The students have left, but my adventure continues. It’s started with an adventure. When I got to the airport with them last night, I found my flight had been cancelled. So I spent the night in an airport hotel (which is nowhere) awaiting an 8:45 flight this morning.
We have had an experience! When we left Kyongju, we stopped at Ulsan, a city begun by President Park in the 1960s for Hyundai. We toured the Hyundai plant (largest in the world), and learned some things that typify the Korean economy. Hyundai is one of the chaebols, large conglomerates that dominate Korea, which I recall somewhere is the 10th largest economy. The plant produces 1.7 million cars, but only 24% get purchased in Korea. Hence, the company MUST export. While it has a factory in Alabama, Hyundai sells about 450,000 cars in the US, so some come from here. I think the plant also produces all the engines for all Hyundai plants. That controls the quality, technology, and protects jobs. While the workers in Korea average around $15,000, Hyundai workers get around $50,000, with almost guaranteed overtime (the plant has only two shifts; when they need to produce more, they work overtime; it’s in the union contract).
We went from Ulsan up the mountainous eastern side of the peninsula to the temple, which I mentioned was going to be like Scout camp. Indeed it was. When we got there, we put on our uniforms, went to our cabins, had vespers, and merit badge-type work. We learned about Buddhism through a silent walk (like the ones we do at camp, but I’d never let you walk barefoot like we did) contemplating ourselves. The monk who led us was as relaxed as I’ve ever seen anyone, and kept stressing inner peace; “control yourself and you can manage others,” was his advice to the business students. We continued with the Buddhist badge for meditation. Sitting lotus position in yoga for 3 minutes challenges–we sat for 30 minutes (leading to my conclusion that I could be a Buddhist, but it’d be tough to be a monk–he sits for 8 hours a day!).
We had a voluntary Church service, Buddhist style (sounds like camp, except it was at 3 am.,. and not all volunteered, as you might imagine). Up down kneel, chant, up down kneel chant. Etc. The interesting thing about the temple was that it has the relics of the Buddha somewhere, so the main temple has no Buddha statues.
We had a (voluntary) breakfast with the monk, that many did not volunteer for when they learned you cleaned out your bowls with water, then drank the water. Just like backpacking, I said. And you eat in the lotus position. Vegetarian food (rice, spinach soup, kimchee with everything).
We made lanterns (lotus) for our craft merit badge, and then hung our dream pouches that we made (another craft merit badge). In East Asian Buddhism, you make a prayer and leave something (incense) in the temple to alert the Buddha to your dreams. You’re mentioned there–in my pouch.
When asked what was the best thing about it, I responded that it was great seeing a temple used; otherwise, it’s just a building. Korea is about 40 percent Buddhist, almost the same number of Christians (missionaries contributed apples, they kept telling us). DMZ visit yesterday is another story, but my plane is boarding. My student who was coming with got ill and is home, so I’m going somewhere where I don’t know a soul!