or 27 beads and is worn on the wrist and used in daily life.
The form is different, but both are the same in that they are tools that empty out worries and help to concentrate the mind.
Maybe that's why, as I strung each small bead, my mind also seemed to calm down.
Take a picture with the completed Danju on your wrist.
The monk told me to string the beads to fit my wrist, but my companion, whose wrist was thinner than mine, completed the Danju with 19 beads.
The ginkgo leaf wish seemed to contain wishes like a Buddhist prayer.
Health wish.
Wish fulfillment.
All the best.
Simple words, but with all my heart.
And I wrote down the names of myself and all my family members. Perhaps this wish is my personal wish, but at the same time, it is the wish of my entire family.
I have left several stories about the Yongmunsa Ginkgo Tree, but I will leave them again. The legend of the Yongmunsa Ginkgo Tree, which has been around for a thousand years.
There are two legends about the ginkgo tree. One is that Prince Maeui, the last prince of Silla, planted it on his way to Mount Kumgang with the sorrow of losing his country, and the other is that the ginkgo tree became a ginkgo tree when Uisang Daesa planted his staff.
For over a thousand years, this tree has stood its ground despite numerous wars. According to legend, the moment someone tried to cut it with a saw, blood poured out and thunder struck.
During the reign of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty, he was given the rank of Jeong 3rd grade, and when the Japanese army burned the temple, only this ginkgo tree survived. It is said that it made strange noises whenever there was a major crisis in the country, and that a large branch broke when King Gojong passed away.
It is also said that it made strange noises during the 8.15 Liberation, the Korean War, the 4.19 Revolution, and the 5.16 Military Revolution.
I headed to the ginkgo tree to hang the ginkgo leaf wish. This is my second wish.
First, I tried to find my first wish that I had hung a month ago.
If I hadn't taken a picture to know the location just in case, I probably wouldn't have found it as expected.
"May the shining me of today shine tomorrow as well."
Looking back, it's quite an emotional wish. I guess that's how my heart and mood were flowing at that time.
The last time I had watermelon and coffee together in the lawn was small and enjoyable.
It's a trap that the watermelon seems to be very sweet, but it tasted like water.
The tea time on the lawn was the last event, and all the schedules for the temple stay were completed.
On the first day, there was a bell-striking experience, evening worship, and tea time with the monk.
The campfire was canceled due to the fickle weather, but instead, the tea time was extended, and the monk's words stayed in my heart for a long time.
The second day started with dawn worship and 108 bows and continued with making Danju and writing wishes on ginkgo leaves.
I couldn't participate in Ulliok or Pohang because I was sleeping, but the schedule was filled with other experiences.
Finally, I organized the room and prepared to check out. The lunch offering at the closing ceremony was optional, but we decided to skip the temple food and go down the mountain to enjoy lunch with Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) at a restaurant at the entrance of Yongmunsan Mountain to finish our journey.
After finishing the temple stay and checking out, I looked around the Yongmunsa temple again, starting with the main hall, Jizang Hall, and Guanyin Hall.
There are two Yaksa Yeorae seated statues outdoors in Yongmunsa.
One is a fairly large stone Yaksa Yeorae seated statue, and the other is a bronze Yaksa Yeorae seated statue enshrined in Geumhyangwon, a pavilion-style open on all sides.
Yaksa Yeorae Buddha is considered a symbol of healing the diseases of sentient beings, saving them from disasters, and wishing for health and longevity.
In particular, you can offer a Gaekeum offering at Geumhyangwon. It is a form of Gaekeumbulsa (gilding Buddha statue) in which Buddhists participate directly, like a roof tile Buddhist service.
The stone Yaksa Yeorae seated statue is located outdoors between the main hall and Jizang Hall. Standing in front of the large Buddha statue sitting in the sun and wind, my mind naturally calms down.
In one corner of the Yongmunsa temple, there is a Buddhist supplies store, Simhyangwon. In addition to various Buddhist supplies that can be purchased as souvenirs, rice, candles, and incense for donations are also available.
Next to Simhyangwon, there is also a space where you can raise a roof tile Buddhist service.
We each purchased rice for donation. This rice is offered to the Buddha as an offering, and then offered together by temple stay participants, believers, and monks.
I picked out Nunginhyang, the signature incense of Nunginhyangdang. It is a natural incense made by legalizing only pure raw incense, with Indian sandalwood as the main incense.
The burning time is about 45 minutes, and it is said to have excellent deodorizing effect and fine dust adsorption ability.
There was also agarwood, but the price was not cheap. Agarwood is the best offering to the Buddha and is said to be incense, which is one of the 6 offerings.
I only brought in Nunginhyang because it was for my personal use, not for offering. And I bought a Danju ring.
When I get angry, frustrated, or anxious in daily life, I thought I would be able to calm my mind and body by turning the beads one by one.
Somehow, I think I'll need more of it if I put it on my desk at work.
When I counted the beads on the Danju ring, there were seven beads. The seven beads of the Danju symbolize the seven Buddhas and the seven enlightenment factors, and it means the basics of practice, so it is a small meaning added.
I offered the rice for donation to the Sakyamuni Buddha in the main hall. It was a small donation, but I wrote down my prayer and date of birth and offered it.
As I wrote it, the wishes in my heart continued for a long time. When I arrived at Yongmunsa the day before, I headed straight to the training center, so I couldn't pass through the Four Heavenly Kings Gate.
So, I finally passed through the Four Heavenly Kings Gate when I checked out. The Four Heavenly Kings Gate is said to ward off evil spirits of the secular world, so it is built at the entrance of most temples.
It means that you must pass through this gate when entering the temple, but we only stepped on that path when we checked out.
Perhaps I brought in the evil spirits of the secular world and brought them out again. In front of the Four Heavenly Kings were small offerings such as coins, candies, and cookies.
We also took out the snacks and caramels we brought from the temple stay and offered them to each of the Heavenly Kings. Actually, they were things I had prepared to eat as snacks, but it was an unexpected use because I could donate them like this.
The Four Heavenly Kings are the gods who protect and guard the four directions of the east, west, south, and north. The Eastern King of the Country holds a sword, the Western King of Wide Eyes holds a trident and a stupa, the Southern King of Growth holds a dragon and a wishing jewel, and the Northern King of Many Listenings holds a pipa.
According to legend, the Four Heavenly Kings were originally evil spirits who converted to Buddhism and became guardians. That's why their faces are described as dignified and fierce.
In the end, because they have to drive away evil spirits, they have no choice but to first show dignity to those who see them.
No comments yet.
