main contents

KOREA

Temple Stay Defining Your Own Happiness

The Temple Stay program is one way of putting Buddha’s teachings into practice. It is at this very moment that we should strive to create happiness. If you get a chance to visit Korea, be sure to spend a night at a temple through the official Temple Stay program. The ringing of the temple bells at dawn will cleanse your soul and be a cherished memory for years to come.

Written by Jang Bo-bae,
former PR coordinator for the Temple Stay program

   Photos courtesy of Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism

Temple Stay participants enjoy a tea ceremony.

Temple Stay,
Journey to True Happiness

That which makes us happy can be simpler than you think. It can be a lazy afternoon nap, a hearty meal, a cool breeze, or the chirping birds in the woods. Recently, young people have picked up the trend of finding happiness in simple things. The growing rate of unemployment has left young people anxious about their lives. Despite the uncertainty of their future, they are trying to define their own happiness and pursue it, too. Interestingly, the philosophy behind the Temple Stay program struck a chord with what these people need: self-discovery and true happiness.

The Temple Stay program presents an opportunity to experience a different life style in a real Buddhist temple. The Temple Stay program began in 2002 when Korea hosted the FIFA World Cup together with Japan. The significance of the program was not only in the birth of a new themed tourist attraction, but also in the opening of temples for the first time in the 1,700-year history of Buddhism in Korea. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Korea’s largest Buddhist organization, decided to open up temples to the general public, which gave a great boost to the Temple Stay program. This helped promote a positive image of Korea, just as the government wanted to achieve during the World Cup.

Cultural and Spiritual Experience

At the time there were concerns over whether non-Korean visitors would enjoy staying in an unfamiliar religious center in a foreign country. However, for a period of about a month during the 2002 World Cup, the Temple Stay program attracted more than 1,000 non-Koreans and some 10,000 Korean tourists. The wide coverage of the Temple Stay program in major non-Korean news outlets, like CNN, The New York Times, the BBC and NHK, helped to raise awareness of Buddhism in Korea itself. Moreover, a 2009 OECD report titled “The Impact of Culture on Tourism” selected the Temple Stay program as one of Korea’s most successful tourism products.

The essence of a Temple Stay is its cultural and spiritual value. With a rich history of some 1,700 years, Buddhism in Korea generally teaches the Mahayana tradition and practices Hwadu meditation. The widespread influence of Buddhism is evident across Korea’s many national treasures and cultural properties. The immense success of the Temple Stay program over the past 16 years can be traced to the Buddhist spirit of compassion and co-existence.

Songgwangsa Temple. Participants in this Temple Stay program talk about their experience.

When we talk about the Temple Stay program, many people conjure up an image of a grave-looking monk meditating in search of enlightenment. Of course, that can be part of the experience for those interested in meditation. However, the temple stay program consists of more activities than you can imagine. It has been popular among all groups of people for more than a decade because it presents an array of various activities, and at the same time, offers rest and relaxation.

Samhwasa Temple. You can hear your thoughts more clearly while walking along the shore.

Don’t Delay Your Happiness

Some time ago, the coordinator of a Temple Stay program said to me, “If there are participants who seem tired, we just let them rest. We give them their meals and send them to bed. We don’t force them to do anything. After all, the purpose of the program is to restore their energy for daily life.”

Because of this aspect, the Temple Stay program has already gained a reputation as a tourist experience that heals your body and soul.

At temples, you can take a walk in the forest, drink some tea with the monks, spend some time meditating, or explore the well-preserved artifacts. You can also go bird watching, or dip your feet in a cool stream and splash about like a child. If you’re interested in vegetarian cuisine, you can head to the kitchen to learn some traditional recipes handed down from monk to monk. The activities are simple and modest, which allows you to focus and listen to your inner self.

A participant rings a big bell. © Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism
Participants walk through lotus leaves. © Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism

As you have conversations with the monks around you, you will catch glimpses of their wisdom and philosophy. Are you hesitant to share your life story with a stranger? You will be surprised at how much you can share and learn over a warm cup of tea.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today to love.” Buddha’s message was simple. Perhaps the Temple Stay program is meant for us to put those words into practice. It is at this very moment that we should strive to create happiness.

If you get a chance to visit Korea, be sure to spend the night at a temple through the Temple Stay program. The ringing of the temple bells at dawn will cleanse your soul and be a cherished memory for years to come.

Woljeongsa Temple. A Temple Stay participant meditates.
List →
Other Articles
Application of subscription
Sign up
Readers’ Comments
Go
The event winners
Go
list top