Deducing from the number of temples I've visited throughout the years might give others a false impression that I'm a temple fanatic. Correct and incorrect in certain ways. I prefer temples situated in rural areas more so than in city centers. A visit to the Jogyesa Temple situated in Jongno was unplanned. In truth, we stumbled upon this temple by accident as we happened to be in the neighborhood. Even more precisely, we were drawn to the annual chrysanthemum festival held within the compounds of the Jogyesa Temple.
Sure, the Jogyesa Temple definitely has many admirable qualities such as three golden Buddha statues within the main prayer hall and numerous impressive wooden carvings with equally stunning color selections framing its outer parts. Still, the flower festival was too distracting to our short attention spans. It stole away the limelight of the temple. Okay! I got tired of visiting one historical building after another. Jongno is after all the cultural hub where Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, and Jongmyo Shrine are located.
The blooming of chrysanthemum flowers signify the arrival of autumn in East Asia. Seasonal changes are very obvious in temperate countries. Specifically highlighting every season becomes a norm. There will be chrysanthemum flower arrangements within airports and other public places such as Buddhist temples.
Aside from being aesthetically appealing, dried chrysanthemum flower drinks are traditionally used by East Asian people to cool down bodily heat. Here in South Korea, chrysanthemum leaves are both used as flavoring agents as well as vegetables in hotpots. Universally, white chrysanthemums are meant for funerary purposes so it's taboo to present loved ones these flowers during wedding anniversaries unless you are prepared to sleep alone in the living room. You've been warned!
Admiring all the magnificent floral arrangements got me curious about the insane hours and efforts put into it. One of the pieces reminded me of the "Avatar" movie set. It's a somewhat very futuristic-looking giant spores emitting fungus. Again, river reeds made another appearance to emphasize autumn.
After getting my eyes purified by attractive floral arrangements, I definitely got more energized to continue visiting other historical monuments. From time to time, an organic break is always welcomed. I guess I am drawn to the impermanent side of things. Good Buddhist training to reduce attachments to material wealth. The more we are attached to objects and people, the more we are bound to suffer. Most people are well-acquainted with this principle yet, they still choose to repeat the same mistake over and over again. It's ridiculous!
Eternity is only but a distorted illusion. All of us will eventually have to return to our maker one day. I met a gorgeous Thai woman while staying at Bukchon Hanok Village. She's a natural at posing. Many South Korean men offered to carry her luggage. As for me, I always decline their help politely because I'm worried they might take off with my luggage. I'm most probably too lazy to shop for new clothes.🤣
It's often fun hanging out with new acquaintances and joke around. I almost had to wipe away the saliva on a Caucasian man's chin. The way he gawked at her was beyond obvious.🤣
Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Wheat