An altar is set up in JustBe. / Courtesy of Hana Crisp
By Hana Crisp hanaleecrisp@gmail.com
Bop Yo Sunim, a Zen Buddhist nun from Japan, was only planning to stay overnight at JustBe Temple ― a newly opened guesthouse and meditation center not far from Hongik University.
"I just came for one day," she told The Korea Times, pouring hot water into a small pot of black pearl tea. "And then one day became two days, one week became two weeks and one month will become two months."
When June Han Sunim (sunim is the Korean title for a Buddhist nun or monk) invited her to stay longer, she initially hesitated because she didn't know what she had to offer. "But he said, 'No, it doesn't matter ― please, just be with us!' And these words really melted something inside of me," she recounted. "Everywhere you go, you have to be somebody. Here, they allow you to be yourself, just be. It's not just a concept."
June Han Sunim, 45, and Baek Dham Sunim, 48, first conceived of the idea for JustBe back in college in the U.S., where they turned their living room into an informal Buddhist center, nicknamed, "The Zen Den." At 5 a.m. each morning, they'd usher in friends to practice 108 bows, meditate and eat breakfast together before everyone would leave for school or work. Later, they started a potluck dinner, attracting up to 30 or 40 guests. "Everybody brought their own country's vegetarian food and it was so delicious," said June Han Sunim. "It was like a competition between countries!"
A group photo at JustBe Temple, with Tae, Bop Yo Sunim, Jeremias, June Han Sunim, Baek Dham Sunim, G and Baku / Courtesy of Hana Crisp
When the former Kimchee Guesthouse ― a low-price youth hostel in the heart of Hongdae ― went bankrupt during the pandemic, the building owner asked June Han Sunim for prayers for a new tenant. Despite being in the middle of a 1,000-day meditation retreat, the monk recognized the opportunity finally to turn his college idea into reality. "I thought, the karma came," he recalled. "The [right] timing has come." He signed the lease sight unseen.
Soon after, the monks traded mountain life for inner-city Seoul and began renovating with their own hands, aided by some friends and volunteers. After a year of extensive work, the former partygoers' hostel has been completely transformed into a light, airy oasis, with a striking, minimalist temple on the top floor. "But it's still a party," Bop Yo Sunim said with a smile. "It's a tea party."
A sign in the kitchen of JustBe / Courtesy of Hana Crisp
Since opening in September, JustBe has welcomed visitors from all over the world, mainly in their 20s and 30s. Some have an interest in Buddhism, while others are drawn by the location and price. Guests are welcome to join the morning program of bowing, sitting meditation and breakfast, as well as rotating evening classes including hatha yoga, sound meditation and free drawing.
The drawing class is led by G, an artist, DJ, and the younger brother of Baek Dham Sunim. G lives and works at JustBe, forming a small "temple family" with the three monks plus staff members Tae and Baku. "Anything can be meditation," G said, "through everyday, moment-to-moment focused attention."
Though the number of Korean monks and nuns is waning, interest in yoga, meditation and healing among younger generations is on the rise. JustBe's evening program offers young people a more accessible path to Buddhism, through action rather than scripture ― and they're just getting started. "We're even thinking about a collaboration with the nearby Club Temple," G said. "It's all possible because June Han and Baek Dham Sunim are so open-minded."
Buddhism can also provide wisdom and strength in times of war and tragedy. "There are many ways, but we are one of the ways," June Han Sunim said.
A 49-day memorial in honor of the Itaewon crowd crush has been created in JustBe's fifth-floor temple, where guests and members of the public can burn incense and offer silent prayers to comfort the souls of the deceased. "In Buddhism, when we pray and give good energy, we believe that it reaches them," June Han Sunim explained.
A sign for the memorial at JustBe Temple to the victims of the Itaewon crowd disaster on Oct. 29. / Courtesy of Hana Crisp
Though the monks are eager to share Buddhist teachings with guests, they see their role as supporters, rather than teachers, in a more horizontal community based on mutual respect. JustBe is unique in that monks and laypeople live together, with the primary aim of practicing the dharma side by side, and the secondary aim of creating jobs for laypeople who want to commit to this way of life. For June Han Sunim and Baek Dham Sunim, it's quite a change from the solitude of the mountains. Now, the practice is to welcome each guest who enters the door as Buddha, and see Buddha in each guest.
Perhaps this practice is behind the warm hospitality that keeps people coming back to JustBe. Like Bop Yo Sunim, others have extended their stay multiple times. Some guests offer to volunteer, on top of their accommodation fees. Heather, a U.S. Army nurse in her 20s living in Pyeongtaek, has already stayed at JustBe four times and now she volunteers by guiding new guests around the area. "Everyone's really nice and genuine," she said. "And there's a lot of tea. I always joke ― it's not 'Hey, how are you?' it's 'Do you want some tea?'"
The kitchen and dining room of JustBe / Courtesy of Hana Crisp
Another member of the extended JustBe family is Jeremias, a young singer and dancer from Chile. He has been living at JustBe for almost a year and a half, working on the renovations in exchange for a room. "It was like, really hard work, but because of the people, it was a really happy time," he said. When Jeremias first arrived at the temple, he didn't even know that "the people without hair" were monks, but now he practices meditation regularly: "They taught me everything and I really like how it's changed my life."
Even for Bop Yo Sunim, who was ordained in Korea and now spends her time practicing at different monasteries in Asia ― most recently in Hong Kong ― there is something special about JustBe. "I don't know about the [whole] world ― but at least I have never been to any place like this," she said. "It's very difficult to put into words, but once you experience this, you can see. If you are here, you can feel it. It's in the air. You can just be."
Accommodation at JustBe Temple can be booked via Airbnb. The Itaewon tragedy memorial is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for silent prayer until Dec. 18. Follow JustBe Temple on Instagram @justbe_temple for updates, including information about upcoming public programs and tours.
Hana Crisp is a writer and singer based in Seoul. She also co-hosts the Adopted Feels podcast.
