Seoul: Seoul for the Soul
"Who am I? Why am I here? Why am I breathing?" What matters, says the Zen master, is constant interrogation. This weekend, the beneficiaries of this ancient wisdom are a group of youngsters from the city that surrounds Korea's Kilsangsa temple. They are the future – the people who will shape this country's economy, society, culture, and, one day perhaps, help to peacefully reunite a divided peninsula.
But they are not the only ones listening in. Increasingly, western visitors seeking spiritual respite are joining temple stay programmes throughout South Korea, with Kilsangsa, right in the heart of the capital, a convenient weekend option. It's the ultimate Zen retreat, and everybody is welcome, regardless of sex, age, religion or nationality. From the moment each guest receives his traditional grey suit, age-old divisions disappear. There is no more 'us' and 'them', only a long pathway to personal enlightenment.
With stopovers ranging from a few hours to an entire month, the first step on that road can be short shuffle or long stride. Either way, discipline is the watchword. With instruction in English and Korean, visitors receive advanced training in Buddhism and, along with it, slowly isolate themselves from the outside world. In addition to classes on history and theory, there is daily meditation, exercise, calligraphy, prayer and communal cleaning. And, of course, a 3.30am wake-up call.
Despite having roots that burrow deep into Korean society, this is a religion battling to remain relevant. Buddhism arrived in Korea, via India and China, in the late 4th century and took firm root. Economic growth may have recently bought great wealth but, according to some elders, it's been accompanied by spiritual impoverishment. To this problem, Kilsangsa offers a solution.
Meditation is one of the means of separating the mind from crippling worldly desires and is performed here with the help of a mantra – bo wang sam me. The temple's resident monks supervise proceedings with the 'kind help' of bamboo sticks. There's an additional warning to those seeking quick fixes. "Don't wish for perfect health. In perfect health there is greed and wanting," admonishes one master. "Don't expect your practice to be always clear of obstacles. Without hindrances, the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. Don't expect to finish something easily. If you acquire something easily, the will is made weaker."
Of course there are more recreational activities, though nothing is without meaning. Making paper lanterns, for example, may seem like light relief after a heavy prayer session but the process also represents the selfless giving of spiritual light to other followers on their own road to enlightenment. Likewise, meals bring nourishment but not necessarily indulgent pleasure. The diet is strictly vegetarian and, like the other disciplines, has its own ceremony. The monk explains how and why we should pay respects for the food and its sacred sources.
During their stay at Kilsangsa, visitors are asked to "feel, not think". The concepts of time and space bleed into each other, like the water of the stream that flows through the temple outhouses where guests take up temporary home. It is hard to believe that just outside is a sleepless city of 10.5 million people. However, when the time comes to step back into that hectic world, something will certainly have changed. As one monks points out, "The trip starts just as it seems to be finishing."
