7.Korea: Two Temples, Two Lessons: Sun Mu Do and Stillness

On a very rainy and quiet morning in Busan, I boarded the train for Gyeongju, ready for a different kind of temple stay, one built around movement, breath, and the physical practice of Sun Mu Do. I was excited for another training opportunity and place to learn that many of my teachers had been to. Grand Master Donald Kimm had refered to his experiences at Golgulsa many times. Where Baekyangsa had been about silence, meditation, rhythm, and internal reflection, Golgulsa was is known for being the headquarters of Sun Mu Do.

Into Gyeongju: Rain and Crowds

The train ride from Busan to Gyeongju was pleasant. The 45 minutes of smooth motion through the countryside was something I was really starting to enjoy. When I stepped off the train it was raining and I was carrying two heavy packs. Gyeongju was crowded with groups of people, traffic backed up and streets were full. This was the first time that I was experiencing crowds and traffic for the Chuseok Holiday and the preparations for the upcoming APEC event. Chuseok, 추석, is Korea's fall harvest festival, often called "Korean Thanksgiving," focusing on family gatherings and sharing special foods and fresh harvest fruits to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. It symbolizes gratitude, family unity, and cultural heritage.

Tumuli Park tombs Gyochan Traditional Village

Gyeongju itself feels like stepping into history. For nearly a thousand years it served as the capital of the Silla Kingdom, one of Korea’s greatest early dynasties and was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in East Asia. Its streets, parks, and hills are dotted with historical sites and places to see. Ancient royal burial mounds rise gently from grassy parks, stone pagodas appear between modern roads, and historic sites sit quietly alongside everyday life. Walking its streets, you’re constantly aware that the ground beneath your feet carries centuries of thought, discipline, and belief.

I found myself near the Hanok village and the royal tombs, weaving through umbrellas and tourists, trying to see all the historical sites and weaves a path to the bus terminal. I stopped for lunch, sweet and sour pork, knowing it would be my last meal before heading to the temple I ate till I was full plus some. It was comforting, familiar, and much needed.

Finding the right bus turned into its own test. Walking through the rain and crowds. I finally found a city bus stop on the correct bus loop. I had my directions telling me which bus to take but all signs and communication where in Korean which was putting my skills to the test and giving me quite a bit of nervous self doubt.

Once I boarded, I thought I had 11 stops ahead, maybe 20 minutes. Instead, the bus looped back through the city a second time to pick up more passengers. Nearly two hours later, after a crazy city bus ride through the mountains, I finally stepped off at the stop in the middle of nowhere for Golgulsa.

I watched the Sun Mu Do demonstration being given on a small TV in the office as they checked me in and gave me my bedding and temple clothes. I started the hike up the hill to the building where I would be sleeping that night. Made to hold more people these rooms had bunk beds. I claimed a spot and got changed. It was time to walk up the hill and get ready for my first Sun Mu Do class.

Golgulsa: Movement, Breath, and Bodily Discipline

Golgulsa sits up a long path in the mountains. It is rocky and surrounded by thick forest. It has a different energy than Baekyangsa. Where Baekyangsa feels ancient, quiet, and rooted in deep Seon tradition, Golgulsa feels youthful, physical, and dynamic.

A volunteer led us through orientation, then straight into Sun Mu Do training. Sun Mu Do is a blend of yoga-like movement, martial arts conditioning, breath work, and flexibility training. Our first class was long and focused on warming-up the body with the breath and yoga like positions, stretching, slow kicks, and breath control. My legs felt it immediately.

Golgulsa was a very different rhythm from Baekyangsa. Baekyangsa was quiet and offered stillness. It was a place that allowed you to focus on the mind and spirit. There was no chatter of talking and laughing and you were told to move quietly and slowly through the property. Golgulsa taught movement and breathwork but was filled with a very youthful spirit that allowed more talking and communication between participants. This made for a more summer camp vibe.

The 108 Prostrations, Again, but Different

We moved directly from SMD training into 108 prostrations. At Baekyangsa, each bow was paired with a teaching, a statement, and an intention. Here, it was simply continuous bowing for 30 minutes, no explanation, no phrasing, no symbolism provided. Everytime the head monk clacked the stick you were to move through the complete prostration or bow. Effort, repetition, and breath. I used my training from Baekyangsa, with each bow I gave myself a grateful thought. This helped my mind to stay focused and positive.

Even though they were the same physical movement, the meaning felt completely different at Golgulsa. My legs were already fatigued, my body warm from training. These prostrations were not reflective, they were physical, immediate, demanding. I was grateful I had experienced the Baekyangsa version first, so I knew the deeper meaning even if this temple didn’t explain it.

The 5 A.M. Service and a Return to Stillness

The next morning began with a 5 a.m. Buddhist service, this one was smaller than Baekyangsa, led by the head monk and two SMD leaders. The sitting meditation that followed lasted around twenty minutes, again without guidance. Then came a walking meditation, taught heel-to-toe, exactly as Dr. Kimm had taught us. Moving slowly around the room, never stopping, maintaining balance, focus and breath. Breakfast followed and I was ready for it! Another light, clean temple meal full of veggies and rice, then it was time for the hike up the mountain to see the top.

The Steep Path to the Carved Buddha

The trail climbs steeply up to the top of the mountain. The ancient Buddha carved into the volcanic rock, a relic of the Silla Kingdom, sits at the top. Now covered by a glass roof this stone carving is awe inspiring and timeless. My legs were burning from the previous day’s training and a morning bowing session, but the climb was worth it. The stairs that you walk to the top are worn by the years of people making their way to the top.

At the top, the rocks were slick from the steady drizzle. The carved Buddha overlooks the valley—weathered, ancient, shaped by hands that lived centuries ago. As an artist, I was struck by the effort it must have taken to carve such a piece with no machines, no safety rails, just skill, intention, and endurance.

Ki-Building, Animal Postures, and the Heart of Sun Mu Do

Back at the temple, we prepared for the second Sun Mu Do class, 90 minutes of deep breath work, stretching, and posture holding. We explored the seven animal postures, each with a specific breathing pattern. The instructor emphasized:

• filling the lungs completely

• holding air in

• compressing energy

• building internal tension

• grounding the body

His exact words included,

“Compress your energy… and squeeze your anus.” I couldn’t help but grin at the unfiltered honesty of it. The practice was exhausting, humbling, and surprisingly clarifying.

Tea with the Temple Nun

After training, we had a tea session with the nun who oversees the temple stay. She gave an overview of Buddhism, the history of Golgulsa, and the training paths available, three-month residencies, long-term volunteer programs, and Sun Mu Do teacher training. Many of the SMD volunteers were European.

Only four Bhuddist monks reside at Golgulsa. The rest are practitioners who have committed months or years to training. Her talk gave Golgulsa a sense of community in motion, a place where people find themselves through effort and discipline rather than silence and stillness.

The Archery Lesson

Before leaving, I joined the archery session run by one of the long-term volunteers. He’d lived at the temple for ten years, older, long hair, big beard, a bit grumpy. He insisted archery wasn’t for kids, only warriors, which made me nervous for the little girl joining us. She was full of enthusiasm and had been one of the hardest-working participants all weekend. We shot plastic-fletched arrows with a western finger draw, a stance and release much different from the Korean traditional method I teach at Harvest. My first arrow went fifteen feet over the target.

Several arrows fell off the bow mid-draw. It was humbling in all the ways travel should be. But, it was also a reminder: an empty cup learns the most.

Two Temples, Two Teachings

Baekyangsa was a place of silence, gratitude, and presence. The experience was designed to slow you down and create space for stillness, reflection, and quiet learning. In that silence, awareness sharpened and gratitude became unavoidable. Golgulsa, by contrast, taught through a physical art: Sun Mu Do. There, learning emerged through movement and exertion, by releasing into the work and allowing the body to labor until the mind softened and grew quiet.

There are striking similarities between sitting perfectly still with disciplined posture for an hour and pushing the body through a demanding workout. In both, the breath becomes the anchor, the mind is challenged to remain focused, and clarity is found on the other side of effort. One temple looked inward. The other expressed outward. Yet both required discipline, humility, and openness. Together, they deepened my understanding of what it truly means to train, not only as a martial artist, but as a human being. Next, the road led north again, toward Seoul, toward new teachers, and toward the next chapter of the journey.