The hills are alives with the sound of Buddhism- last day in thecountryside

We drove about an hour an half from Daegu (3rd largest city in Korea) to Gayasan National Park. "The hills are alive... with the sounds of Buddhism," said our guide as we entered Haeinsa Temple (802 CE). This was a great description of this active buddhist monastery temple complex. The temple is surrounded by many beautiful trees and streams and took a bit of a hike to get to. This temple complex is regarded as one the three best Temples in Korea. We were lucky to watch the monks give their call to worship. If you remember from a previous blog, based on the type of drum or bell used by the monks depend on who they are calling to worship: the heavens, water animals, humans, and the last ring is to give relief to those suffering in hell. Then in the main temple, we heard the monks and worshippers praying and chanting. On the outside of this temple was a beautiful animated story about Buddhism (see below for more information). A little farther behind the temple was a huge national treasure---- 81,258 Buddhist Woodblocks. The Woodblocks are made of aged cherry wood and are protected in wooden buildings. The monks organize these blocks into three groups (Life of Buddha, Dharma- Law/teachings, and How to live in a monastery). Our last stop was Yeongneung the tomb of King Sejong the Great (1418-1450). He was the fourth monarch in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). By visiting his tomb, the trip comes full circle. He was the first leader we met and is by far the most enlightened Korean leader we have met in our journey.


As we leave the beauty of the countryside and approach Seoul again, many things are different. First it is extremely humid & hot and there is no sign of rain (sigh), our group is even more connected by this shared experience, and lastly I feel I have learned a lot about the values and culture of the people. There are only two more days left, so I must appreciate and keep discovering new insights about this land and her people.

8 panel story of Buddhism. The panel describes the dream prophesy that the queen had before her son's birth. The second, represents Siddartha Gautama's birth. The third is about him leaving behind the luxuries of the palace to explore the outside world. The fourth is where he witnesses the suffering of the world and is deeply saddened. He creates the 4 Noble truths from this experience. The fifth is where he tries to live an aesthetic life, but realizes it's not the way. Instead it's been to live a disciplined life (leading to the 8 Fold Path). The sixth shows him being tempted from his disciplined life. The seventh show the emergence of disciples. The eighth is spreading the faith and showing mercy as the main component of the faith.