Hermeneutic Phenomenological Understanding of the Inner Journey of Templestay
Abstract
:1. Introduction
In all beginnings dwells a magic force. For guarding us and helping us to live.So be it, heart: bid farewell without end!
2. Literature Review
2.1. Templestay
2.2. Tourist Experience and Authenticity
3. Methods and Materials
3.1. Phenomenology and the Structure of Perception
* The theory of the five aggregates, or “pañca-khandhā,” is an excellent Buddhist classification system that analyzes human existence. In this system, human existence is divided into five components: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Given that the five aggregates constantly change, they are impermanent and therefore bring suffering. There is no “self” in these five impermanent aggregates (non-self or anatman). A human being is only a temporary collection of these five aggregates. As such, there is no single component of the five aggregates that can be claimed as “self,” but sentient beings continually hold on to their belief in “self.” This belief comes from the five aggregates of attachment.[55]
3.2. Data Collection and Data Analysis
4. Results
4.1. Recognition Structure of Templestay Experience
4.1.1. Situation-Oriented Perception
I could reset my ego-mind, and it helps for a while.(Participant 8)
I live happily for a year when I go back to the Mahamudra practice.(Participant 10)
Next time I go to templestay, I want to join a meditation program. Meditation is one of the Zen practices, so I want to participate in a new program.(Participant 5)
I think I would recommend templestay. First, it is a different experience, and I think you could experience a transformed and awakened state. Or you can just go for healing or just take a break.(Participant 7)
I want to recommend templestay to people who are suffering in their life.(Participant 9)
I felt that something was missing in the templestay program. Something essential to experience my true self.(Participant 4)
“Who am I?” is the question I seek to answer, but I could not find the answer during the templestay. I felt like it was taboo to ask such a question. After that, I didn’t go to templestay.(Participant 6)
4.1.2. Emotion-Oriented Perception
When I hear the Korean Buddhist Temple Bell, for example, when a pebble dropped into a pond caused a circular ripple, I could feel the sound in my head. It’s like a crystal clear sound that made my mind awakened. This image and sound are as clear as ever. I loved it.(Participant 1)
I spent time alone at night, and it was definitely a view I saw during the day, but it felt different. Everything looked pretty, even the moon too. Ah! This is it. This is the reason I come to the temple. I felt overwhelmed.(Participant 11)
I felt comfortable and calm. Should I say it is somewhere between calm and melancholy? That was the time to reflect on my daily life and my ego-mind.(Participant 2)
4.1.3. Thought-Oriented Perception
In the olden days, knowing knowledge (about Buddhism) was so fun that I enjoyed judging someone by it. I thought I knew everything. I should’ve sought to find mindfulness.(Participant 8)
If I go there, I can spend 24 h of my own freedom. It’s short, but to me, it feels like a time when I can keep away from things that pass quickly like that. At that time, I spend time looking back and reflecting on my embarrassing and shameful actions. It’s like a mirror of reflection.(Participant 12)
I went to the temple because I was in agony that I hated my colleague so much. When the chief monk held a Buddhist ceremony, I heard something that broke my perception. And then I went out and cried. I felt relieved.(Participant 13)
In the past, I made a lot of judgments about my actions, and I became a lot freer about it. I’ve come to realize that the same behavior can be right or wrong because of people’s different perspectives. Bad habits cannot be changed all at once, but they are changing little by little. My favorite word is flexibility.(Participant 10)
4.1.4. Action-Oriented Perception
When I did three thousand bows, I thought I must be crazy, but I think it’s a good experience. Because I overcame it, and I’ve done it.(Participant 4)
Did I practice mindfulness? I think so. Because I did the practice. But I don’t know if it worked or not. It must have just melted somewhere in my mind.(Participant 6)
After participating in templestay many times, I decided to go to a Buddhist University to study more deeply.(Participant 8)
4.2. Templestay Experience and Authenticity
4.2.1. Superficial Authenticity
Occasionally, I participated in a Buddhist memorial service, but I think it was all about taking a rest. It was fun to see monks and temple culture close too.(Participant 4)
4.2.2. Situational Authenticity
I really liked listening to the sound of chanting. Even if I just walk around the temple, I could hear the sound quietly from afar, and I liked this.(Participant 2)
I went to templestay in the winter. Twenty centimeters of snow piled up on the roof tiles, the sound of a montak (wooden percussion instrument used for chanting by Buddhist monks), a starry night, the pond covered with thin ice! I really liked the views.(Participant 1)
4.2.3. Relational Authenticity
I went to talk with the monk. *** temple *** monk. He was the light of my life and like my real father. My family was Buddhist; that is why I went to the temple often. The words of the monks were very helpful. I shed a lot of tears too. After talking to the monk and crying about my hardships, I think I regained energy.(Participant 8)
I thought I could possibly talk a lot with the monks. I felt that if I went and asked for wisdom, they would give me an answer. But it did not happen. They were very busy. Really busy.(Participant 13)
4.2.4. Space-Time Authenticity
There is a famous statue of the Guanyin Bodhisattva in that temple. She is the Buddha’s daughter. She looked down toward the sea, and her gaze seemed to care for people. So, for some reason, I felt at ease as I watched the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue.(Participant 7)
Guanyin Bodhisattva. I loved that word. She is the one who listens to the voice of people. That in itself is very comforting. Please listen to this voiceof mine. I felt I could rely on Guanyin Bodhisattva and be in the comfort zone.(Participant 8)
4.2.5. Existential Authenticity
The Buddhist monk played meditation music, and I meditated while listening to it. As I was following it, I was in true samādhi (a state of meditative consciousness). I was surprised. There isn’t a moment when I don’t have any thoughts, right? But at that time, my thoughts stopped, and it was as if I had fallen asleep, but I felt myself completely. I also asked the monk because I was suspicious about my state. I felt this way. Is this correct? He said it was right. From head to toe, I could feel myself.(Participant 9)
The point is being myself. People really need a conversation with themselves. We live in a busy world, so we do not see ourselves—even our actions and thoughts. So we quickly see the negative aspects of others very well, but we fail to see our trash inside and keep making excuses.(Participant 10)
4.3. Templestay Experience and Authenticity Perception Structure
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Type | Details | |
---|---|---|
Object-related Authenticity | Objective authenticity | Objective authenticity refers to the authenticity of originals. Correspondingly, authentic experiences in tourism are equated to an epistemological experience (i.e., cognition) of the authenticity of originals. |
Constructive authenticity | Constructive authenticity refers to the authenticity projected onto toured objects by tourists or tourism producers in terms of their imagery, expectations, preferences, beliefs, powers, etc. There are various versions of authenticities regarding the same objects. Correspondingly, authentic experiences in tourism and the authenticity of toured objects are constitutive of one another. In this sense, the authenticity of toured objects is in fact symbolic authenticity. | |
Activity-related Authenticity in Tourism | Existential authenticity | Existential authenticity refers to a potential existential state of Being that is to be activated by tourist activities. Correspondingly, authentic experiences in tourism are to achieve this activated existential state of Being within the liminal process of tourism. Existential authenticity can have nothing to do with the authenticity of toured objects. |
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No. | Sex | Age | Job | Religion | Templestay Experience | Place of Templestay |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | F | 20s | Employee | No religion | 3 times | Woljeongsa, Pusoksa |
2 | F | 20s | Between jobs | Buddhist | 3 times | Woljeongsa, Pusoksa |
3 | F | 30s | Researcher | Christian | 1 time | Golgulsa |
4 | F | 60s | Housewife | Buddhist | Over 10 times | Bongjeongam, Kilsangsa |
5 | M | 30s | Between jobs | Buddhist | Over 10 times | Baekdamsa, Cheongryangsa, Sudeoksa, Yongmunsa |
6 | M | 30s | Employee | No religion | 5 times | Haeinseonwon |
7 | F | 20s | Student | Christian | 1 time | Naksansa |
8 | F | 40s | Housewife | Buddhist | 5 times | Silsangsa, Hwaeomsa, |
9 | M | 40s | Self-employed | Buddhist | Over 10 times | Sudeoksa, Kabsansa, Bulgapsa |
10 | F | 50s | Yoga instructor | Buddhist | Over 10 times | Daekwangsa, Sudeoksa, Tushita Meditation Centre |
11 | F | 30s | Employee | Buddhist | 3 times | Sudeoksa, Bulgapsa |
12 | F | 20s | Journalist | Christian | 1 time | Myogaksa |
13 | M | 30s | Researcher | No religion | 4 times | Haeinsa, Kabsansa, Myojuksa |
Main Agent | Type | Details | |
---|---|---|---|
Outside object | Material object | Superficial Authenticity | Participants experienced the culture of temples and the life of monks, but they felt it as staged authenticity. |
Situational Authenticity | Participants placed great importance on their interaction with nature and the temple environment. | ||
People | Relational Authenticity | The most important thing for participants in their templestay experience was their relationship with others, especially their interaction with the monks. | |
God (Religion) | Space-time Authenticity | It was an emotional response that transcended time and space felt through religious beliefs due to the height of the spirit or the spiritual sensitivity through religious activities called Buddhism. | |
Inner self | Existential Authenticity | Participants who questioned existence through templestay and experienced self-reflection were the types of people who explored their existence. |
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Hwang, J.; Park, H.-Y. Hermeneutic Phenomenological Understanding of the Inner Journey of Templestay. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 7830. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157830
Hwang J, Park H-Y. Hermeneutic Phenomenological Understanding of the Inner Journey of Templestay. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(15):7830. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157830
Chicago/Turabian StyleHwang, Jiyoung, and Hyo-Yeun Park. 2021. "Hermeneutic Phenomenological Understanding of the Inner Journey of Templestay" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 15: 7830. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157830