DISCLAIMER: This post is not about religion nor any sort of evangelism regarding religion. It is simply about a place that I visited a few months back that I wanted to share.
My cultural background is Korean and I will admit that I visited a few Korean Buddhist Temples back in the day as a child in the States and never really got to fully understand and appreciate the atmosphere they provided. I got a chance to rekindle my love to explore my cultural background and visit Baklimsa Temple together with Muryang Sim.
My first visit with her was back in Summer time, where the weather was hot and REALLY humid. Nonetheless, we made the journey via our vehicle and arrived mid morning while going through the mountainsides of Upstate New York. Upon our arrival, I was immediately awestruck at the vast area of land Baklimsa Temple was situated on. The Temple itself sits on over 80+ acres of land and surrounded by a sea of grass, trees, animals and all things mother nature. However, the first thing I noticed beyond all the mesmerizing scenes of nature was the main Temple itself, which was REALLY jaw dropping:
The Main Temple was mesmerizing to look at as it was surrounded by nothing but nature. You could feel the soothing natural energy from the ambiance that was radiating from the area. Along with this, it was really nice to be able to enjoy some fresh breathable air that was being provided by the surrounding mountainous area of Catskills NY region. As we made the short trek up, we noticed a cute sign that read “Walking Meditation” or “명상의길” (in Korean) and was wondering why it was placed there.
After walking past the sign, we noticed there were a few other traditional Korean Temple artifacts. The one that stuck out the most was this rather large Bell that was nestled right next to the Main Temple. The Head Abbot informed us that the Bell was brought exclusively from South Korea and was rung during certain occasions such as Buddha’s birthday or at times, to simply send prayers to all who may be suffering as well (including humans & nature) and wishing all to achieve inner peace and enlightenment.
After taking a further look at the bell, we then decided to walk the “Meditation” Trail, the lead further into the woodlands of the Temple grounds. It was a peaceful and calming long walk and you could really bask in the pure energy that emanates from nature. From the long stretches of visible trees, the various birds making their voices heard, to the funny little squirrels trying to insert as many acorns as they could into their mouths, the entire walk was truly soothing and relaxing. It is definitely something I highly recommend anyone to try if they are ever in the Catskills Mountain area in upstate New York.
The entire experience was soothing and relaxing. Finding this hidden gem in update New York was spectacular. If you live in NYC or the NYC area and are in need of finding a place to relax, detox and try and wanting to meditate and clear your mind, Baklimsa Temple is highly recommended. Check out this YouTube video as well if you want! https://youtu.be/IkmLo_WeTRs
