"Sudden Intuitive Understanding"

     I am a Christian newcomer to South Korea, who recently visited a Buddhist temple. Perhaps you will understand my experience, for I am uncertain, however, the lyrics of an old Rolling Stones song popped into my head... "Something happened to me yesterday. I'm not sure just what it was, or the meaning or the cause..."

     My friend, Kwon Ye-mi was once a Catholic nun. Although her initial solemn vows of poverty, chasity, and obedience were sincere, she later opted to leave the religious order for marriage and family. To this time she continues to subjectively respond with sentimentalism toward those in the religious service orders. She now has a newfound Buddhist friend.

     A Sunday ago, she invited me along for a visit to Chonan, Kwangduk-myon. I was reluctant to do a round-trip drive. However, I agreed to go along and in due time found myself sitting within a large circle of Korean people inside the "Posan Sonwon Temple."

     I think Jesus is who He said He was. At least I believe that much of what is recorded. i believe this not so much as an authoritative formula, but in the sense that it is one of my opinions. My religion would not be completely wrecked if this conclusive judgment were shown to be in error.

     If one is a Christian, one doesn't have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong through and through. We are free to think that all religions, even the odd and strange ones or the eccentric and peculiar ones, have in them at least some hint or trace of truth.

     Anyway, I was asked to stand and introduce myself. As soon as I was up on my feet is when it hit me. "A moment of sudden intuitive understanding," including the scene of the beautiful Buddha statue and the dignified nuns and guests that occasioned the moment. In an instance, I was overwhelmingly overcome with the intense feeling that here was something to be venerated, something holy and sacrosanct. I immediately became choked up and could hardly utter my name. It seemed all eyes were upon the lone teardrop that descended upon my cheek, as I repositioned myself cross-legged upon the floor.

     Congenial conversation followed with most eyes focused upon one "poppok" gray clad nun who spoke in subdued tones, as tea was passed around. In short order we were all outside the temple for photo sessions. And, it appeared everyone wished to be photographed beside one particular nun. Well, to make a long story short, it was departure time and she slipped a "tanju" around my wrist and handed Ms. Kwon two cassette tapes. Ah! She was a singing nun going by the name of Jong-yol.

     On the road back to Andong, we played one of the tapes, a kind of classical music and song. Unbelievably beautiful! Although I could not understand a word, I recognized the superalative quality.

     Ms. Kwon informed me that Jong-yol (you can meet her at www.jungyul.or.kr) had studied music education at Wonkwang University. She has traveled to Canada and Taiwan to teach and sing. Presently, she commutes to Taegu once a week to teach a "Chongdo Temple School." Most visitors that Sunday were her fans. I could certainly hear why!

     Buddha saw life as an unbroken succession of mental and physical processes, which keep people in a continual state of change. Heraclitus (c.540-480 B.C.), a philosopher from one of the Greek colonies thought "Everything flows." Therefore, we "cannot step twice into the same river." When I step into the river for the second time, neither I nor the river is the same. I am not the same today as I was yesterday.

     Did I have an epiphanic experience? "I'm not sure just what it was, or the meaning or the cause..." Buddhism is strongly imbued with philosophical reflection. Now, I'm on another journey; that of how to correlate my evidenced Buddhist experience with protestant beliefs.

Footnote: This article was originally submitted and published in THE KOREA TIMES' Thoughts of The Times column, Tuesday, December 7, 2004. At that time the writer was an EFL teacher at the infamous REI American Language School in Andong, North Kyongsang Province.