Doing a Temple stay is one of those things I have been meaning to do, but would completely expect to not do until it was too late, then complain that I never did it. So this past weekend I did one. Outnumbered 3 to 1 by hagwoners Hannah, Heather, and Chris (who, oddly enough, went to the same university as me in the US. Don't you tell me about small worlds) bundled up and ventured out to 해 인 사, the largest temple in Korea. Although my only reference to that is something I overheard while there.
At a temple stay you dress like a monk-in-training and live like they do for two days and one night. This means near complete silence, very early mornings (3am), lots of bowing, and meditation time. Although I very much dug the digs, it's safe to say I'm not monk material. It's hard enough for me to sit cross-legged on the floor normally, let alone the full lotus style with a straight back. Master Monk said that it takes five years just for the body to become comfortable in this position. Only then can you really focus on meditation and not the searing pain emanating from your kneecaps.
Not pictured: Scowls of discomfort.
To be fair, the meditation time for us fell between 5am and 6:10am (scheduled, they cut it shorter upon noticing that no one was in meditation) after waking up at 3am to watch a giant drum-hitting ceremony in the freezing weather, doing approx. 30 bows in the new day ceremony, and doing 108 bows while listening to a tape tell us about our human flaws right after that. The creaking of the old knees in the room was not a pretty sound.
All in all it was very peaceful, educational, yet painful and awkward at times. Master Monk had no problem simply staring at us from the head of the room during tea time with everyone still unsure of whether we were allowed to talk or not. But the monks were very friendly and happy people. One of them gave me a hearty belly jiggle upon our departure and said I was a very fashionable New Yorker.
Very fashionable indeed.
Although my inner peace was found and sustained for a brief time, it was quickly ripped apart by Kyle in the form of an online Catan beat down the likes of which have never been seen. I may never find it again.
My students and I will watch Lost all week until I find it again. It will probably happen right before the island starts traveling through time.
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