Seon templestay: Know thyself through meditation

Korea Herald

29-05-2025

Jogye Order's seon meditation retreats woo young people seeking emotional fortitude
Meditation has long been a source of spiritual and mental comfort — when practiced properly.
'How to do just that is a question I've been asked numerous times,' said the Ven. Bogak, the templestay director at Jogyesa, the chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea.
Buddhism is the mother of all meditation, Bogak said. That thinking, long shared within the Jogye Order, has prompted it to roll out a new templestay program focusing on 'seon meditation,' or repeatedly questioning one's inner self and surroundings until the mind reboots.
Of the 158 temples offering templestay programs, 13, including Jogyesa in Seoul, currently offer programs featuring seon meditation.
Meditation at Jogyesa
The two-day meditation program at Jogyesa starts at 2 p.m., with guests changing into the gray robes of Buddhist practitioners and sitting down on the floor for an introduction to Buddhist courtesies like touching the palms together when bowing to monks.
Then begins the 108 prostrations ceremony, a Buddhist ritual in which practitioners chant 108 mantras and perform deep bows 108 times.
'You're encouraged to clear your mind while doing it,' said Cha Kyung-suk, a volunteer at Jogyesa who demonstrates deep bowing. Cha acknowledges that the ritual is physically challenging, requiring over 20 minutes to complete.
Following the prostrations, the participants — averaging between 10 and 15 per session — prepare to lie on their backs with eyes closed to await instructions from Bogak, the Jogyesa templestay director.
The nun starts playing resonant instruments like singing bowls and chimes. The tones and vibrations are meant to wash away emotional burdens and soothe the mind, she said.
Immersion in sound, often called a 'sound bath,' is a quick way to declutter the mind and it enables templestay participants to initiate their own introspection, she explained.
The seon meditation session includes a regular Buddhist service that takes place at 6 p.m. every day. The service, held at Jogyesa's main hall, Daeungjeon, involves chanting mantras and bowing before the seated Sakyamuni Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas, one representing wisdom and the other spiritual practice.
Dinner at the temple — made without meat, fish, dairy, garlic, spring onion, chives and leeks to avoid stimulating the libido — wraps up the first day. Participants have to go to bed by 9 p.m.
Buddhist routines
The second day starts at 4 a.m., as the sound of monks beating on 'moktak,' a handheld wooden percussion instrument, wakes up participants. They are led to 'Beomjongnu,' a pavilion where monks play, in turn, four Buddhist instruments to 'save souls.'
Beating a leather drum called 'beopgo' is believed to save the souls of four-legged creatures, while a fish-shaped wooden drum called 'mogeo' is said to do the same for underwater creatures.
'Unpan,' a cloud-shaped bronze plate, is linked to liberating anything flying from suffering. 'Beomjong,' a Buddhist bell, overpowers all because it 'saves all the souls.'
A morning Buddhist service follows, in which participants chant mantras and bow before the Buddha and bodhisattvas. Bogak leads an early morning stroll around the Jogyesa compound, occupied by no one but the templestay participants. The walk is done in silence.
The 7 a.m. breakfast essentially concludes the two-day Jogyesa stay. Participants have to check out by 10 a.m. after cleaning up their rooms and leaving a review of their time at the temple.
First-timers, many of whom joined out of curiosity, expressed general satisfaction with the program.
Kim Ye-ji, 25, said she was drawn to the program by online postings about it. 'The reason I chose Jogyesa was that this main temple had the best reviews,' said Kim, an office worker from Gyeonggi Province.
But Kim wasn't entirely without regrets, noting she had hoped for more direct engagement with the chief monk overseeing the program.
'Meditation by definition should be done alone, but beginners have more questions than answers. They want a personal touch that leads to something they can take home,' Kim added.
Seon templestay is offered at many temples throughout the country, including Naksansa in Gangwon Province; Magoksa in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province; Baegyangsa in South Jeolla Province; and Tongdosa in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.