“Are you a god or a man?”
The Buddha replied, “I am awake.”
The word Buddha itself means the Awakened One.
High in the remote mountains of South Korea, mist drifts through the forests and where Stone meets the sky, stands the Golgulsa Temple—an ancient sanctuary carved into the mountainside. Founded over 1,500 years ago by monks who journeyed from India, to South Korea found their new home amongst eleven stone caves and built the Golgulsa Temple.
Golgulsa is unlike any other temple in Korea. It is the home of the Flowering Knights—elite warrior monks whose lives are devoted equally to spiritual awakening and martial discipline. Their practice, known as Sunmudo, is a uniquely Korean martial art that blends meditation, breath, movement, and self-defense. Watching the monks train, one senses that each motion is a prayer, each breath an act of devotion. Swords and knives are wielded not in aggression, but in mindfulness and control.
Golgulsa offers a rare Temple Stay a few times a year. Visitors may stay for one to three days, stepping into a monastic life where Noble Silence is observed throughout the stay. It creates a space for the inner journey.
Meals are an essential part of the journey. The food is entirely vegetarian and fermented, prepared according to ancient temple traditions. Simple, yet surprisingly rich in flavor, meals are served generously. Guests are encouraged to eat mindfully and never waste a single morsel—a practice rooted in remembrance of the devastating hunger endured by Koreans during the Korean War of the 1950s.
Accommodations are humble yet immaculate, with separate quarters for men and women. Rooms are equipped with showers, restrooms, and small refrigerators. Guests sleep on traditional ondol heated floors atop a yo mattress and an ibul quilt, experiencing a centuries-old way of resting close to the earth. Modest temple clothing is provided, reinforcing a sense of equality and simplicity.
Each day offers opportunities for the visitor, ie. 108 prostrations, yoga, seated and walking meditation, and demonstrations of Sunmudo by the monks. Surrounded by forested mountains, breathing crisp, clean air, it stimulates —awakening every cell of the body.
Some travelers speak quietly of experiencing “the shift”—a subtle yet lasting change felt while living among the Flowering Knights of Golgulsa Temple. Whether it is spiritual awakening, deep rest, or a renewed sense of clarity, it is something that lingers long after one descends from the mountain caves and returns to the world below.
May all Beings be Happy
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