korean temple
Talk about irony. Buddhist monks, those shaven-headed figures in gray robes, choose to leave this earthly world (that is, mundane society) in favor of an ascetic existence based on prayer and self-denial.But now their unworldly lifestyle is becoming a tourist product... with the monastics' approval! Monastic life as a tourist attraction? It's part of a global craze for monasticism. From the Himalayas to the Hudson River, monks are in. Japanese salarymen are chucking their jobs and fleeing to monasteries. In Taiwan last year, monasticism become big news. Hundreds of families were shocked when their promising sons and daughters opted for Buddhist monastic life instead of comfy careers in business. Meanwhile, in the United States, at least one monastery finds it necessary to turn away would-be novices. we are not soliciting vocations, the monastery says gently The worldwide renewal of interest in monasticism has reached out to Korean Buddhists too. People are interested in Buddhist monks and how they live. Many people, whether seeking enlightenment or just fed up with the noise and glitz of consumer society, would like to try the monastic way of living. So why not give them a taste of it? That is precise
The Sokkuram was modeled after the stone cave temples of china, but in china these were cut into the face of natural rock cliffs, whereas the Sokkuram is a man-made stone grotto designed as a setting for the worship of a principal statue of Buddha. Sokkuram Grotto is readily accessible by paved road (9 km) or hiking paths (3 km). The entire grotto was dismantled for repair during the Japanese occupation period (1913 - 15) and again in 1962-64 to prevent the erosion of stone by dew condensation. The main hall beyond the small antechamber is round and the ceiling is domed. Yet it is its sculpture that makes the Sukkuram unique. They offer tourists a brief but revealing look inside Buddhist Monasticism. Most prominently the large stone statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in the center of the interior chamber, the eleven-headed Goddess of Mercy and the various Bodhisattvas and Arhat (disciple of Buddha) carved in relief in a semicircle on the surrounding wall, the two Inwang ("benevolent kings") on the walls of the antechamber, and the Four Deva Kings standing guard along the passageway-each of these adds its own distinctive note to the symphony of beauty presented by the Sokkuram as an integral whole. For some time, major temples have admitted Koreans and foreign visitors to a summer training course that lets guests withdraw from the chaotic earthly world for a while. Already, some temples admit tourists for a close look at what goes on inside a monastery. Many temples are opening tea houses to draw tourists. Report of the 19th Session of the Committee Following is part of the "Report of the 19th Session of the Committee" regarding Sokkuram Grotto and Pulguksa Templ. There are ten niches around the dome. Based on a balance between squares and circles, straight lines and curves, and planes and globular shapes, the grotto is structured in a perfect harmony. More than 900 of those 10,000 temples are greater than 50 years old.
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