Temple Stay: More Than a Casual Tour

Korean Buddhist temples remind me of my grandmother. I used to follow her to the temple.

Remembering that experience is very comforting, but at the time, it wasn't a very pleasant place for a 7-year-old girl.

Early morning temperatures were cold even in the summer, and the sounds of loud drums and bells recklessly battered my ears. Sitting straight up was a big task. Endless bowing to a some gold-gilded, plump statue with no smile on his face didn’t mean anything to me.  

Eating out of dull-looking bowls was no fun. In the afternoon, 108 prostrations took places if my grandmother was in a bad mood.

When my family conversed from Buddhism to Catholicism, the Buddhist temple had become a historical, cultural and religious heritage. I have forgotten its value to our life.

A few years ago, I heard of the "temple stay," a retreat program where participants stay overnight at a Korean Buddhist temple.

The purpose of temple stay evolved from simple sightseeing tourism into an educational experience which allows foreigners to participate in 5,000 years of Korean historical background. However, local residents have also found the value of the program.  The programs offer both winter and summer sessions, which Koreans also use for team-building, family gatherings and education.    

The nearest temple stay program to Sacramento is at the Sambosa temple in Carmel.

This could be a worth a try–a unique opportunity to experience something that you might know a little, know nothing at all, or that you never get a chance to do. 

 I would love to have such experience and find ...  

• Gathering early in the morning and letting a cold breeze clear the stray thoughts from my mind.  (early morning ceremony)
• Putting hands together and bowing to show respect to each other and to prepare for the world of meditation.  (Seon – Zen meditation)
• The loud sound of drums and bells–the sign of redemption of living things and something to mark the start and end of each day.  (Beom Jong, Beop Go – drumming, belling)
• Dull-looking bowls, which hold the meaning of a greater appreciation of nature. (Barugongyang – Buddhist monastic meal with four bowls)
• A cup of tea could get me to find tranquility. (tea ceremony)
• Walking beyond just a short perimeter could make me listen to my inner voice. My grandmother’s afternoon 108 prostrations could teach me the technique of letting go of desires and attachments.

It could be a tranquilizing and harmonious experience.