Twice every year the Dongguk University International Seon Center organizes a special trip to a set of old Korean Temples. In this program, the participants can be guided to find inner peace and to experience the beauty of the rural areas of Korea. This allows them to visit sites that reveal the history of Korean Buddhism. Previously on October 25th last year, students went on a tour to several places. The destinations included Muryangsa, Sungjusaji, Gaeshimsa, and Daecheon Beach. The participants said that Sungjisaji was especially memorable because it is the largest Temple among the earliest nine Seon (Zen) Temples. In addition, international students were encouraged to join this program and had no difficulties in understanding the history of the sites. This was possible because a number of staff of the International Seon Center are fluent in various languages, and translating the explanations was well systemized. According to the school, 12 out of 45 participants were international students. To be specific, students from the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, India, China, Canada, and France joined the program. Given that international students do not usually get a chance to experience temple stay, this program enabled them to learn about Korean traditional temples, food, Seon, and meditation. Fortunately, the next tour is going to be on April 11th and will be heading to Seonunsa. Renowned for camellia flowers, Dosolam, and Dongho Beach near the temple, Seonunsa will be a good place to experience nature and asceticism.

Yim Se-youn  seyoun8120@dongguk.edu

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