Magoksa Temple Stay

I think there are two types of people. The type who enjoy the quiet and calm. Then there are those who live off noise and craziness. Within 10 minutes of my temple stay I discovered I am the latter.  It was a fantastic experience but I was bored.

It started out with an hour free time to explore the time. We seriously had too much free time. You can only look found a temple for so long. While waiting we opened our snacks. Leanne had tradition Korean snacks and I had crisp. One of the monks came over and ‘pretended’ to steal my crisp. I actually thought he was joking until he stood by me until I opened them. He then kept helping himself!! I thought monks weren’t allowed anything to do with pleasure?

 We started the opening ceremony. During this time we learnt how to bow to the Buddha. In our group there was a really annoying American guy. He was everything I hate; loud, in your face and over confident.  He wasn’t the type of person you expect at a temple stay. He was more the type you expect at an American football game or in a bar.

Annoying sweaty guy

After we learnt to bow correctly we had a tour of the temple. We pretty had seen all of it already during out free hour so it was kind of boring to be honest. We then had yet more free time then moved on to the blind folded stepping stones. One of us was blindfolded while the other helped the other cross the stepping stones. I hate water so I was quite nervous. Leanne went first and our code word for when there was a gap coming up was ‘Cheese’.  She didn’t fall in (I did try!! Joke!) and we made it across safe. It was then time to change and I was blindfolded.  I could see a tiny bit through a gap in my blindfold and I was glad, as Leanne is not to be trusted!! I swear she left me standing about 5 times!! During the last 3 stepping stones, I was asking where she was and she said ‘Oh, I forgot about you!!!’ . Blah!! So from this exercise I have learnt NOT to trust Leanne with my life. :P

We then moved on to crafts. We first made a bracelet which was difficult as you just put some beads on some string then tie it.  But then we had to make a lotus flower. I am NOT good with anything that involves glue. I ended up getting half of the petals stuck on my fingers and had to go wash my hands twice. Everyone did it perfectly and their lotus flowers were great. Mine on the other hand looked like it had a fight with someone and lost.

We then had more free time and Leanne thought it would be a great idea to go for a walk up the mountain.  Such a trek! We then rang the bell which was actually pretty boring and was over in 2 seconds. Dinner was bibimbap. It was alright but you have to finish everything and Leanne hates sprouts, so it was funny for me to watch. We then had free time (again!). It was the lantern festival so they lit all the lanterns in the temple which was really pretty.

Bed was at 9pm but people were still outside drinking soju at 9.30. I wanted to kill them as we were getting up at 3am. When I finally did drift off, it was time to wake up. We were all dressed and ready to go by 3.15am.  We first went to the main temple to pray/bow with the monks. That was quite an experience being able to see into their world. We then went back to the main room to do our 108 bows.  Now they weren’t normal bows. You bowed with your whole body on the mat and had to get up without using your hands. I lost count about 5 times and thought we were on 45 when they monk said we had finished our 108 bows. It really had no meaning as this monk refused to play the English tape which told us what each bow meant.

Still dark!

We then had the special breakfast which was 4 bowls. Each had a different food in. We also had to clean them after with pickles etc. Everything had to be eaten. It was only 5am so this is harder than it sounds. I only took a bit but they gave us seaweed soup which wasn’t as nice as the stuff I have at school. Everyone felt like gagging (including myself) trying to keep the food down. We then had cleaning duties which pissed me off as the people who didn’t carry the food upstairs had to wash up. I was one of those who carried everything up but some of the group who did nothing ran away, so the monk spotted me and made me do it. Can I say it was all women that did the washing up as well -_-.

We then had a meditating walk in which the annoying American guy would not shut up for the whole walk. Why he came on this temple stay I will never know.  We then had questions with the monk.  We had to say what would make this trip better and Annoying guy said more free time! WTF?! More free time?!?!?! Guess what? After this we had yet more free time (because we don’t enough….) I ended up just sitting on a bench and listening to my ipod! I needed noise!! They then made us do free labour by planting red pepper plants for an hour!! We paid to do free labour?

Finally it was lunch then goodbye. The lunch was very salty bibimbap! It was awful!! Me and Leanne decided to go for grilled beef for dinner at this point. It was only 1 day but it felt like a week without meat!!

Overall I enjoyed the temple stay but I wouldn’t do it again. It was more for experience.