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Travel Experts to Korea

Home > Asia > South Korea

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Country Quickfacts
• Things to know before you go
• Arrival Guide

TRAVEL IDEAS

• Essential Korea, 7 days
• Seoul Shopping, 3 days
• Gyeongju, 3 days
• Gyeongju & Busan, 5 days
• Jeju Island, 3 days
• Korean Temple Stay, 2 days
• Korean Temple Stay, 3 days
• EXPO 2012 - Yeosu Korea, 2 days

JOIN-IN TOURS

• Korea In Depth, 11 days
• Korea Showcase, 7 days
• EXPO 2012 - Yeosu Korea, 9 days

Korea Independent Travel Ideas

KOREAN TEMPLE STAY

2 days

Worship before the image of Buddha at dawn in zen-style, It's 4:00 a.m. and the power of the cosmos is waking. You awake to the sound of the moktak – wooden block- which greets the new day and proceed to the temple to read Buddhist scriptures with the sanga – Buddhist family – for meditation.

You will experience life at a traditional Buddhist temple, the Golgulsa Temple (Stone Buddha Temple), attracting truth seekers from around the world. Located at the foot of Mt. Hamwol, Gulgulsa is the only temple cave in Korea. The temple was built out of solid rock during the 6th century by Saint Gwang Yoo and some accompanying monks, and was designed according to the architectural structure of India.

On the top of the temple stands a sculpture of the Maya Tathagata Buddha, which is Golgulsa's main attraction, and surrounding the sculpture are twelve rock caves used as a prayer sanctuary. Seven of the twelve rock cave sanctuaries are still standing today. Another main attraction is the Gwaneum Cave, which is the largest sanctuary of the seven still existing caves. To protect the sculpture of any damage from the wind or rain, a glass ceiling has been installed in the Gwaneum Cave.

Day 1. Seoul/Gyeongju.
Depart by train from Seoul to Gyeongju, and transfer to Golgulsa Temple. On arrival, after a brief orientation meeting, you will attend a service with the monks including a sermon on the teachings of Buddha translated by the English speaking monks or temple authority.

"Anapanasati" is the traditional training method in Buddhism. It is the way to attain spiritual enlightenment by harmonizing body, mind and spirit. Remainder of the day
is free. (D)

Day 2. Golgulsa Temple to Seoul.
This morning, you will attend a morning service at the temple together with the monks followed by a Tea Ceremony taught by the monks. Later continue your onward travel. (B)

It should be noted that accommodation will be basic and food will be vegetarian.

DEPARTURES:

Join any day.

PRICES:

Please request current prices.

PRICE INCLUDES:

Return train tickets Seoul/Gyeongju, return transfers to the temple, one night's accommodation with private facilities, meals as shown by BLD, sightseeing tours.

Room No	TIME	Monday ~ Saturday programmes	Room No.	TIME	Sunday programmes
18	04:00	wake up	18	04:00	wake up
23	04:30	chanting (main shrine)	23	04:30	chanting (main shrine)
	05:00	sitting & walking meditation		05:00	sitting & walking meditation
20	06:30	breakfast (dinning room)	20	05:30	Prep. for Balwoogongyang
13	08:30	Sunmudo Training (90 min.) Sunmudo=Monks' Martial Art		06:20	Balwoogongyang (Breakfast)
	10:10	108 bows & meditation	20	08:30	Tea Time
	11:00	Tea Time	19	09:30	-Visiting other sites with Sunmudo Traning (extra charge :USD10.-/ per person)
20	11:50	Lunch (dinning room)
13	14:00	meditation or archery
13	15:00	community work	20	11:50	Lunch (dinning)
20	18:00	Dinner (dinning room)	23	15:00	Sunmudo Demonstration
13	18:30 18:45	(Saturday) Sunmudo TV Show (Weekday) Orientation	20	17:30	Dinner (dinning)
	19:00	chanting time	13	19:00	chanting time
	19:30	Sunmudo Training (90 min.)	13	19:30	Sunmudo Training (90 min.)
18	22:00	bed time/sleep	18	22:00	bed time/sleep

On Sundays, you are free to leave home after the Tea Time and may stay longer if you'd like to. but please check out of your room after lunch by1:30 pm for cleaning the rooms. There is a Sunmudo Demonstration at 3 pm at the Gym. (Sunmudo School / Room No 13). Please feel free to enjoy watching it.

Temple Guidelines and Etiquettes:

• Everyone must follow this schedule. If you are absent from the morning chanting, you must bow 3,000 times to the Buddha as a punishment.
• Please refrain from smoking, drinking alcohol, eating meat, overt sexuality or any other inappropriate behavior in the temple site and complex.
• The same genders will use/sleep in the same Quatro rooms from the family or from some other countries.
• Dress code: knees and shoulders must be covered and low necklines and tight clothing are not allowed
• Everyone must keep all these regulations and be punctual for each programme and anyone might be asked to leave the temple site by the head monk when he/she breaks the regulation(s)