On Buddha’s Birthday in Korea. Tuesday the 10th, was Buddha’s Birthday (석가탄신일). A friend and I went to Bongeunsa – a Buddhist temple in Gangnam to say “Happy Birthday” and observe. It was my first time at this temple. It’s was very interesting to me for a few reasons. In Seoul, temples and palaces are present among huge skyscrapers and shopping malls. In this particular case, I tool the line 2 metro to COEX, the largest underground mall in all of Asia. I took the subway to a mall – so ultimately I could celebrate Buddha’s Birthday. This is the dichotomy that exists in Seoul.

Lotuses and Lanterns

The temple was celebratorily decorated with lanterns.

Corners

Drummers and Dancers

Guard

Prayers and Praise

Lanterns

Meditation

Very, very nice space to be in.

Wall

Paper Lotus

Ink, Paper and Brush

Print

Lotus

Rice Drink

The woman that sold me this rice drink for about ee chon (less that 2 bucks) was all smiles. Very nice interactions.

Ceremony

Lantern