Some are more picturesque than others, and making a pilgrimage to the really nice ones is a popular activity for believers and nonbelievers alike.
My sociology professor managed to turn the trip into a school-sponsored excursion, and so I got my first chance to leave the city in three months.
As you might be able to see, this trip happened to be during the height of the autumn foliage in Korea, which is pretty amazing, even for a jaded New Englander like myself. People here love their leaves, and I'm happy I was here to experience a season that doesn't freeze my hands shut or drown me in hot rain. :)
Our professor managed to secure us an interview with a monk at the working monastery, who was pretty welcoming to our questions about his life and Buddhism. I finally found out why they always wear those cool grey robes, (supposedly, they are the least bothersome garments, allowing them to focus solely on meditation), that they can use any modern convenience so long as it does not tie them further into the self-destructive bustle of this world, (you might be able to see the computer behind him), and why Buddhist like babies (they are a pure, neutral metaphor for the soul a Buddhist wants to attain).
Also at the temple was an 1100-year-old gingko tree, which was supposedy planted by the staff of a Boddhisatva. I'm a little skeptical, but the tree could be that old. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the thing must have been at least 80 feet tall. The monk said it is the oldest living fruit-bearing tree.
I also got a picture of the mountains around Seoul on our way back into the city. It felt really good to be away from the skyline for a while.
And this is a picture of my campus at about the same time, its ringed by mountains.
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