I have a nice trip here in this temple. Enjoy the panoramic views of Busan From the top of the mountain. You can take this road, or I’d recommend going up even further, as there is a second and prettier cobblestone path between the first and second entrance gates, which also has a sign and leads to the left to the temple stay building. From Beomeosa station, the fastest way to the temple is by taxi from exit 5 or 7. Planning your trip to South Korea? I was greeted by Jeong-yun, a female Korean volunteer program coordinator and interpreter throughout our stay. Korean Tourist Organization. Geumjeongsan, a famous mountain in Busan. Beomeosa is the most famous Korean Buddhist temple in Busan and the only one offering a temple stay program. 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). Never stop “going” and exploring. then go hiking to Mt. 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. 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. 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. from Taipei, where I live, to Busan, South Korea’s second largest city. While most of us shifted awkwardly on our floor cushions, he seemed to fit onto his like a puzzle piece. 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. Images of monks doing Sunmudo moves decorated exterior panels of the one of the buildings. Therefore, if you only have a short time in Busan and really want to do a temple stay at Beomeosa, you should consider waiting to book your flight until you secure your temple stay reservation. I enjoyed it for the natural scenery around the temple, Hotels near Gwangbokro Culture and Fashion street, Hotels near Pusan University of Foreign Studies, Hotels near Busan National University of Education, BEXCO (Busan Exhibition & Convention Center), Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Busan, Busan Gamcheon Culture Village: Tickets & Tours‎, Haedong Yonggung Temple: Tickets & Tours‎, Haeundae Dalmaji-gil Road: Tickets & Tours‎. Beomeosa Temple was founded in 678 BC by Buddhist monk Ui Sang. My favorite parts were the natural surroundings and being able to experience the temple after all the tourists were gone. 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?”. Busan Tourism; Busan Hotels; Bed and Breakfast Busan; Busan Holiday Rentals; Busan Holiday Packages; Flights to Busan; Busan Restaurants; Busan Attractions I really enjoyed your description! Jang-san Sunim himself was into martial arts before entering monkhood. I really liked how Jang-san Sunim always explained WHY things were done a certain way, rather than simply HOW they were done. You lead such a rich wonderful life! 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! ), da-seon (tea ceremony), balwoogongyang or barugongyang (Buddhist vegetarian monastic meals), yebool or yebul (worship or chanting), making crafts, and chatting with monks. This video is unavailable. And your soul. I could sense others around me looking down to avoid contracting the contagious snickering. Hi Angela, 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. 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. This included how to sit in the half lotus, the preferred pose among Korean monks. You can easily follow the links above to book your temple stay at Beomeosa. Certainly a wonderful place. 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. And your articles help to enlighten others, I always love reading them. After a little free time, we embarked on a temple tour led by Jang-san Sunim and again interpreted in English by Jeong-yun. Keumjeongsan. Beomeosa Temple is located at the edge of Mt. We sat along the river and feel the cooling water flowing through our feet. – Visit another interesting temple and some of the best Busan attractions on this full-day tour. Beomeosa is the head temple of the Jogye Order (the most common one) of Korean Buddhism in Busan. Recently I took advantage of insanely cheap flight deals (only $200 return!) Personally I was curious to know about how the rise of smartphones has impacted the lives of monks, as I had already noted several monks using smartphones while visiting various temples in Korea. So if you are looking for a Busan temple stay experience, this is it! About 1,300 years ago it was constructed by monk Ui Sang in the 18th year (678) of King Munmu (reign 661~681) of the Silla Kingdom (the kingdom mainly occupied the … Before the silence began, we were mysteriously advised to leave one slice of danmuji (yellow pickled radish) uneaten. Several birds were quietly singing and darting across in the chilly air and in the distance a Buddhist monk was heard chanting. This 1,300 year old temple is really beautiful and serene, set against a majestic mountain backdrop. 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. Throughout its history, Beomeosa has been famed for its fighting monks, who helped fend off Japanese invaders in the 1500s. Perched on Geumjeongsan Mountain, the current temple complex was built in 1613 after the original was destroyed in the Imjin War with Japan. Our group of about 30 was half Korean and half international participants, from countries including the US, Sweden, Singapore, England, and myself from Canada. Certain guide books describe this temple as a highlight of a visit to Busan. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The food came around on a circular platter on wheels. Busan Custom-made Car Tour (Tour that allows you to freely explore Busan... A beautiful Buddhist Monestry high on a mountain side. I would wholeheartedly agree with this, although it is the rituals that makes each country’s expression of Buddhism distinctive, and oftentimes, beautiful. However, my Busan temple stay experience was incomparable to the others in many ways. The highlight of my trip was staying at Beomeosa temple, the most famous temple in Busan and one of the most well-known temples in South Korea. It’s worth visiting but don’t expect anything truly amazing. Probably more so than any other part of the temple stay, this was when some of us faced a bit of culture shock. Participants were free to sit out meditations or prostrations if they found it physically uncomfortable or didn’t want to for ideological reasons. 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. It’s easier here as the 90 bus stop is just on the left as you leave the platform, and you’ll get a seat on the bus, unlike the crowd who get on two stops later, having walked 200m from the station. 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. 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. Jang-san Sunim went on to introduce the basics of Korean Buddhist culture and temple etiquette. I was immediately entranced by Hyeon-yeo Sunim’s presence. Beomeosa Temple: Autumn at Beomeosa - See 900 traveler reviews, 1,277 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. This was when I really started to like Hyeon-yeo Sunim. Jang-san Sunim led the brief tour, and explained how this hermitage was once the headquarters of Sunmudo, a form of Korean martial arts invented by one of the past heads of Beomeosa. 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. After years of backpacking, I now call two places home: Edmonton, Canada and Taipei, Taiwan. 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. Beomeosa Temple worth a visit if you are in Busan. I’ve always been drawn to the religious centers and spiritual sights of the world. While we carefully placed each of the 108 beads on the string, Jang-san Sunim invited us to ask him ANY question, except about his age. Interestingly, Jang-san Sunim would later confess to us that he disliked the many rituals associated with Buddhism in Korea, and the Buddha himself had stated he never wanted his followers to “worship” him. 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! Jeong-yun gave me a pair of comfortable pants and shirt to change into. There was even a group of Ahjummas having a picnic by the stream. Beomeosa Temple: Peaceful place to refresh your mind - See 900 traveller reviews, 1,283 candid photos, and great deals for Busan, South Korea, at Tripadvisor. 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. A puzzle piece view from bus is mountain forest if you take a taxi like I did the. 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