Daeseungsa | 대승사 | 大乘寺

There’s something interesting that occasionally happens where I’ll somehow hear about a temple and soon after happen to find my way there without really planning to. This was the case with Daeseungsa, a few weeks ago, as my friends are I were having a playful chat about best or strangest temple names. I mentioned the...

Korea’s “Top Seven” Temples

I’ve “borrowed” this list directly from Professor David A Mason, but it’s one that we’ve discussed and debated several times. Opinions begin to vary and become subjective once you extend the list, as there are dozens of temple that are equally deserving of even a few more spots on the list. These seven are definitively...

Buyongam | 부용암 | 芙蓉庵

A few years ago, a friend posted a photo of a small hermitage, explaining that it was were Seung Sahn Daesa was staying when he had his enlightenment experience. I was in Canada when the post was made but knew if I returned to Korea that I’d like to search it out. Once I got...

Ganwolam | 간월암 | 看月庵

Around the South and West coasts of Korea, there are a few islands that are famous for becoming accessible at low tide, as land bridges form when the tide recedes. Ganwoldo, Seosan’s contribution to these phenomena, may be less dramatic than others that I’ve visited but is special for the hermitage, Ganwolam, that takes up...

The Smile of Baekje

Rock-carved Buddha Triad in Yonghyeon-ri서산 용현리 마애여래삼존상瑞山 龍賢里 磨崖如來三尊像National Treasure The fun thing about moving to Seosan was that it was one of the few areas in Korea that I hadn’t explored. I’d been to Boryeong, an hour to the south, Suwon, an hour to the north, and Daejeon, an hour to the east, so...

Imshil with the “Im-in-Laws”

      What would a family be without its share of issues? Definitely not my family, or most other's I know of. I had one friend who I was sure had a nearly perfect family, but her cousin's family made up the difference when between trips to the psychiatric unit, he decided to try to take a...