Eat, pray, reflect: Spending time in a South Korean Buddhist temple

The Beopjusa Temple is beautifully nestled on the slopes of Songnisan Mountain near Seoul. — Korea Tourism Organisation/dpa

So this is going to be it for the next few days: A tiny, bland room without a bed or wardrobe. The mattress on the floor will have to suffice.

Like everyone else in this Buddhist monastery, from here on I’m wearing a simply-cut robe of rough linen, which just barely keeps me warm in the cool mountain temperatures.