Haiensa Temple

I feel at peace. I feel calm, almost in a dream-like state. I feel like everything is at one, and I feel tired, for someone who thinks too much and has problems falling asleep, all of these feelings are great. I got here earlier than I was supposed to. I was to arrive around 4, but got here at 1, which was fine since I could drop off all my stuff and then explore the area. These two wonderful monks helped show me my way. They even complimented me on my horrible Korean.

Haiensa is one of Korea’s three largest temples, often referred to as the ‘Three Jewels.’ The temple houses the Tripitaka Koreana – a 13th-century collection of woodblocks of Buddhist scriptures, the oldest and most complete in Chinese characters. Naturally, the collection is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple’s name means Temple of Reflection on the Smooth Seas and is taken from a passage comparing the Buddha's wisdom to calm seas, as worldly desires cause the waves.

Coming here was a way to escape the city's crowds, a passage to reconnect with nature. Arriving here first, I was not that connected as busloads of students were wandering the complex. The place is massive compared to some of the other temples in Korea. There were a lot of people who were on bus tours, and a lot of kids on school trips and such. There was a lot of noise, but I managed to find a quiet place to sit and think. Gradually, the crowds began to go home, and only 5-6 people remained to spend the night in the temple.

I checked into my room, a basic room with no furniture and a lot of mats to sleep on. It is heated with ‘ondul’ heating, which means water pipes are run through the floor. The price includes dinner, which I picked up from 5:40 to 6:08 pm. The times are exact. The food was vegetarian, and we were told we could eat as much as we liked as long as we ate what was on our plates. The dining room was quiet. Monks on one side. Visiting monks in the middle. Lay people, us, on the other side. Everyone ate in silence.

On one side of the grounds is a big bell and a huge drum. The monk began banging the drum in a rhythmic fashion similar to what I have seen at Lion Dances in Hong Kong. One would drum, and another would join, then the original drummer would rest for a bit. The small crowd took pictures. The big bell would ring, signalling the start of services in the main hall.

The main Buddha Hall had three Buddhas. The floor was polished wood. The monk would begin the chants and bang on a piece of bamboo. The chants would start and were repetitive. After a while, I could almost recite them, but alas, I was too shy to say them. I just closed my eyes and entered a meditative state. With my eyes closed, my mind began to wander about friends, family, Korea and mostly about my love. On both sides of me, people were praying by bowing. I just sat with my eyes closed in deep thought. This sense of peace continued to wash over me. The ceremony was an hour, far longer than the ones I had experienced in Japan.

I walked around the temple grounds one more time. The sun was down. The air was cool. I felt good, but I felt tired. Everything was great.