Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism Holds Special Templestay at CGV Dongdaemun
In the heart of Seoul, a movie theater transformed into a place of reflection and calm. On Oct. 18, more than 100 participants joined Buddhist monks at CGV Dongdaemun’s 10th-floor lobby to experience not the latest blockbuster, but a “Silent Theater” Templestay organized by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism.
A Templestay is a cultural program allowing participants to experience the daily practices of Buddhist monks and find inner peace. This urban version invited 108 frequent Templestay attendees, some of whom have joined Templestay programs more than 150 times.
Venerable Jin Gak of Naesosa Temple and Venerable Seon Il of Naksansa Temple led the session, guiding participants through meditation and a Q&A segment. During a “food meditation,” the audience slowly drank mulberry leaf tea and savored traditional Korean sweets while contemplating the connection between mind and body and their own existence.
“When perception changes, emotion changes,” said Venerable Jin Gak. “Realizing that emotions arise from the mind, not the outside world, is the beginning of true mindfulness.”
The audience’s questions ranged from managing anger to understanding death. In one of his talks, Venerable Seon Il likened death to the natural cycle of seasons: “No one says autumn shouldn’t come. Birth and death are both natural.”
Many participants commented afterwards that they appreciated the chance to meditate and reflect on life without leaving the city. The “Silent Theater” offered Seoul residents a quiet retreat ? a moment to breathe and rediscover stillness amid urban life.
Blair For The Junior Times junior/1762393689/1613367844
1. What was the purpose of holding a Templestay at a movie theater instead of a temple?
2. Who led the meditation and discussions during the “Silent Theater” event?
3. Where did participants find peace and reflection without leaving the city?
4. Why did many attendees say the experience was meaningful to them?
1. What inspired people to join the “Silent Theater” Templestay in Seoul?
2. How do you think meditation in a movie theater would feel different from doing it at a temple?
3. What do you personally do to find calm or mindfulness in your daily life?
4. Which part of the Templestay experience?meditation, reflection, or food meditation?would you most like to try, and why?
In the heart of Seoul, a movie theater transformed into a place of reflection and calm. On Oct. 18, more than 100 participants joined Buddhist monks at CGV Dongdaemun’s 10th-floor lobby to experience not the latest blockbuster, but a “Silent Theater” Templestay organized by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism.
