Today we were off to the beautiful Haeinsa Temple. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site located in Gayasan National Park. Haeinsa is one of the top 10 great temples of the Avatamsaka sect of Buddhism and Korea’s most significant temple. The temple is located high atop Gaya mountain 
and as you make you way up, you wander through forests, and gently flowing streams. It is a truly peaceful experience. Once there, we walked up stone steps and entered through the south gate, passed the four guardians of the temple to the main hall. 
Here contained the bell house for the call to prayer instruments as well as a multi-layered stone pagoda and lantern of the Wondangam Hermitage. Then it was up some stone steps to four enormous storage halls that function as the repository for the Tripitaka Koreana-81, 340 woodblock prints, on which are contained the complete Buddhist scriptures as well as illustrations. These buildings have simple 
but effective ventilation systems that prevent deterioration. The slatted windows allowed me to take a peek inside to see the National Treasures. Back down in the main hall, I walked the way of the Dharma as I meditated on the meaning of life and the I 
regrettably left behind this beautiful monastery. Upon my return to Korea, I’d love to return here and spend some days in reclusion along with other pilgrims. Here through a “temple stay” I can learn Buddhist disciplines such as meditation that will allow me to rekindle my own identity within my soul and allow my mind to find rest, which is the core value of all Buddhist practices.
and as you make you way up, you wander through forests, and gently flowing streams. It is a truly peaceful experience. Once there, we walked up stone steps and entered through the south gate, passed the four guardians of the temple to the main hall. 
Here contained the bell house for the call to prayer instruments as well as a multi-layered stone pagoda and lantern of the Wondangam Hermitage. Then it was up some stone steps to four enormous storage halls that function as the repository for the Tripitaka Koreana-81, 340 woodblock prints, on which are contained the complete Buddhist scriptures as well as illustrations. These buildings have simple 
but effective ventilation systems that prevent deterioration. The slatted windows allowed me to take a peek inside to see the National Treasures. Back down in the main hall, I walked the way of the Dharma as I meditated on the meaning of life and the I 
regrettably left behind this beautiful monastery. Upon my return to Korea, I’d love to return here and spend some days in reclusion along with other pilgrims. Here through a “temple stay” I can learn Buddhist disciplines such as meditation that will allow me to rekindle my own identity within my soul and allow my mind to find rest, which is the core value of all Buddhist practices.
After lunch it was off to the Jisandong ancient tombs in Jisan-ri, Korea to explore the tumuli, or earth mound tombs of the Kaya Kingdom. The Kaya Federation was a loose federation of tiny states based in the lower reaches of the Naktong River of the Youngnam Province. This federation of small inter-dependent states was annexed to Shilla in 562A.D. The tombs of the Kaya are located on mountain ridges or hills.
We bagan the afternoon with a visit to the Wangreung Exhibit were we saw the archeological work done on these tombs that bring to light the peoples of 5th century Kaya Federation Korea through their practices, and the artifacts found in these tombs. Then it was an amazing 1.5 km
hike up to the top of the mountain to see the Tomb of Jisandong as well as other mound tombs. As I was making my slow and strenuous trip to the top, I couldn’t help to contemplate on how difficult and back breaking it must have been for the ancient Koreans as they brought up the stones all this distance to make these wonders. I was also imagining the funeral procession of the King on the way up to the tomb. It was not uncommon for the King to buried with his servants and perhaps other family members. These people were buried alive along with their master. Archeologist know this from the wounds found on the bones of the remains that these were “live burials.” Did the sacrificial victims take their last exhausting breaths on these very same slopes? What were they thinking as they were preparing to follow their master into the afterlife? Finally we made it to 
the top and we all took a photo with the earth mounds behind us. What an incredible journey and what a breathtaking view it allowed us to have.
hike up to the top of the mountain to see the Tomb of Jisandong as well as other mound tombs. As I was making my slow and strenuous trip to the top, I couldn’t help to contemplate on how difficult and back breaking it must have been for the ancient Koreans as they brought up the stones all this distance to make these wonders. I was also imagining the funeral procession of the King on the way up to the tomb. It was not uncommon for the King to buried with his servants and perhaps other family members. These people were buried alive along with their master. Archeologist know this from the wounds found on the bones of the remains that these were “live burials.” Did the sacrificial victims take their last exhausting breaths on these very same slopes? What were they thinking as they were preparing to follow their master into the afterlife? Finally we made it to 
the top and we all took a photo with the earth mounds behind us. What an incredible journey and what a breathtaking view it allowed us to have.
We ended this incredible day with a visit to the Gaesil Village, which is the traditional head house of the Jeompiljae clan in Hapka-ri. There we tried our hand at making a traditional Korean glutinous rice jelly treat. Barley and rice is boiled for three days and then allowed to cool. When we arrived our mixture, which was cooled and hard to the touch, was ready for our part in the preparing process. Working in groups of two we stretched and twisted and kneaded the concoction into a hard, white glutinous cord 
which we allowed to harden for a further five minutes. Then we took a wooden stick and twisted a bit of the cord and whacked it with the stick and WALA off snaps a piece of our rice jelly treat. The taste was subtley sweet and chewy to the bite, life taffy. Fun!! Then we toured the house, which is still lived in by descendants of the Gim-jong-jik, a 15th century Neo-Confucian aristocrat.
For dinner we at dolsot bibimbap, which is bibimbap made in a hot stone pot. It was spicy and delicious.
which we allowed to harden for a further five minutes. Then we took a wooden stick and twisted a bit of the cord and whacked it with the stick and WALA off snaps a piece of our rice jelly treat. The taste was subtley sweet and chewy to the bite, life taffy. Fun!! Then we toured the house, which is still lived in by descendants of the Gim-jong-jik, a 15th century Neo-Confucian aristocrat.For dinner we at dolsot bibimbap, which is bibimbap made in a hot stone pot. It was spicy and delicious.
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