Monsoon in June

The coming of the rainy season in Korea fearlessly announced itself this afternoon as I walked from the subway stop to my apartment, arriving totally soaked from the 2 block walk. "Did you notice that monsoon season started?" Asked Josh. " Yes" I said. Apparently it will be raining for a month, which is nicer than the humidity and mugginess we have been experiencing in the expansive city of Seoul. It has been a fun weekend spent with friends and philosophical musing, plus some Zen shouting courtesy of Hyon Gak Sunim at dinner. He has returned form America and everyone from the monestary has been quizzing me about my background in Buddhism, Koreans wondering what the differences are, if they meditate the same way and so on. I met some interesting folks who had been to South East Asia and done Buddhist meditation there, and noticed that it is far more gentle a style. . . While the Japanese will hit you with a stick you wake you up during meditation, the Vietnamese prefer to waft air upon you with a fan noticed one friend.

A Korean monk said something like, "Well you just have to go to the different places to realize why things evolved differently in these parts of the world. For example, I was meditating in the Himalayas, outside at night under a vast starry sky. Suddenly it seemed as if the stars were not up in the sky, but all around me on every side." I think this is a cool observation. Every place does have its own personality, Colorado with its open skies and rock-strewn Mountains, the east coast with its humid air and enveloping green trees, China with its eternal old feeling. I think that Korea has a rough but beautiful energy about it, with a burning in the center, a hot spicy flavor. It’s not just the food, but everything here.

Here's a quote from John Lennon, which was quoted in a Zen lecture today...Yippy


"Imagine there’s no countries
I wonder if you can
Nothing to kill or die for
A brother hood of man"

(and woman too??)
love http://maps.google.com/maps?q=seoul,+korea&ll=37.663536,126.727638&spn=0.155869,0.230370&t=k&hl=en >