Bongeunsa: Happy Birthday Buddha

Consider this an addendum to my Jirisan tale. Better yet, think of it as an epilogue. After departing from Gurye that morning, my train pulled into Yongsan station in Seoul sometime in the early afternoon, giving me the rest of the day to do as I pleased. I decided to stick around the city, and since the following day was Buddha's birthday I knew that if I went to a Buddhist temple I could probably see something interesting. So I went to Bongeunsa.

Bongeunsa is, from what I can tell, the biggest temple in Seoul, full of historical and spiritual significance. Now I'm not going to disservice Bongeunsa by prattling on like I know close to anything about it (or Buddhism for that matter). What I can share with you is my sincere respect for Buddhists and their faith, and how whenever I visit a Buddhist temple I can get a sense of the reverence present. The temples themselves are fascinating to me, and I can spend hours wandering around the various annexes and shrines.

When I arrived at Bongeunsa the sky was already dark, and the annual lantern festival commemorating Buddha's birthday was on full display. The quality of the hand-made lanterns was mesmerizing. I took my time examining each one, studying the intricacies of the wire frames and what must have been painstaking brushwork. Despite there being a decent crowd around me, and despite the temple being situated in the middle of one of the busiest districts of a city of nearly 10 million people, it was easy to lose myself in the art.

I left Bongeunsa hesitantly. I was feeling at peace amongst the warm glow of the temple lanterns, and the bright neon lights of Seoul seemed a little less inviting in comparison.