winter temple

About 20 kilometers east of Miryang 밀양 city, on the southern slopes of Mt. Jaeyak ksan 재약산, stands a temple that was established in 654.

It was padyatri's first visit to Pyochungsa 표충사 表忠寺 temple in nearly 20 years. The once-lush green leaves had all fallen, and there were hardly any visitors, making the entrance scene feel calm and peaceful. Walking in from the empty parking lot, he greeted two monks he met along the way.

Following the paved path through the forest, a gate came into view. After passing through two gates and reaching the entrance to the temple grounds, there was a banner hanging on the wall beside the gate that read, “Cold, isn’t it? Please stop by for a cup of tea~~.” 

This Buddhist temple is closely associated with a renowned monk named Sa- myeong Daesa 사명대사 泗溟大師(1544-1610), who led monk-soldiers to defend the country during a crisis. His Dharma name was Yujeong 유정 惟政, and his pen name was Samyeong 사명 泗溟. Out of respect, he is referred to as Samyeong Daesa, meaning Great Master Samyeong. 

During the Imjin War 임진왜란 壬辰倭亂, or Japanese Invasions of Korea(1592–1598 ), when Japanese forces crossed the sea and invaded the Korean Peninsula, placing the nation in grave danger, the Joseon 조선 dynasty court—despite its policy of suppressing Buddhism and promoting Confucianism—called upon Buddhist monks to help repel the invaders. 

At that time, the atrocities committed by the Japanese forces were extremely brutal and horrific. In order to prove their war trophies and receive rewards, they even killed civilians, cutting off ears and noses and preserving them in salt to take back to Japan. 

In Buddhism, taking a life is a grave sin that violates the 5 Precepts, but to stop the Japanese army’s atrocities, the monastic precepts were set aside. Yujeong, as one of the principal leaders who commanded monk-soldiers nationwide and participated in the battles of that period, not only defeated the Japanese forces but also distinguished himself by venturing into the Japanese military camp of Katō Kiyomasa 加藤 清正 to negotiate a ceasefire. 

After the war ended, the royal court, in recognition of his merits during the war, offered him a high official post and stipends. However, he resolutely refused it and returned to the life of a mountain monk, staying true to his original role until he passed away.

One of the outward features of Pyochungsa is its remarkably spacious courtyard. The empty, undecorated space seems to silently convey to visitors the Buddha’s realization of emptiness and the transience of worldly greed.

winter harbor

After a long time, padyatri visited Gampo 감포 Port on the East Sea coast near Gyeongju 경주 with a senior. The weather was chilly, with temperatures dropping below freezing, but under a cloudless, clear sky, the sunshine felt warmly comforting. We arrived around lunchtime, and the restaurant district was crowded with visitors. 

In cold weather, fish don’t bite very well, so most fishing boats were moored at the pier. Even the hagfish in the restaurant aquariums were curled into tight circles, huddled up, and gazing outward. 

Gampo was developed into a fishing port during the Japanese colonial period, when many Japanese people moved there. Even today, Japanese-style houses are preserved near the market.

For lunch, we had Mulhoe 물회, usually translated into English as “cold raw fish soup,” at a fish restaurant near the breakwater. However, considering the price of 25,000 won per person, the food was rather disappointing. The restaurant owners seemed to view customers as one-time passersby, so the food felt overly commercial and profit-driven. Of course, not all restaurants were like that, but even the senior—who is a gourmet—was visiting after a long time and tried to jog his memory; unfortunately, he couldn’t find the restaurant. 

Despite the bitter cold, people were fishing at the pier. Some of them were women. They say that the fresh taste of fish caught in clear, cold water, along with the calm and quiet fishing environment, makes winter fishing so appealing.

winter suburbs

padyatri went out of the city to the outskirts over the weekend. It was a place he had visited before by bicycle, but this time he took a city bus. If you take a bus north, you will reach a village called Joya 조야 in a small valley.. 

Joya is the final stop of the bus route. It felt like the terminal and its surrounding area had changed a bit since he last visited. If you go further into the village alleys, a mountain trail appears soon, and if you keep going up, you reach the mountain ridge. 

 

Following the ridge eastward, you eventually descend to another small village called Nogok 노곡. The Seoul–Busan Expressway runs in front of Nogok and Joya, which are densely packed within a small area, featuring residential housing, small-scale factories, restaurants, and shops.

To the south of Nogok flows the Geumho 금호 River, and since River Island Park (Hajungdo 하중도 Park) opened a few years ago, this village has become somewhat crowded with visitors. In the past, the island, formed from layers of sediment deposited over many years, was covered with plastic greenhouses. After being newly developed into a park, it is now filled with flowers throughout the year—starting with rapeseed blossoms in spring and continuing in every season except winter. The photo on the right shows a view from the air of rapeseed flowers in full bloom in spring.

Don't Stop Me Now(Queen Cover)

A band composed of Korean female musicians performed a cover of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now, which was featured on a YouTube channel called “초면에 합해보자, Hello, Let’s Rock.” The name was chosen to emphasize the original concept of bringing together female musicians who were truly meeting for the first time to play together, and it has been kept even after they became acquainted.

Each member practices individually for a week, then meets the others to rehearse together for the first time. Among several takes, the best one is released without editing.

They are currently considering an official band name for future formal activities, such as releasing original songs. The jam sessions take place in a music production studio, which is run by the audio engineer who produces the channel.

a rural road trip

As winter weather made cycling difficult, padyatri retraced routes he used to ride by bicycle, this time by car. Although the water had not frozen, it was a chilly day, with temperatures around 1°C, and there were few people around and little traffic. The lush greenery of summer had turned brown, adding to the atmosphere of winter.     

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Hyeonseo-myeon 현서면 township office and the Yeongdeok 영덕 County Sports Complex used to be his starting points when he cycled. Banghojeong 방호정 stands on rocks along the river. It was built in 1619, a pavilion erected by a Confucian scholar of the Jo 조 family, whose deep longing for his late mother led him to set it on a site overlooking her grave.   

 

The Manan 만난 three-way intersection is a place one passes through when traveling from Banghojeong to Bunam-myeon 부남면. The area is known for red peppers and apples, which are symbolically represented in decorations at the entrance to the bridge.

Bunam-myeon is a quiet rural village located along the route to Yeongdeok and Cheongsong 청송. The township office, a police substation, restaurants, karaoke bars, coffeehouses, and a barbershop are visible along the road.    

Naeryong-ri 내룡리 is a farming village situated at a three-way intersection on the road from Bunam-myeon toward Yeongdeok. From here, the valley road leading to Okgye 옥계 blends harmoniously with the surrounding rocks, offering a beautiful view. 

Until 1981, Okgye was the end of the unpaved road coming from Yeongdeok. It is a well-known place that becomes crowded with vacationers in the summer. When he got out of the car, the chilly valley breeze made him shiver. 

After leaving Okgye and driving along a typical country road, the closer he got to Yeongdeok, the more the mountains turned completely black. He recalled seeing news reports that the worst wildfire in history had broken out last March, reducing all the nearby mountains around Yeongdeok to ashes. The hills visible behind Yeongdeok County Sports Complex also burned out.                                                                                                                                                          

It was reported that the fire was caused by the carelessness of a grave visitor. With restoration expected to take at least 30 years, it is hard to put into words the sorrow felt by local residents and visitors alike. After having lunch in Yeongdeok, he set off at noon. On the way back, he took the newly opened Pohang 포항–Yeongdeok Expressway and returned more quickly than on the way there.

English exam

 

Korean high school seniors take the College Scholastic Ability Test 수학능력시험(CSAT) and gain admission to a university. Although it has been a long time since padyatri graduated from high school, he sometimes solves the CSAT English questions for fun. Among the subjects, the English section in particular surprises even native speakers from English-speaking countries such as the UK and the US because of its level of difficulty.

Out of a total of 45 questions, 17 are listening comprehension questions administered over 25 minutes, while the remaining 28 questions test reading comprehension over 45 minutes. This allows approximately one minute and forty seconds per reading question, which places significant psychological pressure on test-takers due to time constraints. This year’s Questions 24 and 34 require a particularly high level of inferential reasoning. Question 24 asks for the main idea of the passage. These questions are intended to distinguish top-tier students from those in the middle range.

The answer to Question 24 is (2), and the answer to Question 34 is (3).

wooden duck

Around the year 676, it is said that a Buddhist monk threw a wooden duck from the top of a mountain to determine the site for a new temple. According to the story, the wooden duck flew down the valley and landed at a specific spot, where a temple was subsequently built. This place came to be known as Apgoksa 압곡사 鴨谷寺. Apgok 鴨谷 means “the valley where the duck sat.”

Someone described Apgoksa as a tranquil sanctuary embraced by the mountains, where it feels as though all the worries of the world simply fade away. padyatri had wanted to visit this place for a long time, and since he happened to have something to do in Gaeum 가음, Gunwi 군위, he stopped by on the way back. As you leave the main road and walk 1.4 kilometers along a cement-paved mountain path, a temple nestled deep in the valley comes into view. Although it is possible to drive up, he parked in the open area near the entrance and walked from there. 

Apgoksa was built by making the most of the narrow land on the mountain slope. Its simple and unadorned beauty, with restrained decoration, combines with the aged and weathered wooden buildings to put visitors at ease. Traditional Korean earthenware jars in the courtyard contain various fermented pastes and sauces consumed by monks and devotees. A large white dog greets visitors in a leisurely manner. 

It happened that a Dharma gathering was being held on the day padyatri visited. You can see the shoes of the abbot and the devotees placed on the wooden step stool. Although it is located close to the mountain summit, clear water always flows from the stone water basin beneath the wooden duck, accompanied by the sound of water, creating a cozy and tranquil atmosphere. 

On the left side of the L-shaped building is the kitchen, the central part is the Inbeopdang 인법당 人法堂(monk's residence and dharma hall) called Apgung- bogung 압곡보궁 鴨谷寶宮, and the protruding hall on the right is the Josajeon 조사전 祖師殿(Patriarchs’ hall). Except for the kitchen, a wooden step veranda(툇마루, toeutmaru) runs along the front of the building.

On both sides of the calligraphy signboard of Apgungbogung, two additional ones read Sayusu 사유수 思惟修(dhyāna, 禪, Seon) and Apgukam 압궁암 鴨宮庵. Beneath the signboards, there are four pillar couplets of calligraphic inscriptions. They are written in classical Chinese, and roughly translated, they imply the following.

  

Sitting silently through the quiet night in the mountain hall,

Many thoughts arise, yet none are worth clinging to.

Do not hold on to even the slightest attachment in the mind,

For the sensory objects and their consciousness are originally empty.

If you walk up the uphill path on the right of the temple for a short distance, you will be greeted by a scenic view along with two stupas and a pavilion. Next to the pavilion stands a stupa tomb called a Budo 부도, which enshrines the relics or remains of a revered monk.