Altar at Songlimsa
This week we focus on Buddhism with a look into the life of Dong-gi Sunim, a nun who has spent nearly thirty years in the monastic community. Living in a lush valley tucked in between grape farms and rolling mountains, her temple, called Songlimsa (Pine Forest temple), is worlds away from Seoul. Here she discusses her early years as a nun, as well as the many changes that have taken place in Korean society, and the meaning of Buddhism.
Q: What year did you become a Buddhist nun?
A: I was ordained in 1981 at Haeinsa, in Gyeongsang Namdo.
Q: What do you remember about your first year as a nun?
Gate to Songlimsa
A: I remember walking through the main gate at Haeinsa for the first time and feeling like I left my old life at the door. My whole world changed. Pretty soon I began to realize that my understanding of Buddhism before becoming a nun was very different from what I was now being taught. Physically it was very difficult, but I never once thought about returning to lay life.
Q: What was your understanding before you entered the temple?
A: Before I became a nun I was passive about Buddhism. I enjoyed going to the temple, but didn’t go much beyond that. Afterwards I realized how difficult it was to put those teachings into practice. Buddhism is about change, and impermanence. It sounds simple, but bringing that learning to fruition involves a great deal of discipline, which is drilled into you in those first years. It means studying the texts, as well as developing your own meditation practice. It was much more difficult than I expected, but through the difficulties I found peace.
Q: Korea is one of a few Buddhist countries that still maintains a female monastic community? Can you comment on that?
A: In Buddhism monks are as a rule seen as superior to nuns, although in Korea the reality is quite different. In my mind I see no difference between us.
Q: What was going on in Korea the year you became a nun?
A: The president was Chun Doo Hwan. I remember around that time a North Korean military aircraft landed at the airport in Incheon. A lot of people started talking about the war erupting again. In the temple we weren’t allowed to read the news, but I could hear people talking about it, and the air raid sirens would go off. Also, there were a lot of people stocking up on ramen, just in case. This was also the year of the Gwangju Democratization Movement.
Q: Korea has changed so much in past decades. Has Korean Buddhism also changed?
Prayer hall
A: Yes, very much so. When I was younger we were still a poor country. Temples were poor, and monks had much less freedom than they do now. At the same time, a monk’s life was simpler. We didn’t have cars, or cell phones. There were fewer distractions. That simple life helped us to practice more deeply.
Q: Korean Buddhism actively preserves many of Korea’s traditions, such as tea, or worship of sanshin (mountain spirit)? What aspects of Korean tradition do you think are being lost today?
A: In the past the Buddhist community was much more close. The sangha (monastic community) was more tightly knit. Today monks and nuns live more independent lives, and as a result our community is more fragmented. I think this applies to Korean society in general. People today are more individualistic than they were in the past. The changes in society have mirrored, or effected, the changes in the Buddhist community, because the monks and nuns entering the temple today are coming out of this more fragmented society.
Q: As simply as possible, what to you is the essence of Buddhism?
A: A clear mind.
About Songlimsa
Pine mountains
Q: What year was Songlimsa established?
A: In 2000.
Q: Why did you build it, and why here?
A: I became very ill some years ago, and realized I needed a place that was connected to the earth to heal myself. A neighbor here moved in after being diagnosed with cancer and given a three-month life span. That was eight years ago.
Q: What’s the essence of Songlimsa?
A: When I came here it was an empty plot of land. It felt to me like an ancient pine, familiar and nourishing. I thought I could bring that vision to life by building this temple.
Filed under: Daily life, Korean Society, Profiles, buddhism, history, religion | Tagged: buddhism, Gwangju, Haeinsa, Korea, profile, religion, shamanism, temples
that was interesting…
I agree very much with the point she made about the society becoming more fragmented because individuals gaining more freedom. This is very much along the lines of what I was trying to say in your post about the state of Korean families. It’s happening everywhere in the world.