Tranquil Moments

Days in Korea: 13
Although I've been here nearly two weeks, today I needed a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of my ridiculously busy end of town. I decided the fastest way to achieve that was to visit a local temple (Bongeunsa temple ) in my district. It is only 4 subway stops down the metro and didn't take long to get there. Every time I visit temples I find there is such an interesting dichotomy between urban mayhem and the serenity found within the grounds. I've never quite figured out how temples manage to always be so peaceful and relaxing in the middle of such chaos but they are!

This particular temple was surrounded by a green space (I guess it was kind of like it was in it's own little park!) Bells within the grounds drown out the sounds of nearby traffic and the gentle creaking and swaying of trees was calming. Incense was burning all over and the smell carried through the entire grounds. I sat around for awhile taking in the sights and sounds of my surroundings and de-stressing from the hectic way of life in Seoul. The most impressive feature of the temple however was Maitreya - the Buddha of the future statue. The statue was all around impressive towering over the entire property at over 23 meters in height. It is also the largest statue of Buddha in all of Korea!

close up shot of the Maitreya

It's days like today that make me wish everyday was Sunday! I love being able to escape to places such as this every once in awhile.