If you’ve ever taken the bus from Gyeongju to Daegu, you might’ve caught a fleeting glimpse of a giant golden Buddha off in the mountains to the north. No, this isn’t some apparition induced by sleep deprivation or soju poisoning. This huge Buddha actually overlooks Manbulsa (만불사), or literally “Temple of Ten-thousand Buddhas,” nestled at [...]
Browsing the archives for the Buddhist culture category
1 Sep 10
27 Aug 10
By Don Baumhart
Continued from Part 1…
Harvesting Tea
Unlike the powdered tea used in the Japanese tea ceremonies, the Korean ceremonies use loose leaf green tea. Traditionally, this tea is referred to as “Jakseol-cha” (작설차) which literally means as “sparrow’s tongue tea,” as the small curled leaves resemble the tongues of sparrows. This “sparrow’s tongue” [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Food & drink, Korean culture, guest writer, shopping
Tagged Culture, Green tea, guest writer, history, Tea, Tea Ceremony, Traditional
Tagged Culture, Green tea, guest writer, history, Tea, Tea Ceremony, Traditional
6 Aug 10
Not to become a broken record or anything, but most tourists just bounce down to Gyeongju for a long weekend, hit up the big tourist sites, and head home Sunday night. It’s a shame really. You can barely even scratch the surface of what Gyeonju has to offer in 2 days. [...]
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Posted in Arts & crafts, Bomun-dong, Buddhist culture, Downtown, East Sea, Food & drink, Geumcheok-ri, Gyeongju, Gyo-dong, Namsan-dong, Outside Gyeongju, Ruins & remains, Sites to see, Statues & carvings, Temples & shrines, Tips for tourists, Tombs, Top 10, hiking, history, shopping
Tagged Anapji Pond, ancient carvings, architecture, Bomun Resort, Bulguksa, cycling, downtown, East Sea, Eonyang, Gyeongju, Gyodong, hiking, history, Namsan, Restaurants, ruins, Seokkuram, Shilla Dynasty, sights to see, temples, Tips for tourists, Tombs, Top 10
Tagged Anapji Pond, ancient carvings, architecture, Bomun Resort, Bulguksa, cycling, downtown, East Sea, Eonyang, Gyeongju, Gyodong, hiking, history, Namsan, Restaurants, ruins, Seokkuram, Shilla Dynasty, sights to see, temples, Tips for tourists, Tombs, Top 10
26 May 10
By Don Baumhart
If you want a glimpse into the soul of traditional Korean culture, you should try to experience grace and charm of the Korean tea ceremony. Like its Japanese counterpart, the Korean tea ceremony is meditation in motion. Each slow and mindful movement is carefully choreographed from start to finish. As in meditation, the [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Food & drink, Korean culture, guest writer, history
Tagged Culture, Green tea, guest writer, history, Tea, Tea Ceremony, Traditional
Tagged Culture, Green tea, guest writer, history, Tea, Tea Ceremony, Traditional
18 May 10
I mentioned a few weeks ago Dongguk University held it’s lantern-lighting ceremony in honor of Buddha’s Birthday on April 29th. As it turned out, the 29th was also declared a National Day or Mourning in honor of the 46 sailors who died in the sinking of the “Cheonan” on March 26th. Unfortunately this meant all [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Festivals, Gyeongju, holidays
Tagged Buddhism, Dongguk University, fesitvals, Gyeongju, holidays, Nabichun, Pansori, Samulnor, Spring, traditional dance, traditional music
Tagged Buddhism, Dongguk University, fesitvals, Gyeongju, holidays, Nabichun, Pansori, Samulnor, Spring, traditional dance, traditional music
15 May 10
The other Sunday the sun was finally shining after a solid week of rain. My wife and I hopped in the car and took off to explore the countryside determined to enjoy some of the hard-earned Spring weather. As luck would have it, we drifted back some country roads going west out of town, and [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Gyeongju, Sites to see, Temples & shrines
Tagged architecture, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Cave shrine, Countryside, Flowers, Gyeongju, Mt. Eorimsan, Nae Tae Villiage, Pear Flowers, Spring, temples, Villiages
Tagged architecture, Bodhisattva, Buddhism, Cave shrine, Countryside, Flowers, Gyeongju, Mt. Eorimsan, Nae Tae Villiage, Pear Flowers, Spring, temples, Villiages
12 May 10
Coming up in about a week and a half is my absolute favorite holiday in Korea: Seokga Tanshinil (석가탄신일), or Buddha’s Birthday. Every temple in Korea celebrates Buddha’s Birthday one way or another. Most hang lanterns, have special ceremonies and serve a special group lunch or dinner for parishioners. A few of the larger or [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Bulguk-dong, Gyeongju, Statues & carvings, Temples & shrines, Tips for tourists, holidays
Tagged ancient carvings, architecture, Buddha's Birthday, Buddhism, Bulguksa, Golgulsa, Gyeongju, holidays, lantern parade, Seokkuram, Seonmudo, sights to see, Spring, temples, Tips for tourists, video
Tagged ancient carvings, architecture, Buddha's Birthday, Buddhism, Bulguksa, Golgulsa, Gyeongju, holidays, lantern parade, Seokkuram, Seonmudo, sights to see, Spring, temples, Tips for tourists, video
4 May 10
Continued from Part 1:
5. The Buddha Boulder (부처바위) of Tapgol Valley (탑골): Tucked behind the quaint beauty of Oknyeongam Hermitage (옥룡암) in Tapgol (pagoda) Valley is a large rock outcropping covered with Buddhist carvings. There are dozens of cryptic images including meditating Buddhas, flying Devas, pagodas, and even winged lions! The quiet magic of [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Gyeongju, Statues & carvings, Tips for tourists, Top 10, history
Tagged ancient carvings, Buddhism, Byeondosan, cycling, Geumgangsan, Gyeongju, hiking, history, Namsan, ruins, Seokkuram, Shilla Dynasty, sights to see, Tips for tourists, Top 10
Tagged ancient carvings, Buddhism, Byeondosan, cycling, Geumgangsan, Gyeongju, hiking, history, Namsan, ruins, Seokkuram, Shilla Dynasty, sights to see, Tips for tourists, Top 10
1 May 10
The other week my wife and I were walking through an older neighborhood of Gyeongju on our way downtown to grab a burger at McDonalds (Yeah, yeah. I know, but she’s pregnant. I’m not going to argue.) About a block from the courthouse, we turned the corner and stumbled on something we’d not seen since [...]
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Posted in Buddhist culture, Gyeongju, Seonggeon-dong, Temples & shrines, history
Tagged architecture, Buddhism, downtown, Gyeongju, history, Japanese occupation, Modern History, photography, Soto Zen, temples
Tagged architecture, Buddhism, downtown, Gyeongju, history, Japanese occupation, Modern History, photography, Soto Zen, temples
