Running Amok in Seoul - Part Deux

Check the previous post for my day out and about Tuesday of last week.  This one is about Wednesday...and maybe Thursday if I have time.

Wednesday, I decided to go to Bong Eum Sa, one of the larger temples in Seoul.  It was nearly two hours there one way, but it was worth it.  It's in a very developed area near the Korean World Trade Center tower and the COEX building, whatever that is.  It was nearly 11:30 I think when I arrived and I was hungry, so I stopped at a little shop just outside the main gate and had ice cream.  Hey...I have bibimbap (a bowl of rice and vegetables) three times a day otherwise, so cut me some slack, OK?

It was hard making progress toward the main hall as it seemed every few feet, someone was bowing to me, so of course I bowed back.  But I finally made it. 

The temple complex was mostly destroyed in the Korean War, so most of the buildings are fairly new.  And they are quite impressive.   I actually walked under the first major hall and came up the other side to a field of hanging lotus lanterns:

After snapping this, I headed around the side to enter the main hall.  I pulled out a mat and headed between the lay people who were either prostrating, mumbling mantras or quietly reading sutras to an open spot near the center back.  I did three prostrations and then sat for a bit of meditation. 

After that, I wandered up to another hall and did the same, and then I went into a small hall just as an elderly monk was coming in.  It was about 12:30 pm by this point (after the normal mid-day prayer hour which usually begins around 10:00 or 10:30am), so I wasn't sure what was happening. I just grabbed a cushion and followed along, until I realized that the three women on my side of the hall were there for a Jesa rite.  These are memorial services for a departed family member.  If I understand it correctly, these are done not knowing if someone has been reborn yet or not as even if they are reborn, the prayers still positively effect them in their next birth.

In any case, there is a lot of bowing and then one by one, the family members went to a low altar, waved a small cup of tea over the altar, and then placed it on a higher altar.  There was a lay woman volunteer who walked people through everything.  After the three women did this, the volunteer motioned for me to come over and do it too, so, slightly confused, I started in her direction, but one of the family members let her know I wasn't with them, so I just went back to my cushion.  Finally, I decided it was time to move on, so I quietly slipped out.

This is a pavilion to the side of the main hall, or "Beopdang" housing the bell, wooden fish and small gong I think I mentioned in the last post. If you can see it on the far left there is also a large drum. Pounding this monster is a real work out.

Here I'm above most of the temple buildings looking back over the rooftops.  You can see all the skyscrapers past the temple.  I'm not sure if it was just hazy because of the humidity, or because of the smog.  Probably both.

If you look closely at the flat side of the roof in the center of the picture, you might be able to make out the Buddhist swastika in yellow against the dark red of the roof.  This is an ancient Buddhist symbol not to be mistaken for the form of the swastika appropriated by Hitler (the Nazi version was on an angle and pointed the other direction, I think).  People have become confused about this in the past and gotten upset.

I took this shot over my shoulder as I walked away from the small hall in front of which I took the last photo of the rooftops.  Notice the large number of lotus lanterns along the path.

...and here's the path ahead on my way to...

...this statue of Mireuk Bosal (Maitreya Bodhisattva).  Mireuk is the future Buddha who will come to restart the wheel of the Dharma when Shakyamuni Buddha's (the historical Buddha) teaching declines.  This happens periodically in Buddhism.  People loose the path and so another great Buddha comes to turn the Wheel of the Dharma again.

Notice the people in the lower left.  This statue was huge.  The temple says it's the largest one of its kind in Korea.

On the way out of the complex I got a little lost as there were so many buildings and winding roads. I stopped finally to get a drink at a vending machine, the owner of which was there cleaning them. He opened up the front and offered me some grape juice free of charge.  We then talkd for a bit as he wanted to practice his English.  It was an odd conversation about traditional Korean food. I taught him that cheese "ages" while some other things "ferment." 

When I headed out the main gate, you guessed it, I stopped for more ice cream (no comments from the gallery, please).

It's getting late, so I'll write about last Thursday later.

Comments

[whiskerfarm]

Ice cream is good for the soul. Remember that always. And gee, it must suck to have to stop because people keep bowing at you. I think I've had that dream before.

Love, you're sarcastic sister (for those who read this post seriously...)

[Rinchen Gyatso]

Carrie,

I think the dream you had is one in which people grovel at your feat in fear, no? That's a little different than people just bowing to you.

[whiskerfarm]

Good point. I do think my dreams focus more on people groveling in fear. My mistake Big Guy!

[Christian]

It is "Bong Eun Sa", not "Bong Eum Sa".

By the way, did you notice the peculiar Four Protectors at the main gate? They are quite different from any other I saw.

[Rinchen Gyatso]

Christian,

I don't seem to have your email address. You can reach me at amonkamok at hot mail dot com. Looking forward to meeting you.

I did briefly notice the protectors, but I didn't get a chance to really look at them as we were in a rush the whole time. Maybe next time I'll get to relax a bit!