No Monatstic Vows for Me

Ibuprofen. That is the word for the day. Between the sunmudo training and sleeping on the floor, I'm stiff and sore. But, no time to complain. We were awoken at 4am by the sound of the wood noise thingy and by 4:30 we had to be at the shrine situated at the top of the hill. I arrived with about two minutes before the monks began chanting. It was mesmerizing to stand quietly and absorb the moment. The monks chanted with the wooden instrument, clacking loudly in time. The shrine was lit with numerous candles, illuminating doubly from the reflection off the fat cheeks of hundreds of Buddha statues lining the front wall. Following the 30 minutes of chanting, they dimmed the lights to red and turned our cushions toward the wall for sitting meditation. Another 30 minutes passed, and we moved outside to participate in walking meditation. We silently climbed the steep incline to the chakra stupa, formed a circle, and received instructions on the proper method. After circling the stupa a couple of times, we walked gingerly down the road. I was struck by the cacophony of sounds. I looked up and could see a couple of monks in the rock outcroppings, which I visited yesterday, their chants combined with those of another monk in the cave shrine. I believe each had their own wooden instrument, so the clacking beat was different from each monk’s chant. The noises floated over us then echoed off the nearby hillside. It was magical in the weak glow of the early morning sun.

Following breakfast, we had sunmudo training once again. I was not particularly looking forward to it, given the soreness in my legs. Luckily, the session was concentrated on stretching. I was grateful to get a break but soon realized that maybe they were saving us for the 108 bows. The bows start from a standing position, hands together in prayer. When the instructor claps the bamboo stick, you kneel on a cushion and lower your forehead to the floor, hands extending outward toward the altar. 108 times. The instructor provided me with an English translation of the 108 contemplations that coincide with the bows. With each bow, you read the sentence and contemplate it until the next bow. Some that I remember were, "I bow to be rid of selfishness." “I bow to honor those who have loved and supported me.” “I bow to be forgiven for the times I have hurt someone.” He graciously told us that we could rest during the process if necessary and just stand quietly until beginning again; but, I refused to be the tourist that couldn’t do it! A recording of a monk played, with a background of very light music, and we began to bow when the instructor slapped the bamboo into his palm. I made it through all 108 but have to admit my thighs were burning around 90. It was a great exercise in concentration, as I realized my whole focus was on the activity, and my mind had no time or desire to wander. I thought this might be a nice meditation practice to adopt, but I think I may modify to 18 bows!

Lunch was great, so I loaded up on japchae and rice. One never knows when the next meal comes.

I returned via local bus to Gyeongju and secured a room for the night. I spent the evening obtaining a bus ticket for my travels tomorrow, purchasing some snacks for the ride, and laundering all my clothes. Literally. I’ll be leaving Gyeongju tomorrow at 9:40am for Mokpo, via Gwangju.Read more