When I was told that I might be participating in a temple stay during my study abroad—weather permitting—I was not certain what to expect. During my travels in East Asia, I have been able to see many a Buddhist temple, but I never expected that I would get to sleep at one for the night.
A few weeks after starting the program, the 장마 (jangma), or rainy season, had just begun and I was uncertain if the temple stay would be cancelled or not. Luckily, we were blessed with good, if humid, weather, and the trip went ahead as planned. After about an hour’s drive from Cheongju, we arrived at Janggunsan Mountain where영평사 (Yeongpyeongsa temple) is located. Nestled among trees and flowers, this cozy little area feels perfect for a Buddhist temple—quiet, secluded, and tranquil.
We arrived in the the early afternoon where we were greeted warmly and offered a change of clothes that we were to wear during our activities. After finding our rooms and changing, we were given a short tour of the temple grounds and an explanation of what we were seeing. We were fortunate that the resident director in our program could translate for us, as all of us students combined only knew a handful of words related to Buddhism. Inside the main temple hall, we learned about the different Buddha statues housed there and their meanings, including Amitabha, the central figure of the complex. The history and symbolism were rich and complex, and I found that my background as an Asian Studies Major helped me piece together what was being explained, even though I did not understand every word. We were also taught how to bow properly, paying close attention to the precise placement of the hands and feet, as well as the proper length of time to hold the bow.
Before dinner, we had the unique privilege of meeting with the head monk of this complex and having lotus tea with him. He taught us two principles of Buddhism, explaining how complex and delicate the religion is, which helped the students understand why it takes so long to learn. He spoke of a belief in Korean culture, known as 인연 (Inyeon), which loosely translates to fate or providence, and described how people are tied together not only in this lifetime, but across multiple lifetimes. He told us that our gathering together was not a coincidence, and that it was not the first time that we had met. He spoke to us warmly, almost as though we were old friends meeting again after a long time apart. This was a truly remarkable experience that I will not forget.
After dinner, which we ate in the temple’s cafeteria, we were able to participate in an hour-long meditation. The meditation was calm, peaceful, and relaxing. We were given a script to follow and were able to participate in chanting at one point. Afterward, we were able to head towards bed with lanterns lighting our path and stars twinkling delightfully in the sky. The sound of cicadas buzzing in the background as we shared our experiences with each other is something that comes easily to mind when I think back on this experience.
Although we had no bed to sleep on, the futon was comfortable enough and the meditation helped me fall asleep quickly. At 영평사 you are able to participate in something rather extraordinary: an early morning meditation which most of our group chose to attend. We had to wake up before 4 a.m., but it was well worth the slight exhaustion that bled into the rest of the day. The meditation began before sunrise, with the temple windows open so we could look out into the courtyard. As it progressed, dawn slowly began to break over the mountains, casting everything into a golden light. If I ever had the chance to experience this again, I would. After the meditation, we had breakfast at 6 a.m. and with plenty of time on our hands decided to hike up a nearby mountain, which gave us a beautiful view overlooking the temple complex.
As I reflect on this experience, I have come to appreciate this not just as an activity that was arranged for this study abroad, but as an experience that has helped me to deepen my understanding of Buddhism and one that will surely leave a lasting impression. This was an experience that I am truly grateful I was able to have and one that I would highly encourage others to try if they ever have the chance.
