Established for foreign tourists during the 2002 World Cup, Korea's Temple Stay Program was so popular, attracting more than 1000 guests, it has become a permanent fixture.
"The temples provide a spiritual haven from the turmoil of city life with natural and serene surroundings," said the Korean National Tourism Organisation's website. "With the singing of the birds and the clicking pattering of the wood blocks from early in the morning, visitors can achieve harmony through Zen meditation and silent asceticism."
As the bus neared "our" temple, someone passed around a magazine article which recounted a temple stay in less than glowing terms. Cockroaches and chores involving scrubbing brushes and toilets featured prominently. We were undeterred, sure that our experience would be far different — and it was.
Arriving in the early evening, we were given a brief introduction of what to expect during our stay and shown our quarters — four to a room — and the spotless communal bathrooms (no doors, but no cockroaches either). Soon we were dressed in green and gold loose pyjama-style temple "uniforms" and ready to eat. No long halls full of chanting monks, as I had imagined, but a smallish dining room empty except for our group.
A dharma (Buddhist nun teacher) was assigned to look after our group and soon the ground rules were laid down.
The first Buddhist rule of eating is not to take more than you can eat; you must leave a clean bowl when you have finished. Easily done, except when those green "beans" turn out to be red-hot chillies. Water was hastily passed as eyes watered and we gasped and choked.
After the meal, we gathered in the bell tower near the temple for a "sound experience" of four instruments — the dharma drum, the wooden fish, the cloud-shaped gong and the large Brahma bell. At the end, we took turns helping sound the bell 33 times, slowly swinging a massive suspended striker against it in an almost hypnotic rhythm.
Evening prayers at the temple are a fitness test. Only one of our group — the youngest and most determined — was able to complete the 108 bae (bows), some of which are close to prostration, undertaken apace. The ceremony is designed to renounce the 108 worldly desires.
Lights out at 9pm, but sleep was elusive. The floor on which we slept was softened only by a thin mat. Unable to get comfortable, I dozed fitfully until the wake-up knock at 3am.
Morning prayers are optional, but I was determined to experience it all. The morning routine is identical to the evening one. I didn't last the full ceremony, opting for another hour in "bed" before it was time to greet the sun at around 5am. It was spectacular, rising above the East Sea in a blaze of red and gold.
Breakfast — part of a discipline that "makes not the body fat, but the mind beautiful" — was another test. For monks, eating is for survival only and a strict regime is followed in the 90-minute ritual of a four-bowl Buddhist breakfast.
We sat cross-legged on the floor, men and women facing each other across the room in order of age. Washing your hands well is the first priority because at the end of the meal they will be used to wash the bowls with water and a large slice of radish, which you will then eat and drink.
After meditation, there was an interesting introduction to the Buddhist tea ceremony and time to explore the lovely grounds of the temple.
Koreans have been meditating for at least 16 centuries since the arrival of Buddhism. It takes five years to become a fully ordained Buddhist monk or nun. So it might happen, but it won't happen overnight.
Details:
There are 43 temples in the Korean Temple Stay program, six of them open to individuals and the others for group bookings. The basic program is for 24 hours (including an overnight stay) but can be simplified to a half-day program (3.5 hours) or extended to three and four-day experiences. The cost is about 30,000 won ($37) for two days and about 60,000 won ($75) for three days, including meals.
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