(잉구리쉬) Volunteering at the Temple

As you guys know, I’ve been busy these days. I don’t have anything special to share, so I checked my photo album to find a story. Today, I’ll tell you about my experience volunteering at a temple.

This was my first time volunteering at a temple, and I went alone.
I saw on the website that they were looking for four volunteers.
Before going, I bought some bread from Sungsimdang for the other volunteers.

Volunteer Tasks

I thought I would have a lot of free time, but we were quite busy before the participants arrived. We set up the rooms, checked the number of blankets, and prepared the temple clothes. That day, the temple hosted a group of 50 participants.

I don’t usually drink Coke, but that day, I craved something sweet.

There was a cafeteria for volunteers.
We weren’t allowed to eat in our rooms—we could only eat in the cafeteria.

I had my own room, which was nice, but the volunteers’ rooms didn’t have a toilet.

Magoksa Temple

Baekbeom Kim Gu once stayed at Magoksa and even became a monk there.
The temple’s scenery made me feel calm.
He cut his hair at this very place.

Near Magoksa, there is a place called Gunwangdae.
It is said to have strong energy, and I felt that energy when I visited.

Meals and Meditation

There was a kitchen where we ate our meals.
Can you see the Spam in my soup? It was good, but I was curious—do the monks eat the same soup?

At the time, I was interested in meditation, so I wanted to read a book during my free time.
But I was too tired, so instead of reading, I slept.

Greeting Participants

When the participants arrived, I greeted them at the entrance, checked their names, and directed them to their rooms.

Later, a monk bought tea for the volunteers at a café.
I saw the monk up close and noticed a scar on his hand.
He looked a bit like a gangster. The other volunteers thought the same, so we just stayed quiet.

After tea time, we prepared for a yoga class and set up the tea table.
We organized yoga mats and arranged the table for tea.

Cleaning and Reflection

The next day, after all the participants left, we started cleaning the rooms.
I cleaned almost 20 rooms.

It wasn’t easy, but I felt good energy from the temple, and my team members were great people.
It became a good memory for me.

Next time, I want to visit Magoksa as a participant, not as a volunteer.