Go all the way until you reach a main road, turn left and then right at the junction, walk 200m down the street for Beomeosa station.Take the 1 metro line towards Nopo and get off at Nopo, which is just one stop further than Beomeosa. Typically, once monks overcome this and become more comfortable with the pose, the second challenge to tackle is not falling asleep. When I’m not writing or compulsively planning every detail of our next family trip, I’m most likely playing dinosaur or princess games with Sage & Lavender, my two kids. One of my family trip's highlights was the visit to Beomeosa Temple. In the eating hall, we participants sat is a circle and for the first time met Hyeon-yeo Sunim, the monk in charge of the temple stay program. The slowest way is to walk uphill from the subway to the temple. The uniform was warm enough for me, even in the early morning chill the next day, but some participants wore jackets (visiting in June), so in colder seasons you’ll definitely want more layers to wear under or above the uniform provided. This is what happened to me and I was very confused when I arrived, because there were no signs from the parking lot. ⬇ Download best scenery pic - stock photos and images in the best photography agency reasonable prices millions of high quality and royalty-free stock photos and images. Not being much of an artist, I decided instead to sit out on the veranda with some other participants and admire the extraordinary view in front of us of temple rooftops, a mesmerizingly beautiful tree, and the valley descending in the background. I could sense others around me looking down to avoid contracting the contagious snickering. Watch Queue Queue. Geumjeongsan, a famous mountain in Busan. A lot of animal imagery and statues can be seen, elements of indigenous Korean religion. When you go there in winter you will feel the fresh air and it will be very cold here because its located in the top. If you take a taxi like I did, the taxi driver may take you up further to one of the higher parking lots. The training and endurance skills developed in these are similar in some ways to those required for monastic training. Next I was asked to pay and fill out a form and survey that was several pages long. His face was serious but his eyes radiated joy. On a similar note, Korean monks are paid a small monthly wage, which Jang-san Sunim pointed out they need for daily necessities, insurance, their phones, and so on. Korean Tourist Organization. It takes about 10 minutes and costs approximately 5000 won. -Besides staying at Beomeosa Temple, this is my favorite hotel in Busan, and here’s my super detailed guide to where to stay in Busan! Don’t worry about setting your alarm! Instead of merely being a guest and observing, participants in the Beomeosa temple stay get to join in rituals and engage freely with Buddhist monks, getting a real taste of what daily life is like in a Korean Buddhist temple. The site isn’t very large or very crowded either so it's easy to walk around. It’s noticeably cooler up there than in the Busan city center. Finally, 9:30 rolled around and it was time for a hot shower and bed. Our group of about 30 was half Korean and half international participants, from countries including the US, Sweden, Singapore, England, and myself from Canada. To the right of the main shrine, Gwaneumjeon Hall is Beomeosa’s most popular temple, as it is where Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, answers people’s wishes. I was greeted by Jeong-yun, a female Korean volunteer program coordinator and interpreter throughout our stay. Beomeosa Temple: Beomeosa Temple - See 892 traveler reviews, 1,276 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. The lights were out quickly but a good sleep I did not have. I was very satisfied with the response I received from Hyeon-yeo Sunim. Devoted to the mountain god, it is the only place at Beomeosa where devotees are permitted to place alcohol as an offering on the altar. According to Jang-san Sunim, a lot of Korean monks practiced some kind of sports or martial arts before becoming monks. The available dates are only released two months in advance. Beomeosa Temple was founded in the year 678 C.E., during the time of the Silla dynasty. We sat along the river and feel the cooling water flowing through our feet. Several birds were quietly singing and darting across in the chilly air and in the distance a Buddhist monk was heard chanting. Love this place as it's quiet yet filled with the sound of nature. A handful of monks stood on the drum tower and went right into it. The tour began at the bottom of the temple, where we first looked at a pillar engraved with the characters 下馬 or “dismount horse”, which in the past indicated to guests arriving by horse to do so. from Taipei, where I live, to Busan, South Korea’s second largest city. And most importantly, Jang-san Sunim emphasized that people of all beliefs were welcome, and none of the following activities were mandatory. However, my Busan temple stay experience was incomparable to the others in many ways. Up a flight of stairs, the hermitage is dominated by a large golden Buddha surrounded by multiple statues. He really took them time to address my question thoroughly and his advice was very practical. These are a kind of unanswerable question posed by master to students that is a point for reflection during meditation, like “If a tree falls in the forest…”, The hwadu presented to us by Hyeon-yeo Sunim was “Who was I before I was born from my mother and father?”. Predictably, the questions centered on why he had become a monk, reactions from his family, life in general as a monk, and so on, but his answers were also very interesting. I still enjoyed it, it was a beautiful, quiet forest with tall trees. spread the word!!! Jang-san Sunim used English for the first time at this point and with the fluency of a native English speaker. Beomeosa Temple.Busan,South Korea.Located on the edge of Mt,Geumjeongsan,a famous mountain in Busan.It was constructed by monk Ui Sang about 1300 years ago.In the… You can find some great money saving deals on Klook, such as: – Arrange a discounted portable WiFi device for pickup at the airport when you arrive. Public transport can be used to reach this place but probably not worth the time if u are not a religious person. Last but not least, expect to learn some things about yourself, if you are willing to listen, open yourself to the experience, and simply ask. Beomeosa Temple: a temple with autumn leaves - See 900 traveler reviews, 1,277 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. The monks beat an oversized leather drum wildly, transitioning from solo to duo thrashings. You can also see how to fit it into your travel plans in my Busan itinerary for 5 days! -Get off the beaten track in Busan by hiking to Seokbulsa Temple, which features amazing carvings of Buddhas in cliff walls, in the same area as Beomeosa. You can easily follow the links above to book your temple stay at Beomeosa. Beomeosa Temple is very nice, you can get to there by metro and from there take a bus or short walk, there is free guide service in the shrine near the information center, nice to walk in the temple complex and the surrounding gardens, the temple design with amazing korean architect with amazing Colors and wood. Never stop “going” and exploring. Next, Hyeon-yeo Sunim led us in receiving a serving of tea to be used for rinsing each of the eating bowls into the next and ingesting the end result. It's a nice place to spend your time and enjoy the serenity. So if you are looking for a Busan temple stay experience, this is it! Before entering the main gate, there's a trail on the left leading to the "Wisteria Habitat: a grove of some 6,500 wisteria", I took that trail even if it was winter. It’s worth visiting but don’t expect anything truly amazing. For example, I originally thought about joining the program during the Buddha’s Birthday, which is a huge national event in Korea, but the program was not available for any of the weekends around the event. It was a good mini break from the city life with no-meat food, 108 prostrations, early morning hike etc.. A lot of older people come here to go on hikes early in the morning. hi. Clothing is usually provided and sleeping is typically on futons in shared, sex-segregated rooms with other guests. Next he talked to us about Buddhist meditation in general, and the similarities and differences between meditation techniques in different countries. Perched on Geumjeongsan Mountain, the current temple complex was built in 1613 after the original was destroyed in the Imjin War with Japan. If that’s not possible, you can always send them an email at [email protected] to see if they know what the schedule will be like in upcoming months. I really liked how Jang-san Sunim always explained WHY things were done a certain way, rather than simply HOW they were done. Walk for a bit until you see the bus terminal (you won't miss it), ride bus no.90 towards Beomeosa. Personally, I’d recommend the Geumeo program because you get the full experience, and my favorite part, talking with the monks, is not included in the “relax” program. Located within the Busan city limits, Beomeosa is easy to get to but far enough up on the slopes of Mount Geumjeong (Geumjeongsan) that it feels remote and is surrounded by natural beauty with exquisite views. After a little free time, we embarked on a temple tour led by Jang-san Sunim and again interpreted in English by Jeong-yun. Jang-san Sunim felt the Buddhism of the future should do away with most rituals and be simplified to its core philosophy. Whether you are doing a temple stay at Beomeosa or just visiting on your own, I would highly recommend visiting Cheongnyeonam Hermitage! Recently I took advantage of insanely cheap flight deals (only $200 return!) At the entrance is a tourist information office. Jeong-yun gave me a pair of comfortable pants and shirt to change into. The complex includes a pagoda, several pavilions, three ornate gates, and 11 hermitages.

The Basics
Many visitors to the temple come to wander the complex and enjoy … So if you are looking for a Busan temple stay experience, this is it! The Relax & Relax program (50,000KRW or $40) offers a more flexible schedule and later wake-up time. If this happens to you, just continue walking uphill towards all the temples, and you will eventually reach the temple stay building, which is located above and to the far left of the main temple area. One by one guests finished their meals and waited in silence for the others to finish. Rice went into one bowl, soup in another, side dishes in another, and chopsticks into yet another filled with rinsing water. Earlier in the welcome talk, Jang-san Sunim had taught us how to do Korean Buddhist prostrations, a kind of elaborate (for first-timers at least) series of movements for bowing to the Buddha. If you do a temple stay at Baekyangsa, which belongs to the same order of Korean Buddhism as Beomeosa, you can even learn to cook with a monk that was featured on the Chef’s Table on Netflix! At 5:00 it was time for our barugongyang, or vegetarian monastic meal. Here’s a video I shot during my temple stay at Beomeosa: I’ve stayed in Buddhist monasteries several times before, such as my temple at Koyasan, Japan, and another at Foguangshan, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. When Jang-san Sunim introduced himself, he revealed that he had in fact lived in the US for most of his life and admitted that he was more comfortable speaking in English and with the foreign visitors, although he continue to speak only in Korean at this point. I have a nice trip here in this temple. This 1,300 year old temple is really beautiful and serene, set against a majestic mountain backdrop. Before the silence began, we were mysteriously advised to leave one slice of danmuji (yellow pickled radish) uneaten. A few temples offering temple stays are not listed on the website, notably Tongdosa, one of the most important temples in South Korea, which is only one subway stop and a 30-minutes bus ride north of Beomeosa. The program is not available when there are other temple activities taking place. You can take the easy path back down instead of the bus; follow the road down and after a short while you’ll see a path on the left, next to a stream. I was pleased to find that the talk was both practical yet informative. Book your tickets online for Beomeosa Temple, Busan: See 900 reviews, articles, and 1,283 photos of Beomeosa Temple, ranked No.4 on Tripadvisor among 287 attractions in Busan. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The survey takes around 5 minutes. Jang-san Sunim spoke in Korean while Jeong-yun interpreted and we listened on Bluetooth earbuds. Beomeosa Temple: Temple - See 900 traveller reviews, 1,277 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. After you make a reservation, you’ll receive an email with very specific instructions on how to get there and other things to know. I was immediately entranced by Hyeon-yeo Sunim’s presence. Certainly a wonderful place. Beomeosa Temple: Beomeosa Temple - See 900 traveler reviews, 1,277 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. Hyeon-yeo Sunim went on to discuss food customs in Buddhist and Korean Buddhist culture before showing us how to unravel the elaborate bundle of eating utensils before each of us. Towards the end, only one young American woman remained; she had accidentally taken way too much food, and the embarrassment gave her a serious case of the giggles. I would wholeheartedly agree with this, although it is the rituals that makes each country’s expression of Buddhism distinctive, and oftentimes, beautiful. I actually walked down from the temple back to the subway the next day, and it was a lovely stroll through the forest along a stream, with a boardwalk along the road for about half the way. Related articles: See this detailed post on the, Spiritual Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. It was near winter during our visit hence it was a tad cold and we didn't get to explore the temple in its entirety but for the grounds that we covered, we were in awe of its calm, silent beauty. Our final activity was tea and sweet snack while chatting with Hyeon-yeo Sunim. I have trouble sleeping on a regular night in my own bed, let alone trying to fall asleep several hours earlier than usual, in a room with half a dozen other guys, on a hard floor with a thin mattress. Jeong-yun, who sat beside him waiting to interpret, looked less than pleased. Fleeing in defeat, the Japanese managed to destroy the temple, but Beomeosa was eventually rebuilt and would become a center for monkish resistance during the 35-year Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). Beomeosa Temple: Beomeosa Temple - See 900 traveler reviews, 1,283 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. This was when I really started to like Hyeon-yeo Sunim. Hyeon-yeo Sunim, the happy monk, started the yebul ceremony by leading us to do three more prostrations, a flashback of the physical endurance test from the night before. Perched on Geumjeongsan Mountain, the current temple complex was built in 1613 after the original was destroyed in the Imjin War with Japan. While we waited for all the participants to arrive, Jeong-yun gave us canvas bags and color markers for us to draw on them. Anytime of the year is a good time to visit Beomeosa Temple, but during a quiet Sunday in the midst of February was nigh on perfect. Typical activities during a temple stay may include learning temple etiquette, cham-seon (meditation) practice, prostrations (which is actually quite physical; you get a real workout! I did an overnight templestay at Beomeosa Temple (you can make a reservation on their website). After another break we met in the temple’s main courtyard to observe a drumming performance. This brought us into the temple’s main courtyard, from where we further ascended a flight of stairs to Daeungjeon, the main temple hall, which Jang-san Sunim referred to as the Dharma Hall. So if you are looking to do a Busan temple stay but want to get a little further out of town than Beomesa, then have a look at Tongdosa’s temple stay program, but be warned that the wake up time at Tongdosa is extremely early! :). One of my family trip's highlights was the visit to Beomeosa Temple. Our talk was led by Jang-san Sunim, a novice Korean monk in his final year of training before being officially ordained (“Sunim” is a titled used for monks). And it certainly is. Beomeosa is the most famous Korean Buddhist temple in Busan and the only one offering a temple stay program. Korean Buddhism, also called Seon Buddhism, is similar to Chan Buddhism in China and Zen Buddhism in Japan. then go hiking to Mt. You can reach it easily by metro which has a station of the same name. This video is unavailable. Busan Tourism; Busan Hotels; Bed and Breakfast Busan; Busan Holiday Rentals; Busan Holiday Packages; Flights to Busan; Busan Restaurants; Busan Attractions And your soul. 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