Korean Job Discussion Forums

[taobenli]

I'm currently an ESL (now ELL???) assistant in the U.S. and will be going back to grad school in the fall for an M.A. in East Asian Studies. I wasn't raised with any particular religion, though I'm interested in getting involved in Buddhist meditation and practice when I go back to Seattle (I promise not to become a know-it-all hippy type!).

I have lived in China and Japan and could see come of the ways that Buddhism was (and wasn't) practiced in daily life there. I am really curious about Buddhism in Korea. I had a few Korean friends in high school and college and now most of my students are Korean. Of all the Koreans I have known, all but one have been Christian, and the one was Buddhist. And I found out that this one just recently converted to Christianity! How many practicing Buddhists are there in Korean today? Do Korean Christians look down on practicing Buddhists? Are there any major organizations or universities that are affiliated with the Buddhist faith rather than a Christian sect?

Thanks!

taobenli

[Badmojo]

I don't know, but I had an interesting time at a Buddhist temple yesterday.

I went and saw Gaemisimsa, it's over 1300 years old. It's out in the middle of nowhere, near Haemi, a rocking little town with a bustling population of 9600. Naturally I couldn't find the place and I was lost. But as fate would have it, there was a Buddhist monk at the bus station who was going to visit the temple himself. So we went together.

The man spoke fairly good English and I got the dirt on Buddhist monkdom in Korea. Maybe the most interesting thing I learned was that those guys shave their heads once every 15 days. Jong-ta (that was his name) lives in Incheon where he spends most of his time studying Buddhism with 20 other monks. Before he was a monk, he was in construction. He helped build an airport.

Anyway, he explained a lot of things to me at the temple and was more or less my tour guide. He showed me where the monks sleep, a small barren room with nothing in it but a little chair. I saw where they eat, and where they pray. Afterwards I ate dinner with three of them. I probably could have stayed and slept at the temple too, but I had to get back.

I personally believe there's a lot of truth in what these Buddhists think. Desire nothing but desirelessness, hope for nothing except to rise above all hopes, want nothing and you'll have everything.

It sounds good to me.

[taobenli]

Hmmm....no one else is interested in this?

[Yaya]

[Alias]

I've heard that Evangelical Christians here have been know to harass Buddhists and protest outside their temples. I wonder how often this happens?

[sadsac]

I have had the pleasure in teaching two buddhist monks and the ones whom I have met are very devout. Both attended Dongguk Uni and one lived in India for two years to complete his training. He is a meditation monk and lives a very simple life at Arimsa temple here in Geochang. Buddhism is now the second largest religion in Korea after christianity. The Chogye order is the largest order and the most devout of the orders in Korea. The hermatige which is where the monks reside is a very simple dwelling and in 99% of cases monks will welcome the chance to show you their temple and offer tea and refreshments. My personal experience in nearly four years of visiting temples is all positive and I have a great deal of admiration for the monks. Many people complain about the charge to enter temples. This is a government charge and the temple receives none of this money directly. It is used to preserve the wonderful buildings and grounds of these monuments.

[Yaya]

[igotthisguitar]

[Qinella]

I haven't met a single Buddhist yet. Most people I talk to either have no religion or are Christian. Maybe it's because of the area I live in (near Daejon).

[JacktheCat]

[redbird]

[kangnam mafioso]

it is my understanding that 50 percent or so of koreans are christians with the remainder being buddhist/ confucius/ other religions/philosophies. i would imagine 20-30% are buddhists. in any regard, there are buddhist temples all over seoul and korea. i've visited quite a few and enjoyed it. maybe i'm wrong, but it seems to me that the younger/wealthier/english-speaking segment of korean society gravitates towards christianity as it does many western things, while the older, less affluent populace is more buddhist. for instance, the majority of my young rich students at a private university in seoul were christian, but nearly every taxi driver has buddhist leanings, beads hanging down from the rear view, etc. many of the poorer neighborhoods in northern seoul have little temples everywhere (designated by the strange red nazi-like symbol). there is a lot of bowing in korean temples. is this prevalent elsewhere? i didn't notice it in thailand (but i didn't actually attend a service w/ monk present). people come in and bow over and over to images of the buddha and other religious symbols -- it is a very ornate bow where the person is standing with hands together and eventually is prostate on the ground -- it must be very hard on the knees if you do it a couple of hours like some of the people were doing. this was followed by meditation while various monks came in and chanted and hit drums and metal bowls. offerings of rice, incense and other things were also placed at the alter. i would recommend going to a service if you get the chance, whether or not you are buddhist. it's okay to sit in the back (cross-legged with hands in the lap) and just meditate or observe respectfully (you don't have to bow). i would suggest going to kang-wa-do island west of seoul or the big temple near COEX mall in kangnam and, of course, kyung-ju.

[On the other hand]

[Koreabound2004]

I have met a couple of monks during my time here. One monk, I met while hiking up a mountain with my boyfriend. We saw his small temple, so we went up to have a closer look. He didn't speak much English, but invited us to have a look inside his temple, and asked us if we wanted some rice.

Another time, a K-teacher, had asked us to meet one of his good friends who was a monk. We expressed an interest in learning more about Buddhism, so he took us to his friends temple, and we were invited into the monk's residence. We had tea with him(lots of it), and he then took us into his temple at night, and gave us some Zen training for about an hour. It is really difficult, a lot harder to do than you might think. Overall, it was one of my best experiences in Korea.

When we visited Seoul during Chuseok, we went to Jogyesa, and there was a large ceremony happening. A lot of chanting, and hundreds of people bowing over and over again...it was quite amazing, and the sights and sounds were just phenomenal.

Out of all religions, Buddhism appeals to me most. I can identify with the beliefs, and it makes sense to me on so many levels.


As a side note, if you are interested in staying at a temple in Korea, temple stays can be arranged. I am sure you must pay some money for it(which immediately turns me off the idea), but if you want more info, the site is:

http://www.templestaykorea.com/

[thorin]