2011-10-05T02:02:00.001-07:00

The following 5 photos were shot around 3:00 AM while the monks were chanting in the temples. It was extremely quiet except for the chanting and beating sounds of the moktak 목 탁 (special woodblock) the monk use to provide a rhythm that rivets your attention to the present moment.

The sounds coming from this particular temple below were extremely powerful to me.

The image above and below is the Myeongbujeon temple. Honoring Ksitigarbha (Sanskrit) or Ji Jong Bosal (Korean). Although I am not exactly sure why, but I was especially attracted to the temple and spent a lot of time sitting in there for it felt comfortable like a familiar dream.

The image below is the main hall at Tongdosa

The image below is in the main courtyard.

Low hanging clouds and the foggy morning set the mood for the main area of Tongdosa

The moon in the west at the main temple area

The following two photos are heavily exposed to the light of the moon in the western sky.

Looking east through the main court yard at dawn.

Early Morning

The sunrise over Tongdosa

Looking west at dawn

The two images below are of Biro Ahm which sits on a mountain top with a beautiful vista (Ahm means small temple)

Biro Ahm and the mountain valley vista obscured by the morning fog.

The following seven photos are of rice fields in the morning fog.

The sky is starting to clear

RICE!

Cairns of stone

A dragon adorns a door panel

Dragons at the door of the temple

A beautiful temple ceiling - how many dragons can you count?

The next five photos are of Ja Jang Alm Tongdosa's first temple originally built around 646 CE

Buddha carved in the rock.

The next twelve photos are of/or related to the temple Jang Kyong Gak which stores 80,000 sutras or scriptures written on clay tablets. The temple overlooks the Sawoon Ahm (Ahm means small temple) located one half kilometer southeast. The photo directly below was shot at 5:00 AM, looking southeast and shows city lights reflecting off of the low foggy clouds.

The moon behind the temple

Moonlight and fog in the temple courtyard

Dawn brings more light to the wall of fog outside of the temple perimeter.

The wall of fog climbing up the mountainside

Looking southwest up the foggy mountain at the temple which breathes in the morning air.

The dawn illuminates a path, southeast to Sawoon Ahm

On the beginning of the path looking back up the mountain

Further down the path

A view from inside the Jang Kyong Gak looking at the courtyard

One of the halls that house the 80,000 sutras

A view of Sawoon Ahm from Jang Kyong Gak

Dwinjang (bean pots) at Sawoon Ahm

Seon (Zen) Master Chun Jin Sunim

A California clown in Seoul

One Week at TongDoSa