Traveling to lovely places with my friends, watching movies everyday at home, and tutoring high school students are the things I usually do during vacation. But what I want to introduce to you is not a common vacation activity, and that is staying in a Buddhist temple. 

Two years ago, I was sick and tired of everything. There were many reasons why I felt this way, but the main reason was that I had been injured during my military service. So when my school was on vacation, I decided to stay at a Buddhist temple to seek inner peace. I searched for the right temple online and applied for a solitary residency program at Magoksa Temple in the Chung-Cheong province.

Korean Buddhist temples are often located in mountainous regions near the natural beauty of rivers, valleys, or the sea. The Magoksa temple is no exception. What I tried to do there was to master my mind through meditation. So I was usually alone in my own world. Sometimes when I was bored, I participated in some group activities like walking around the temple, religious services, talking with Buddhist monks, and traditional Korean art.

To be honest, I couldn’t achieve what I wanted during my stay in the temple. But, I learned something through my experience. The first thing is, I can’t change things that have already happened. So I made up my mind not to be obsessed with the past. The second thing is some amazing change can happen not only in special places, but also just ordinary places like home, school and work. It is not important where you are but who you are.

Discussion questions

Retell Hochan's story about his stay in Magok Temple.

1. Why did he decide to stay at a Buddhist temple?

2. What kind of activities did he do there?

3. What did he learn from his experience?

4. Would you like to stay at a Buddhist temple on vacation?