GENERAL INFORMATION
TRAVEL IDEAS
- Essential Korea, 7 days
- Seoul Shopping, 3 days
- Seoul in Depth, 6 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
MULTI-DESTINATION TRAVEL IDEAS
- Highlights of Korea and Hong Kong, 10 days
JOIN-IN TOURS
- Korea In Depth, 11 days
- Korea Showcase, 7 days
- EXPO 2012 - Yeosu Korea, 9 days
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Korea Independent Travel Ideas
Korean Temple Stay
3 days
This is a truly unique experience which will give you an amazing insight into a special aspect of Korean worship. Drink tea with monks and masters and discuss Buddhism and the zen pathway. 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.
Golgulsa Temple (Stone Buddha Temple)
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. Golgul Temple has run Sunmudo (monks' martial art)
training programs since 1992 for those who wish to experience the traditions of Korean Buddhism. 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 the temple authority. Remainder of the day is free. (D)
Day 2. Temple stay.
This morning, you will attend a morning service at the temple together with the monks followed by a Tea Ceremony taught by the monks. (BLD)
Day 3. Gyeongju to Seoul.
After breakfast, you will partake in the normal morning activities up until lunch. Sit down to lunch and say your goodbyes to the monks. Depart the Temple and continue your onward travels. (BL)
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, two night's accommodation with private facilities, meals as shown by BLD, sightseeing tours.
Room No |
TIME |
Monday ~ Saturday programmes |
Room |
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 |
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 |
|
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 |
(Saturday) Sunmudo TV Show |
20 |
17:30 |
Dinner (dinning) |
19:00 |
chanting time |
13 |
19:00 |
chanting time |
|
19:30 |
Sunmudo Training |
13 |
19:30 |
Sunmudo Training |
|
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 loger 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, enjoying sexual life and making 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 & tight clothings 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)
