Hyusimsa in Hadong-gun

Where weary souls can rest

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic downturn, people’s hearts are very tired and suffering from pain. In particular, the pandemic is still tormenting us even after three years have passed, and wars, military provocations and unrest in each country have exhausted not only the body but also the mind. Because of this, people are craving more than ever for a haven for their minds. Hyusimsa is a temple located in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Although it is not a large temple and it is not an old temple, it is the main headquarters of the Banya Jogye Order, and there are more than 7,000 families who visit it. The name “Hyusim” means a temple to rest in the village, and it was named in the hope that people who come to visit can rest their minds and be free from pain. Chief Monk Beokam was originally a public official. He left the house at a rather late age of 38, but lived in a crypt hermitage and trained himself. He built the resting temple in 2009 according to the teachings of Master Jagwang, the gifted monk, to build a temple on Mt. Jirisan so that people can go to rest. The place where the resting ceremony was held was the site of a prayer from 100 years ago, and it is a place where people could rest their hearts through prayer. 

Sharing spirit driven from the mind of ‘all is one’

Overcoming hardships 108 times of bow with the believers

The Buddha said that all human suffering has a cause, and that the cause of suffering is human attachment. In other words, sharing with everyone without clinging to what you have is a way of harmonizing people and eliminating pain. Monk Beokam has been giving sharing for many years based on these Buddhist teachings and the spirit of all things. Since childhood, he has been studying in the midst of difficult life. Because of that, he had the will to give relief to as many people and families as he could through mercy and merit. As a result, starting with the donation of 1 million won in 2014, 4 million won in 2015, 5 million in 2016, 8 million in 2017, and 7 million in 2018, a total of 32 million won has been donated. This donation was based on the mindset of the Monk Beokam that investing in education is investing in the future. He also said that this scholarship will become a lantern of hope for young people to make their grand dreams come true. In addition, he provided scholarships to 16 students, including 9 elementary school students and 7 university students. These donations have been ongoing since 2013. Last year, he donated 10 bicycles worth 3 million won to improve the physical strength of all students at Hwagae Elementary School. 

▲ Hyusimsa (Temple) / Chief Monk Beokam

In addition to donations for children, he is also practicing sharing with neighbors. Ahead of the holiday at the beginning of this year, he bought 60 boxes of Jeju tangerines and donated them to Seomjingang Love House, Jeonju Wooridul Hospital, and Noryang Silver Town. He made a pilgrimage to Gyeongju with 150 believers and donated 500 kg of rice to the Hadong-eup office, and also visited the Hwagae-myeon office and donated 27 bags of rice to each village for senior citizens. The temple currently has an area of 165,289 square meters, and it is planned to use the site to create a meditation path and a park of 33,057 square meters. In the process, about 30,000 trees will be planted and a flower path will also be created. Monk Beokam said “If we live with the same mind and same thoughts, I think that COVID-19 is also a passing process. I want to teach and pass on a beautiful personality to my descendants, and I will overcome this difficulty with 108 times of bow with all the believers.”