Experience morning chanting services, together with hundreds of monks… If you look at all of Songgwangsa at once, it really seems like an overwhelmingly huge temple. However, once you climb up the side of the mountain Jogyesan, which surrounds Songgwangsa, and take a look down at the temple, you’ll realize what a really beautiful place it is. Until the time of the Korean War, there were supposedly so many temple buildings at Songgwangsa that you could walk around the whole temple area in a rainstorm and not get wet. Unfortunately, however, during the war the Daeoongjeon (Main Buddha Hall) and many other buildings were destroyed. The majority of the structures we have today are thanks to a major reconstruction effort that began in 1960. Songgwangsa was founded at the end of the Shilla Dynasty by Ven. Hyerin Seonsa, and was originally a modest temple called Gilsangsa. In those days, the mountain was called “Songgwangsan” because it had so many pine trees. Later, at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, the name of the temple became Songgwangsa, and the name of the mountain was changed to Jogyesan. Songgwangsa began to take its place at the forefront of Korean Buddhism from the Goryeo Dynasty, when National Teacher Ven. Bojo (1158-1210 C.E.) changed the temple’s name to Suseonsa, and formed the “Jeonghyegyeolsa.” The Jeonghyegyeolsa (“Correct Wisdom Society”) was a Buddhist movement dedicated to the pursuit of Samadhi and correct wisdom in practice, and was a reaction to the tendencies in the Buddhist world of the day to lean towards faith-based worship and national defense. It lasted through both the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, and produced 16 National Teachers and many great monks as a result. Even today, Songgwangsa rightfully takes it place as the “Sangha Treasure Temple” and continues this tradition of practice. The temple is considered to be a Chongnim, or unified practice temple, with a Seon Room, Sutra School, and Precepts School all functioning together. In accordance with its lengthy history, Songgwangsa has a number of important treasures and cultural assets, such as the 13.9 cm high, miniature, wooden altar with a triad of Buddhas inside. But the most appropriate asset for a temple considered to be the “Sangha Treasure” is the community of monks itself. Around 150 monks practice every year in the Seon Room, Sutra School and Precepts School that are part of this temple. Songgwangsa also takes care of many mountain hermitages, including Bulilam, Gwangwonam, and Cheonjaam. Songgwangsa’s Templestay Program Songgwangsa has long been known for both running training programs for lay people, regardless of their religious inclination, and for matching appropriate activities with various people from different walks of life. In particular, the temple’s programs are known for enforcing strict adherence to the rules and presenting a thorough approach to Buddhist training. Among all of Songgwangsa’s Templestay program activities, by far the most popular has been attending the morning and evening chanting services with the entire community of monks. If this were the only activity in Songgwangsa’s Templestay program, participants would still leave feeling satisfied after having had the pleasure of chanting together with several hundred monks in the Main Buddha Hall. A program of pilgrimages to the hermitages in the mountains is also very popular. In addition, the standard program offers Seon Meditation and a chance to talk with the monks. These days, aside from the standard two day weekend Mountain Temple Experience program, there are a variety of different programs offered. There is a New Year program to greet the first sun of the New Year and a special program designed to g