Ramadhan di Korea Selatan, Masjid Sentral Penuh dengan Jamaah

Seperti masyarakat Muslim lainnya di seluruh dunia, warga Muslim di Korea Selatan mengisi ibadah puasa Ramadhan dengan memperbanyak membaca al-Quran dan berkumpul di masjid-masjid, terutama pada petang hari menjelang berbuka puasa sampai pelaksanaan salat tarawih.

Pemandangan seperti ini terlihat di Masjid Sentral yang terletak di jantung kota Seoul, ibukota Korea Selatan. Setiap petang masjid ini dipadati ratusan jamaah dari berbagai usia, baik warga Muslim Korea maupun warga negara asing. Saking banyaknya, jamaah bahkan meluber sampai ke luar gedung masjid, sehingga tak jarang mengundang perhatian warga lokal.

Seorang jamaah bernama Zain, asal Pakistan mengatakan, ia selalu menyempatkan diri datang ke Masjid Sentral meski untuk itu ia harus menutup tokonya di kawasan Itaetown. Jamaah lainnya, Seid Issdram asal Maroko yang bekerja di dekat Provinsi Gyeonggi. Ia harus menempuh perjalanan sekitar satu setengah jam setiap hari ke kota Seoul agar bisa menjalankan salat tarawih berjamaah di Masjid Sentral.

Suasana akrab penuh persaudaraan begitu terasa, para jamaah yang datang meski tak saling kenal saling mengucapkan salam. Tak ketinggal para Muslimah berjilbab, banyak juga yang datang ke masjid sementara anak-anak mereka dibiarkan bermain di halaman masjid.

Menurut data Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) yang dibentuk sejak tahun 1967, di Korea Selatan terdapat 120.000-130.000 Muslim, baik dari orang Korea asli maupun warga negara asing. Imigran Muslim di Korea Selatan, kebanyakan berasal dari Pakistan dan Bangladesh. Sementara warga Korea asli yang memeluk Islam jumahnya sekitar 35.000 orang.

Meski demikian, masih banyak masyarakat Korea yang tidak mengetahui bahwa saat ini umat Islam sedang menjalankan ibadah puasa bulan Ramadhan, ibadah puasa yang hukumnya wajid bagi umat Islam.

Seorang remaja Muslim bernama Ahn Tae-hwan bercerita, teman-temannya sering bertanya mengapa ia tidak makan apapun selama beberapa hari ini. Tae-hwan tidak mengatakan bahwa ia sedang puasa bulan Ramadhan, tapi menjawab pertanyaan teman-temannya itu dengan mengatakan bahwa ia sedang diet.

Pemuda Muslim bernama Sun Ju-young mengaku kesulitan untuk memberikan pemahaman pada teman-temannya mengapa ia tidak makan daging babi atau tidak minum alkohol, ketika ia dan teman-temannya sedang jalan-jalan bersama. Teman-teman Ju-young berpikir bahwa ia alergi dengan makanan-makanan itu.

Ali Ahmad, mahasiswa asal Mesir yang sedang kuliah di Seoul National University mengungkapkan, masyarakat Korea tidak banyak tahu tentang Islam. Muslim lainnya, Seid menambahkan, "Banyak orang-orang Korea yang berpandangan negatif pada Muslim, karena sering melihat pemberitaan-pemberitaan tentang terorisme."

Pendapat itu dibenarkan Lee Ju-hwa, Sekretaris Jenderal KMF. "Masyarakat Korea selayaknya tidak berprasangka buruk terhadap Muslim dan mengakui fakta bahwa Muslim adalah bagian dari masyarakat Korea yang hidup dan bekerja di satu negara yang sama, " ujarnya. (ln/iol)eramuslim.com

UNESCO's Joseon Tombs

The Joseon Dynasty began in 1392 and lasted for 519 years. Rarely have any of the world’s royal dynasties lasted for over half a thousand years, but what is even more surprising is that the tombs of all the kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty have been preserved until the present day. The roads to the royal tombs lead travelers to an auspicious place. The sites of the royal tombs were carefully selected by Feng Shui experts, and the landscape, structures, and architecture surrounding the tombs combined to produce the highest art form of the time. The premises of the royal tombs are surrounded by mountains, bodies of water, and grass lawns and covered by old pine trees. Royal tomb sites are picturesque and places to relax and escape from the bustle of the city. The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty were built to honor the spirits of the dead monarchs and to allow them to rest peacefully. Therefore, they are peaceful public gardens for both the living and the dead. On your trip to Korea, be sure to pay a visit to these unique royal tombs of the Joseon dynasty, which are now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.


Structure of Royal Tombs

The forty royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tombs all have similar shapes, and the stone structures and buildings also follow certain styles. Here is an introduction to the tombs’ basic structures and names, so you can enjoy your visit to the sites even more. The organization of the royal tomb sites can be broken down into three parts:

● The part around the Jeongjagak, which is the meeting point between the dead and the living (the area outside Hongsalmun Gate is the space for the living);

● The area just past the gate, which contains the Jeongjagak shrine, the Subokbang, and the Suragan buildings. This is a space of the earthly and the holy as this is where the spirits of the kings and queens meet with their worshipers;

● The sacred ground of the grave mound, the wall, and the stone structures.

1. Gokjang (곡장): Three sides of walls around the grave mound that protects the sacred ground.
2. Bongbun (봉분): The place where the deceased king or queen is buried. It is also called Neungchim (능침) or Neungsang (능상).
3. Byeongpungseok (병풍석): The stone support underneath and around the Bongbun, which protects it.
4. Nanganseok (난간석): The hedge-like stone outside Byeongpungseok, which protects the Bongbun.
5. Seokho (석호): Guardian deity made of stone in the shape of a tiger, which was erected to protect the Bongbun. The statue faces outwards.
6. Seogyang (석양): A sheep made of stone, which was erected to pray for the repose of the soul and fend off evil spirits from the earth.
7. Mangjuseok (망주석): A pair of stone pillars, which were erected on both sides of the front of the mound.
8. Honnyuseok (혼유석): The name means a stone that invites the soul to come out to play, this rectangular stone was erected in front of the mound.
9. Jangmyeongdeung (장명등): A lantern to comfort the soul and pray for its blessing.
10. Muninseok (문인석): Scholars made of stone erected on the left and right sides of the Jangmyeongdeung lantern.
11. Muinseok (무인석): Military officer made of stone, which was erected below Muninseok for guarding the king.
12. Seongma (석마): Horse made of stone.
13. Yegam (예감): This place was used for burning the written prayer following the memorial services. It is located behind Jeongjagak on the left side.
14. Bigak (비각): This building contains a stone monument, which has the name of the king and the queen engraved on the front and a list of the king’s accomplishments engraved on the back.
15. Jeongjagak (정자각): Memorial services are held in this building. The name of the building comes from its shape, which is the Chinese character Jeong (丁). The building should be entered by the right stairway (East) and exited by the left stairway (West).
16. Chamdo (참도): These stone covered paths lead from the Hongsalmun gate to the Jeongjagak building. The path to the left that is slightly higher is called Sindo (신도), or Path of the Gods; the path to the right that is slightly lower is called Eodo (어도), or the Path of the King. In accordance with Korean customs, visitors should walk only on the Eodo path.
17. Subokbang (수복방): This building is where the officer guarding the tomb lived.
18. Suragan (수라간): This building is where the foods for the memorial services were brought and prepared.
19. Baewi (배위): Next to the Hongsalmun gate are stones, which have been placed in a rectangle, this was where kings and memorial service officials knelt to honor and pray to the king buried in the tomb. It is also called Panwi (판위) or Eobaeseok (어배석).
20. Hongsalmun (홍살문): The gate has two red cylindrical pillars with no roof. The area past the gate is a sacred area, so visitors are asked to behave respectfully.

Templestay Information Center

Many travelers are looking for more than the average trip in their vacation these days. It isn’t enough to just go to a place and see the sights—the visitor to a new country wants a different insight, a true immersion into a different culture and maybe even a glimpse of things from a different point of view. Temple stays are becoming part of the Korean tourist experience, so much so that the number of temples in Korea offering such programs has increased to almost one hundred. Choosing the right temple to experience Buddhism in can be a little daunting, so to help with this, the Templestay Information Center has opened across from Jogye-sa Temple, one of Seoul’s most important centers of Buddhism.


A Nirvana for Tea Lovers

The Templestay Information Center was designed by leading Korean architect Seung H-sang, who says he "placed emphasis on embodying modern yet traditional concepts of space." Its dark grey facade is discreet and elegant. The center features a café offering a selection of teas and reasonably priced coffees, as well as vegetarian sandwiches. The thirteen flavors of temple-made tea—including lotus leaf, buckwheat, Siberian chrysanthemum and mulberry leaf—are named after the temples where they are made. The café is a nice place to spend an afternoon while looking over the various temple stay pamphlets displayed in the information center, and it offers a great view of the comings and goings in front of Jogye-sa temple.

The information center itself is filled with useful material, while offering the public use of two computers to check for replies to all those emails you sent to your friends about the various temples you have found. The center also offers many souvenirs, such as key chains and teddy bears dressed as monks, to help you personalize your stay at one of the temples.

On the second floor is a shop selling traditional tea and temple clothing. Here you can purchase packets filled with the various temple teas that are drunk by the monks. Also, you can find the various tea pots and paraphernalia associated with the tea ceremonies at the temples. Looking around, you will also see various temple-inspired clothes for sale.

The third floor is occupied by seminar rooms, while the fifth floor is home to a very popular temple food restaurant called Baru. This restaurant requires booking in advance, so be sure to call ahead. This very small restaurant offers temple vegetarian fare, with a menu of 10 to 12 items.

What Happens on a Temple Stay?

A typical day at a temple stay involves arriving in the early afternoon. Rooms and uniforms are allocated before an opening ceremony and orientation. Then, by midafternoon, visitors normally have a tour of the temple and a rest before dinner. In the early evening, the first of the Buddhist services starts. Afterwards, tea is served and participants converse with the monks and nuns who inhabit the temple. Bedtime is usually around 9pm.

You are woken at 3:30am to take part in the pre-dawn Buddhist ceremony. Then, at 4am, you have sitting and walking seon (zen) meditation. Breakfast is eaten at 6am, followed by community work at 7am. At 8am, after marveling at how much you have accomplished by 8am on a Sunday morning, you take a hermitage tour. At 11am, you have a closing ceremony and lunch. You say goodbye to your temple stay experience at around 1pm.


Who Am I?
Korean Buddhism has existed for 1,700 years and is as full a cultural heritage as any aspect of Korean life. It differs from other forms of Buddhism by its method of seon meditation. In seon meditation, monks ask themselves, “Who am I?” When they have a sufficient answer, they ask their instructor for the next question. Another aspect of seon meditation, like other forms, is mindlessness, which is attained through the repetition of a particular activity such as bowing, chanting or copying sutras (traditional Buddhist texts).

Food is a big part of the experience at the temple. All of the meals served at temple stays are vegetarian, and all of the food must be consumed so that nothing is wasted— even the water used to clean the dishes is taken into the body.


People of All Faiths (or None) Welcome

Some of the different kinds of temple stays include temples specializing in certain aspects of temple life, such as tea ceremonies, martial arts or mountain hiking. Some temples focus on teenagers, giving them a structured and enlightened life. Others have English camps for elementary and middle school students, as well as camps for learning Chinese characters.

On these temple stays visitors have a more spiritual than religious experience. No one is asked to give up a belief or faith to go on a temple stay. The temples welcome people from all walks of life.

Temple life programs are also available at Jogyesa and Bongeunsa in Gangnam. These are mini temple stays that allow people to experience a tea ceremony and seon meditation. They are offered on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at Jogyesa and from 2—4pm at Bongeun-sa.


Getting There

Come out of Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 6, and walk past the Insa-dong entrance to the next street, where you turn left. You should see many temple stores on the other side of the street. Walk down this street for about 100 meters and you will come to the Templestay Information Center, across the street from Jogye-sa.

-The article courtesy of Seoul magazine -Written by Derek Winchester -Photographs courtesy of the Templestay Information Center

※ You can make a reservation for a temple stay by visiting the "Reservations" section of this website, or through www.templestay.com.