In Search of the “Path to Live as Myself” | Trips to Korean Hermitages
In Search of the “Path to Live as Myself”
Gyubongam Hermitage on Mt. Mudeungsan
Yun Je-hak | Freelance Wrter
On first glance, Mt. Mudeungsan looks blandly gentle, even insignificant. Despite its relatively high elevation (1,187 m) among Korean mountains, and large area (75.4 km2), most people would d…
My Zen Journey Started with Friendship
My Zen Journey Started with Friendship
Richard Kahn | Dharma Teacher at Kwan Um School of Zen
I practice Korean Zen and I’m a Dharma teacher in the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Zen Master Sueng Sahn Sunim. After 24 years of practice and 67 years of life, I have one foot in Korea and one in New Y…
Prostrations | Buddhist Poem
Prostrations
by Go Hyeong-ryeol
Today my heart Goes to a temple and offers prostrationsWhile leaves open their buds one by oneKneeling down on an aged wooden floorCold, without any trace of warmth
I who is joyful, clean and existing perpetuallyStand up and look againIn the forest where last spring di…
Life’s Small Pause and a Critical Question
Life’s Small Pause and a Critical Question
Nikolas Michos | Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher
There is a point in one’s life when a small pause takes place and a question mark appears. A sense of separateness on one level and a complete connectedness on a different level simultaneously fill the same mo…
Prayers Confirm That We Are Each Other’s Bodhisattva | Korean Temples Seen from Above
Prayers Confirm That We Are Each Other’s Bodhisattva
Bomunsa Temple on Mt. Nakgasan in Ganghwa-do
Eunjeok | Freelance Wrter
These days, even wailing seems beyond our power. Even crying loudly is something that can be done if we have the strength left to carry on, a reason to live. When even crying be…
Sansingak | Icons of Korean Buddhism
SansingakMountain Spirits Venerated in Korean Temples
David A. Mason | Wrter
Throughout Korean history, the residents of this mountainous peninsula have believed that the peaks and slopes are spiritually alive and religiously significant, inhabited by or manifesting Sansin, which literally means “mou…
Immaculate Discipline of the Monk Militia | Buddhism Encountered at Korean Temples
Immaculate Discipline of the Monk Militia
Diamond Gate at Songkwangsa Temple in Wanju
Gwon Jung-seo | Culturologist
The history of Songkwangsa Temple in Wanju began with Ven. Doui, a Seon master from Silla, when he built a temple on a site where he found a sacred spring called “Yeongcheonsu” while se…
Moon Bears on Mt. Jirisan | Paintings of Korean Ecology
Moon Bears on Mt. Jirisan
Lee Ho-sin | Artist of Korean Painting
According to the “Legend of Dangun,” the legendary founder of Korea, the mother of all Korean descendants was a bear named “Ungnyeo,” even though we actually know very little about bears. Although I have enjoyed ecological tourism for m…
What Is the Diamond Sutra? | Buddhist Scriptures with Modern Interpretations
What Is the Diamond Sutra?
Ven. Wonbin | Abbot of Songdeoksa Temple, Director of Happiness Culture Institute
The Origin of the Diamond SutraKorean Buddhists love the Diamond Sutra. Because it is the foundational sutra of the Jogye Order, it is worthwhile to explore its origin, about which there are t…
