Now that Thailand and Chuseok are over and everyone is back in Korea the Bucket List is continuing. This weekend we crossed temple stay off the list.

On Saturday afternoon we made our way to Gyeongju to the Golgul Temple. It was probably the most exhausting 24 hours I have ever willing been through, but defiantly work the experience. When we arrived we changed into our very faltering Monk wear and headed to archery practice. The routine of a Buddhist Monk is VERY structured so all day it was one thing after the next. Following the archery we were sent for community work. Here the women had to sweep the walkway and the men had to clean windows. All things are very simple and they believe in simple living, so the brooms we used were made of bamboo and straw, while the boys washed the windows using a newspaper rag. Dinner was next thing on the schedule. Monks do not waste anything, so when eating your meals you MUST clean everything off your plate. Dinner is also very simple and light. Most meals consist of white rice, vegetables, soup, and sometimes tofu. They believe that eating light meals helps the body maintain energy. After Dinner we went to evening chanting which is similar to a pray session along with many bows. After chant we started our Sunmudo training. This is a Korean form of a Zen Martial Art which is suppose to harmonize the mind, body and breath. The training is a mix between yoga, gymnastics, and taekwondo. It was probably one of the hardest things I have done. All the monks make it look fairly easy, but the positions and moves are very tough. After training it was bed time (10pm), where we headed back to the room and slept on the floor.

On Sunday we had a 4am wake up. You are woken by a junior monk who is beating a wooden bell. Between 2-6am is said to be the best time to meditate so they wake up early to hike the mountain where at the top is a meditation cave. 4:30am you must be at the cave to start chants and meditation, if you miss this activity your punishment is 3000 bows, which takes 8-10 hours to complete. 6am we left mediation for breakfast. Breakfast was a Buddhist ceremonial meal called Barugongyang. It is a meal where you eat and clean together with all the monks, junior monks and other guest at the temple. During the meal you are give 4 bowls. One for each: rice, vegetables, soup, and water. The water bowl is to remain untouched until the end of the meal where you use the water to clean your other bowls. You pour the water from bowl to bowl until they are cleaned then you drink the water so you do not waste anything. Following breakfast we were given a chance to enjoy tea while asking about life in a temple as a monk. It gave us an eye opening look at just how much dedication is required. Everyday they have the same schedule full of chanting, meditation, and exercise, it sounds peaceful but it is challenging. The last thing on the list was to complete the 108 bows. Not just a small fold at the hips, but a full bow from standing to bending touching your forehead on the floor.

After my 24 hour Temple Stay I know I could never live the life of a Buddhist Monk. Little sleep, little food, and little talking is they norm way of life for them and that takes a lot of discipline and dedication. It was a great experience to live the life for a day, but I was very glad to sleep in my bed, and enjoy a nice dinner when I returned home.