“Healing” is one of the buzz words lately. The trend well reflects the realities of society that so many people are under a lot of stress. There are different types of method to relieve stress; reading books, working out, chatting away with friends and so on. ST introduces experience of a temple stay to get away from pressure for a while.
Temple stay is a program that can provide us with an opportunity to leave the complex society we are in, and to reflect on ourselves. ST went to Yongjoosa in Suwon and participated in the two-day/one-night temple stay program during the winter vacation. ST introduces herein the elements of the impressive program, and their meanings.
Barugongyang is the traditional meal at the temple. Baru consists of four bowls. With these four bowls, one is to take as much food as he/she could finish, and water for rinsing the bowls. One of Barugongyang’s main aims is to make you have more considerate attitudes toward other people or the environments. As it is a meal with other people, if you put a lot of food in your bowls, there may not be any food left for the other people. Therefore, when deciding on the amount of food that you would take, you should have a mind that is considerate of others. Also, there should not be any leftover food on your bowls, and detergent is not used; the bowls are rinsed using only water, so that the environment would not be polluted.Nowadays, we spend money or waste things so easily. Barugongyang is a program that will help us develop a considerate mind and the mindset of saving.
108 bows
In Buddhism, a bow is a sign of respect for other people, of a willingness to learn, and of gratitude. It is a posture where one’s arms, knees, and head are close to the ground. It is thus a posture where one lowers himself or herself, which is the first step to respecting others.
There are many people who are arrogant and who think that they are the best. They can cause many troubles because of their pride. By making 108 bows, one may be able to realize that what he or she did was wrong, and may regret his or her mistake. It thus helps people adopt a modest attitude.
These days, almost everyone goes to coffee shops and drinks coffee, but hardly anyone drinks tea that has been boiled for a long time. Tea is known to have many effects. After drinking tea, we can feel comfortable and awake. The tea ceremony, however, is an unfamiliar cultural practice to us. It involves drinking tea while maintaining a good posture. The tea ceremony gives us time to think of our life in a comfortable mood. It is helpful for people who are under tremendous stress.
Temple stay offers us many benefits without involving religion. As it has recently gained popularity, many temples already have their own temple stay programs. In our fast-paced lives, participating in these programs will give us time to think of ourselves and our lives, and will make us feel comfortable, away from the complex society. If you have become jaded due to too much work, and think that life is meaningless, temple stay is a good treatment option for you.
