â—† What is temple stay??
A temple stay offers anyone the opportunity to experience the life of a monk firsthand.
A visitor to a temple stay can participate in the daily activities of an actual monk. One can join in such activities as Buddhist services, Buddha food offering ceremonies, meditation, lotus lantern making, and tea ceremonies.
Temple Stay Program: 1 night and 2 days
Prepared for you:Upon your arrival at the temple, you will be given monks’ clothing to wear (this clothing is typically gray). You can wear this clothing to your welcoming banquet. For those foreigners who need language assistance, English translators are available.
Arriving Meal
This meal will last approximately 30 minutes and will take place at the Buddhist Assembly hall.
Buddhist Temple education and etiquette
You will be lectured on several topics, including how to sit with the appropriate posture, etiquette at meals, methods of tea drinking, and the rules observed during a Buddhist service.
Barugongyang (발우공양, usually eaten by monks ; four bowl meal)
Only vegetarian meals are served here. There shouldn’t be any food left in your dish, after finishing your meal you should wash the dishes that you have used. It is best not to make many sounds while eating and try not to talk too much.
Evening service
Every evening around 6 p.m. a large drum is struck to alert everyone of mealtime. This drum, known as beopgo, is located at Jonggak Pavilion. As people gather around Jonggak Pavilion, the drum is struck for approximately 10 minutes and then everyone heads for Daejeok-gwangjeon (area containing Buddhist scriptures that dates back to the year 802, rebuilt in 1817). The evening service is held here. Interesting fact: This structure was built with the concept of Yin and Yang in mind. Moreover, in Buddhist beliefs one cannot destroy animals, so this structure was built with painstaking care purposely trying not to destroy the natural surroundings.
108 bows
When you go into the educational area you should bow 108 times along with the monks. Buddhists believe that mankind experiences 108 periods of anguish in their lifetime. One must bow 108 times to be freed of such anguish.
Conversation with monks
You can have many interesting conversations with the monks at the temple over a cup of tea.
Early morning service and meditation
Up at 3 a.m. in the morning and then it’s off to the early morning service. It begins with listening to the large drum for about 10 minutes at Jonggak followed by a 30 minute service held at Daejeok-gwangjeon. Once the service has finished, one-hour of Zen Meditation will take place in the Buddhist Assembly Hall.
Morning stroll
Enjoy a morning walk with the monks before going to the temple, then enter Janggyeonggak and take a look the Tripitaka Koreana.
if you would like to participate in the temple stay program, please
visit the following homepage.
www.samkwangsa.or.kr
www.beomeosa.org
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