Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

In observing nature, especially some of the more spectacular natural phenomena, I find myself feeling a sense of wonderment and awe.  There is something moving about nature, something in the way that nature seems so much bigger, so much more powerful, and so much more real than we are.  Yet at the same time there is a simplicity about nature that we notice in the midst of our wonderment, knowing that the things we see are not sentient and don't have cares and worries, joys and laughter, sorrow and strife.  I believe that there is something within us that reaches out to all of these aspects of nature that we observe - some identify with the enormity of nature and seek to be a part of the bigger picture, that of a creation and of a Creator, while others seek the simplicity in nature that can only be found through emulation of thinking nothing, through meditation.  That longing for the mysticism in the world around us is strong within all of us, to certain degrees, and I believe that the fulfillment of that longing brings a joy and peace that nothing else does.  This is why so many are drawn to spending their lives for religions - they are searching for that ultimate joy.  For example, in Zen Buddhism the final achievement of the self is nirvana - enlightenment.  This is achieved through years of meditation to control and rid the self of thoughts.  This is essentially emulating the things in nature - a rock does not think, nor does a tree or a river.  What nirvana is described as is the removal of all pain and suffering - a sense of peace that is lasting and beyond the pleasures of the world.