Gyeongdong Herbal Markets

I went to these markets where the majority of stalls are selling products with innate medicinal or health giving benefits. An incredible array of stuff. You’ve got your usual mammoth selection of various ginseng roots, mushrooms harder than concrete and as big as grapefruits, then there’s bark and twigs and branches of every conceivable kind for as long as you can walk.

A few days later I went to see a ‘Hanisa’ (Oriental Doctor) and in assessing me, he made me put my thumb and third finger together and then he tried to pull them apart. When he put a massive chunk of Korean ginseng in the other hand for my to firmly grasp, he simply couldn’t do it. When he put some other medicinal artifact in my palm, he could pull apart my fingers with minimal effort.

Seoul International Zen Center

I went to the Seoul International Zen Center. It was beautiful. Really old temples, I watched several ceremonies and people bowing to buddhist shrines in smaller sized temples. There was a really lovely air about the place. It was also adjacent to a host of national parks, yet still up in the hills not too far from a subway station.

I went there for Sunday Dharma, which included 2 hours of meditation and a talk by one of the Zen Priests. I lasted about 9 minutes of the meditation, but had to sit out the first half hour before I could leave. And the talk was really unexpected. The priest was an East European with a strong Polish accent who ranted and raved about the war in the middle east, 9/11 and the Vietnam War! Quite interesting though.

Simultaneously, I was a little disillusioned with the visit. Seeing people bowing and praying and chanting to an ‘other’ sorta made me realise that buddhism in this form – with the robes, the chanting, all the trappings, bells and whistles – is just like any other religion. Might as well be bloody Christianity.

Anyhow I went home and bought my favourite book on buddhism “Buddism: Plain and Simple” on eBay.

Overall it was a really lovely excursion. I recommend it.