Drinking dishwater at the Beomeosa Temple

Respecting cultural and religious diversity:

After an amazing and unforgettable culture night, it was time for a wonderful study visit. On Thursday morning (third day of the workshop) we went to the Beomeosa Temple. 

The Beomeosa Temple is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The Temple is located in the northern district Geumjeong-gu in Busan, South-Korea. The Temple is built on the slopes of Geumjeongsan, it is one of the country’s most known urban temples.

View from the Beomeosa Temle

View from the second gate

The Beomeosa Temple was constructed in 678 during the reign of Silla king Munmu, by the monk Uisang. At its largest, during the Goryeo dynasty, it was much larger than it is today- with over 360 rooms and more than a thousand monks in residence. You can find more about the history of the Temple on the internet; I’ll talk more about the experiences during the study visit.

First of all I want to thank our guide mister Kim Man II. We couldn’t imagine any better guide. His enthusiasm, his experience, his origin and his belief in the power of youth, was amazing.

We started the visit at the front gate (Iljumun). There were three gates before you actually enter the Temple. At the first gate, called the “One-Pillar Gate”, because when viewed from the side the gate appears to be supported by a single pillar symbolizing the one true path of enlightenment which supports the world. There you had to let go all your thoughts, all your bad thoughts, all your doubts, all your prejudices so your mind is open and clear to enter the Beomeosa Temple. 

Iljumun (front gate)

When you arrive at the second gate and you didn’t let go of these thoughts, the four terrifying creatures (Four Heavenly Kings) would make sure you did. The four kings were also guarding the entrance to the temple.

One of the four heavenly kings at the second gate

The third gate, Beomeosa Burimun, or Gate of Non-Duality is the final gate before entering the main temple. This gate symbolizes connection, the concept that the realm of Buddha and this world are the same.

On the way to the third gate, Beomeosa Burimun

At every gate the guide made the link with GCED; how we have to let go of our prejudices, how we have to believe that we are all the same, how we are all connected, we have to look at the world and into your true inner-self with a clear and open mind.

Once we were in the garden of the temple the most impressive part of the complex for me was the Hall with the large drum and huge bell to get the attention of every creature (all the creatures in the sea, all the creatures in the air/ heaven, all the creatures on earth and all the creatures under the earth) to let them know that they will start praying, meditating at the Temple.

Dae Woong Jeon (Buddha Hall)

At the other side of the garden, there is the main Hall, the Dae Woong Jeon (Buddha Hall). While mister Kim give us more explanation about the Buddha Hall, he told us that mother love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Standing there, at that amazing place, with all these amazing people around me thinking about what the most beautiful thing in the world is, made me very quiet and let me realize that mother love is the most beautiful thing in the world.

In front of the Buddha Hall (PS. It was a very cold day)

After a spiritual, emotional, interesting and amazing morning at the Beomeosa Temple we went to have traditional Temple food in the traditional way. What an experience!!

We were guided by a Monk who explained us how to prepare for eating, how to eat and how to clean our bowls in the correct way. Following pictures will give you an idea of the tradition. If you want to know the details, I recommend you to visit the Beomeosa Temple and to have traditional Temple food. Enjoy!

The beginning 

Meal chant:

Where has this food come from? 

I am ashamed of eating it.

I will take it as medicine 

to get rid of greed in my mind

and to keep my physical being

in order to achive enlightenment.

Cleaning our bowls

Traditional Temple food

We have to finish everything we take

Ready to start eating

But first the rules, how we have to eat

Finished, think I did well, now we have to use the yellow radish and the water in the bowl (top right) to clean our bowls. When our bowls are clean, we have to drink the water we cleaned our bowls with...  

It's because of our own perspective that we think the water we cleaned our bowls in is dirty and unhealty to drink. There is nothing wrong with the water, the water is drinkable and the bits that are in the water are leftovers from the food you've just eaten. We have to learn to put our perspectives aside. To let go of our prejudices, our stereotypes. How we address things, how we respond to it is from our own perspective. But we have to learn how to let go of our own perspective and look at things in another way, from the perspective of other human beings, other citizens.