At 4am on the 7th, Jogyesa Temple was quiet. Although the temple is in the center of Jongno city, Seoul, only occasional car sounds can be heard from afar. At this moment, when the tall buildings around the temple were dark and asleep, a gray-robed monk walked ahead. Unlike the monk, 12 young men (8 men) wearing brown or orange clothes continued quietly. Dressed as a ‘hakja’, similar to a monk trainee. The sound of rubber shoes stepping on the sand was heard loudly. The monks and the young men began to beat the wooden table. Then, I walked slowly around the main hall. Daeungjeon is the main building that houses the largest Buddha statue in the temple. They were waking up the temple, announcing a new morning with the sound of moktak.
‘At least, Weekend’ participated in this short-term monastic program ahead of the Buddha’s birthday. Becoming a monk means leaving the secular world and becoming a monk. This year, for the first time, Jogyesa Temple organized a short-term monastic program so that young people could experience the process of becoming a monk. For 6 days and 5 nights starting on the 5th, the young people experienced the life of a monk by eating and sleeping at the temple. Although they do not completely shave their heads like monks, they enter the temple with their hair short or in a ponytail. I wake up at 3 am and go to sleep at 9 pm. Food is vegetarian. Excluding the reporter (32), the young people were born between 1994 and 2004 and had an average age of 26.1.
On the morning of the 7th, reporter Jang Geun-wook (second from the left) finished bowing 108 times and bowed with his hands together. Without the reporter, 11 young people who participated in the short-term monastic program for 6 days and 5 nights have been living as monks, eating and sleeping at Jogyesa Temple since the 5th. / Jang Eun-ju, guest reporter for video media
◇ “Monk etiquette is difficult” The first day of confusion
At 2pm on the 5th, young people gathered at the main gate at the entrance to Jogyesa Temple. We moved to a 4-story apartment building. I changed into rubber shoes and put on a white t-shirt. Men got brown pants and women got orange pants. Even though 100m outside was a ‘mundane world’, I felt like I had accidentally entered a deep training camp.
On the first day of the short-term monastery, the rigorous training began by entering a program room measuring about 30 pyeong on the third floor of the lodge. The first and most important thing I learned was etiquette as a monk. When you were walking, you had to put your hands together and cover the bones of your right hand with your left hand. It meant “restraining aggression (of the fists).” When you pick things up from the floor, you would have to kneel with your left knee raised. When you are sitting on the floor, you would lie down with your legs together as if you were crouching, then cross your legs and lift your body up.
Young monks bathing in Buddhist style. / Jang Eun-ju, guest reporter for video media
The most difficult thing is a Buddhist temple. Lower into a joint position with your feet together. At the same time, you should turn your left leg so that it is on top of your right leg. In the third bow, the movement of lying down, putting your hands together, and putting them forward. The 12 actors had to move as one body to the beat of tapping on the wooden table. The theory was good, but in practice it was rude and disturbing.
It was food that soothed the travelers. It was the same vegetarian diet as the monks, but both vegetables and kimchi were delicious. So much so that the ‘secular world’ is forgotten. It was like eating about 10 kinds of side dishes on a round, wide plate as much as you wanted. I made a variety of dishes with the same mushrooms, including seasonal vegetables, soups, and sweet and sour mushroom soup.
The ultimate mission is to sleep well. Bedtime was at 9pm, earlier than usual. I had to sleep well to go to the Buddhist service early tomorrow morning. Maybe because I was worried about the world, I tossed and turned for a long time before I fell asleep.
Vegetable side dishes eaten by young monks who became monks for a short time. The diet changed for each meal. On the left, fried vegetables, taro-fried bamboo shoots, stir-fried shiitake mushrooms, braised potatoes, green pomook, braised radish, braised tofu, seasonal spinach, braised lotus root, mustard leaf kimchi, and cabbage kimchi. / Jogyesa Temple
◇ Young travelers have different stories.
3:40 am on the 6th. My eyes opened. In 10 minutes, we have to leave for an early morning service. Because I lived in a group, I had to be worried all the time. Among those involved was Lim Yul (24), a college student who was about to join the army at the end of this month. “I wanted to have a meaningful time to look back on my life before I joined the army,” he said. My brother’s followers mocked him by saying, “You are experiencing military life early,” but the head monk’s words resonated with him. “Don’t be chased by time; be a leader until time can run you.”
This morning, I decided to use the entry service. An event where monks and believers congratulate those who have taken their first steps. Since I was standing in front of the head monk, I had to practice and practice again and again to make sure that the method and the beat were not off. When the entrance service began, the monks followed the head monk and went up to go up to the main hall. With each step, believers standing on either side threw flower petals up to greet them. I also heard the good news, “Be a great monk.”
On the evening of the 7th, young people walking with their guide monk in front of the main hall of Jogyesa Temple. / Jang Eun-joo, guest reporter for video media
The ceremony began and the monks dressed each monk in a top of the same color as their pants. He even cut off part of his hair that he had grown out in the worldly world and put it in his pocket. I did my best, but the speed of bowing and rising varied from person to person.
In the evening, it is ‘chadam’ time to drink tea and talk. Each of them told the story of how they became monks. Canadian Gil Seon-jin (27, real name Jacob) got attention when he said, “I learned Korean through the girl group Girls’ Generation, and then I became interested in Buddhism, the spiritual culture of Korea. Lee Won-bin (29) said, “When I was young, I hated my mother’s passion for Buddhism,” and added, “I felt at peace at a temple I came across when I travel, and I came here to learn more about it. Buddhism.”
I never felt hungry because I received food offerings from monks and believers cheering for the monks. From fruits like blueberries and bananas to donuts and ice cream. Jeolbap is served three times a day buffet style, but no leftovers are allowed. Little by little, my confidence to eat Jeolbap as delicious as I wanted to eat was reduced.
The monk Seonhae, the leader, gives an explanation to the young monks during the tea ceremony. Chrysanthemum tea, coffee, and bottled water are placed on the long table. / Jang Eun-ju, guest reporter for video media
◇ At 108 hours, the cushion is soaked with sweat.
8 am on the 7th, the last day of the reporter’s experience. Inside the main hall, four people stood in a row. When the head monk who was standing in front of the Buddha statue hit the water bamboo, all the young people bowed at the same time towards the big Buddha statue. I cringed every time I heard a ‘click’ sound. Perfect! Me, just right! Me, just right! I do… . At some point, I gave up counting.
Buddhist bows rest close to the floor. Traces of sweat thickened where my forehead met the pillow in front of me. How much time has passed? The monk hit the bamboo stone again and again with a ‘tick, crack, crack’. Mark that you have completed 108 bows. Are the problems of the youth also cut off?
Monks and young monks bathe 108 times in the main hall of Jogyesa Temple. / Jogyesa Temple
In the evening, I learned ‘Zen meditation’ for the first time. I sat cross-legged in the right position to soothing soothing music and let go of worldly worries. Venerable Jinwoo, secretary general of the Jogye Order, said, “Even if science develops and we live in a world where we live without our feet on the ground, we still have to manage our minds Ma we will continue, we will develop inner strength and there is nothing to fear.”
3 days and 2 nights seemed like a quick time. It is time to go back to the secular world. Those around him told reporters, “His expression was clear.” When I left Iljumun, I was worried about writing an article again.
Young people walking with a monk in front of the main hall of Jogyesa Temple. / Jang Eun-ju, guest reporter for video media
2024-05-10 18:00:00
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