“The mantra of the monk was 'Help yourself before helping others' and to understand the concept that ‘my neighbour, nature and myself are not separate, but all are one’. This he explained was the route to enlightenment”.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism opened their temple gates in May 2002 to the outside world. The temples have been a spiritual refuge to Koreans for 1600 years. Most temples are located deep in mountain valleys to maintain a sense of calm and quiet. The Jogye Order are inviting Koreans and foreigners to experience Temple Stay, to show Korean culture, ancient Buddhist tradition and the Asian spiritual world by opening places of worship that is home to over ten thousand practicing monks and nuns.

Beomeosa Temple is located in Busan’s Mt. Guemgjeongsan and was the site chosen for my temple stay. The temples have several gates through which you must pass before reaching the main Buddha Hall. One’s journey begins by passing through the first gate which is symbolic of your first steps toward enlightenment.

Our temple orientation was undertaken by Seung San Sunim (monk) and consisted of discussing Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy and Seon (Zen) and learning the rules of the temple. The next 24-hours of enlightenment started with changing our dress; large grey suits were provided to wear, a means of making everyone equal. The activities that ensued included; circling a pagoda with lotus lanterns, whilst chanting Buddhist teachings in the dead of night, right through to Zen meditation techniques.

At just after 3am our group stood before the Bell Pavillion awaiting the morning ceremony. The bell is struck to tell the time or call the monks. In the morning the bell is struck 28 times and in the evening 33 times. Three monks performed the ceremony as we stood quietly in the main courtyard. Each monk took his turn to strike the Dharma Drum and each started drumming quickly and then slowed to a single rhythmic bang. The beating of the Dharma Drum signifies the spreading of Buddha’s teachings throughout the world. The wooden fish instrument is the loudest and most decorative and is situated a few feet from the Dharma Drum. The monks strike the sides of the hollow centre with two sticks at various tempos. The wooden fish is used for reciting sutras, chanting services, signaling meal time and calling the congregation.

The wooden fish signaled ‘Balwoo-gongyang’ which is a Buddhist meal ceremony that plays an important part in everyday lives of the monks. The food is simple and comprises of rice and vegetables and is shared out equally amongst the group in our Balwoo (bowls used to eat from). Balwoo Gongyang etiquette means that everyone eats in silence, sitting cross-legged on the floor and all the food in your bowl must be eaten. This was our preparation and sustenance for ‘bulmudo’, which basically translates as the temple’s martial arts program that signified the end of our Temple Stay experience.

Temple Stay for me was the primary experience and primary highlight of my travels in Korea. As a tourist if you want to do something completely different and have an experience that will live with you for the rest of your life, then Temple Stay is it. It is rare to be able to immerse yourself in a fully operational Buddhist Temple and try and understand why people choose this way of life. You get the sense of spiritualism, calm and relaxation, that is alien to the strains and pressures of daily life.