Happy Birthday, Buddha!
Some very young Korean monks!
A temple decked out with lanterns for Buddha's birthdayToday was a national holiday in Korea--Buddha's Birthday. Paul, Helen, Kirsty, Ara, and some AP Korean teachers went to Hwaamsa, a Buddhist temple outside of Sokcho, for the festivities. On Buddha's Birthday kids have the day off of school and most people don't have to work (including hogwan teachers!). The day is spent in prayer and reflection at your chosen temple.
One of the things I enjoyed most about today was seeing the temple laced with lanterns. Believers wrote their names and perhaps a wish or two for the new year on a slip of paper, which is attached to the lanterns. Many had already prepared papers but during the day as more people arrived, more and more names went up. Sadly, you cannot take pictures inside of the temple, so we only peered in at the believers prostrating themselves and offering prayers to the Buddha. We were able to enjoy watching the monks beat the traditional Korean drum and listen to Buddhist chanting, though.
In Korea the birthday of Buddha is celebrated according to the Chinese calendar. This day is called 부처님 오신 날 (Bucheonim osin nal), meaning "the day when Buddha arrived". Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple throughout the month which are often flooded down the street. On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. The breakfast and lunch provided are often sanchae bibimbap (from Wikipedia).
Unfortunately, our computer is being persnickety and I cannot post my own pictures of today at this time. But hopefully soon I will be able to share with you the gorgeous views of Hwaamsa temple, Subawi rock, and the adventurous walk through the countryside we took through rice fields, streams, forest, and marsh to get back to Sokcho ;)
Here is a good article describing this special day (and this article is also good!). Happy 2,550th Buddha!
One of the things I enjoyed most about today was seeing the temple laced with lanterns. Believers wrote their names and perhaps a wish or two for the new year on a slip of paper, which is attached to the lanterns. Many had already prepared papers but during the day as more people arrived, more and more names went up. Sadly, you cannot take pictures inside of the temple, so we only peered in at the believers prostrating themselves and offering prayers to the Buddha. We were able to enjoy watching the monks beat the traditional Korean drum and listen to Buddhist chanting, though.
In Korea the birthday of Buddha is celebrated according to the Chinese calendar. This day is called 부처님 오신 날 (Bucheonim osin nal), meaning "the day when Buddha arrived". Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple throughout the month which are often flooded down the street. On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. The breakfast and lunch provided are often sanchae bibimbap (from Wikipedia).
Unfortunately, our computer is being persnickety and I cannot post my own pictures of today at this time. But hopefully soon I will be able to share with you the gorgeous views of Hwaamsa temple, Subawi rock, and the adventurous walk through the countryside we took through rice fields, streams, forest, and marsh to get back to Sokcho ;)
Here is a good article describing this special day (and this article is also good!). Happy 2,550th Buddha!
posted by streetwise at 6:10 AM
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