Jikjisa (직지사) — Exploring Buddhism

On the Saturday of our Chuseok break my family and I drove to Gimcheon, a nearby city, in order to eat a delicious seafood soup and visit Jikjisa, a famously large and beautiful Buddhist temple. Jikjisa is, according to my Oma, the largest temple in our province (Gyeongsangbuk-do) and will soon be the largest in Korea if they keep building more (which they are doing). Our first stop in Gimcheon was at a tiny downtown eatery for lunch. The two room diner was packed with people and as far as I could tell only sold two things — mandu (delicious dumplings) and seafood soup. Both were delicious, though I admit I had to give myself a pep-talk before eating the mussel-looking-things. Spicy food in Korea is fine, it's the seafood I'm getting used to.

After lunch we went for a short walk around a nearby lake picked up some iced americanos and were on our way. Not before we all had fun teasing host dad who just bought fancy new shoes and was leaning against a tree drinking his americano. Then we drove to Jikjisa.

The front entrance to Jikjisa.

I was a little full and feeling a little disappointed after hearing that my host sisters and Aboji had seen Jikjisa too often and weren't going to go in with us. However, the temple was well worth it and I had more time to talk with Oma.

Here we are in front of one of the decorated doors.

Jikjisa was similar in style to other Buddhist temples I have seen in Korea. It was also more touristy, with a small fee for entry and several gift shops and restaurants on the grounds. Despite this visiting Jikjisa was a spiritual experience and a high point in my Chuseok week. If Jikjisa is full of tourists it is for good reason. Walking through the various archways and temples complex brightly colored designs jumped out from every corner, some darkened and peeling with age. I felt I was seeing two Jikjisas at once - Jikjisa as it must have been when it was first built, as it still is now, brilliant, and the Jikjisa that has stood on this spot for hundreds of years to appear now, darkened and mysterious.

Giant wood-carved statues greet us on either side as we enter the grounds.

Buddhist temples are always surprising to me. I have loved churches for their emptiness, the sense of being very small, of being pressed upon by so much air. It is a surprise to enter a Buddhist temple where every wall and ceiling is a mirage of moving colors and figures. In Jikjisa the main temple room is not large and its doors sit open to the breeze. There is a sense of lightness and yet all around a multitude of lotus lanterns hanging from the ceiling and buddhas watching from the wall. There is such a feeling of abundance, that there is always more and you are just a small point in that multitude. I have never been overwhelmed by a building in quite the same way before.

Looking out from the temple building.

Lotus lanterns.

Altar and incense.

The multitude.

 It was such a peaceful, happy afternoon that I promised myself, before I leave Korea I will do a temple stay, though I will probably choose somewhere a little quieter than Jikjisa. Many temples open their doors to visitors for a weekend or even weeks during the holidays. I look forward to spending a winter or spring weekend enjoying the temple's abundant silence.

An afternoon goodbye.