There’s a cheesy platitude in this, I’m sure
Saturday, August 5, 9PM
Today was the best day of the trip thus far. I’d try to tie in an appropriate moral slogan, but I’m notorious for butchering them in my recollection. If you know of one that’s well suited to describe my transition from miserable complaining yesterday to deep happiness today, feel free to leave it in the comments (all I can think of offhand is something about night being darkest just before daybreak, or some such saying).
Here’s the scoop: Initially yesterday’s funk carried over into today when I discovered that our first excursion was a two-hour bus trip away (are you picking up on just how unbearable I find sitting travel by bus?); you’re lucky I didn’t have the laptop with me ‘cause the grousing would have been fierce. Offhand, I’m not sure when my spirits started to lift – I think perhaps it was the rugged beauty of the green mountains that cheered me a bit. Think south-central mountains of Pennsylvania, though with even more humidity, somewhat more pointed mountaintops and brilliant, emerald green rice patties carpeting the valleys.
Our journey led to Haein Buddhist Temple, a site that radiates the wisdom, serenity and sacredness accumulated over its 1,000+-year history. It’s a fairly remote spot; after the bus dropped us off we walked a good twenty-minutes or so uphill through scenic woods.
I could feel something special in the air as I passed stone statues and pagodas, worn by water and wind over the centuries, but I wasn’t prepared for the awe-inducing quality of the Temple itself. I’m not making a religious statement here; there’s something universally powerful about religious sites that were built with reverence and treasured by faithful adherents as hundreds of years have passed – whether this Haein Buddhist Temple or the cathedrals spread throughout the world. Plus I’m just a sucker for really old things. Combine that with extraordinary beauty (both natural and man made), and the obvious sincerity of visiting pilgrims, and I think it’d be awfully hard not to be moved.
One of the more-worldly and selfish groovy aspects of the visit is that I finally realized what I want to take home as personal souvenirs of my time in Korea, so I purchased several wind-chimes and outdoor bells at the temple and the little mountain hamlet where we lunch later in the day to build a simple Korean bell and chime garden in my backyard. Come by sometime and sit outside with me for a listen.
next post
Today was the best day of the trip thus far. I’d try to tie in an appropriate moral slogan, but I’m notorious for butchering them in my recollection. If you know of one that’s well suited to describe my transition from miserable complaining yesterday to deep happiness today, feel free to leave it in the comments (all I can think of offhand is something about night being darkest just before daybreak, or some such saying).
Here’s the scoop: Initially yesterday’s funk carried over into today when I discovered that our first excursion was a two-hour bus trip away (are you picking up on just how unbearable I find sitting travel by bus?); you’re lucky I didn’t have the laptop with me ‘cause the grousing would have been fierce. Offhand, I’m not sure when my spirits started to lift – I think perhaps it was the rugged beauty of the green mountains that cheered me a bit. Think south-central mountains of Pennsylvania, though with even more humidity, somewhat more pointed mountaintops and brilliant, emerald green rice patties carpeting the valleys.
Our journey led to Haein Buddhist Temple, a site that radiates the wisdom, serenity and sacredness accumulated over its 1,000+-year history. It’s a fairly remote spot; after the bus dropped us off we walked a good twenty-minutes or so uphill through scenic woods.
I could feel something special in the air as I passed stone statues and pagodas, worn by water and wind over the centuries, but I wasn’t prepared for the awe-inducing quality of the Temple itself. I’m not making a religious statement here; there’s something universally powerful about religious sites that were built with reverence and treasured by faithful adherents as hundreds of years have passed – whether this Haein Buddhist Temple or the cathedrals spread throughout the world. Plus I’m just a sucker for really old things. Combine that with extraordinary beauty (both natural and man made), and the obvious sincerity of visiting pilgrims, and I think it’d be awfully hard not to be moved.
One of the more-worldly and selfish groovy aspects of the visit is that I finally realized what I want to take home as personal souvenirs of my time in Korea, so I purchased several wind-chimes and outdoor bells at the temple and the little mountain hamlet where we lunch later in the day to build a simple Korean bell and chime garden in my backyard. Come by sometime and sit outside with me for a listen.
next post
posted by Cowells at 1:48 AM
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