Entering

[spring]

Gangwha Jeondeungsa Temple_The beginning is always exciting.
Geumdunsa Temple in Suncheon: A temple that announces the arrival of spring with plum blossoms
Princess Magoksa Temple_Chunmachugap? Spring at the mountain temple is slow.
Gyeongju Namsan Chilbulam - Seven Buddhas carved into the rock
Hanam Jeongsimsa Temple_Mountains are mountains and water is water
Seongju Gwanunsa Temple_The only temple in Korea dedicated to Guan Yu
Namwon Silsangsa Temple: Building the Future by Connecting the Past
Jincheon Botapsa Temple: Embracing the Power of Peaceful Unification

[summer]

Yangyang Naksansa Temple: A sacred site of Guanyin that rose from the ashes of a fire
Samcheok Cheoneunsa Temple_The charm of a mountain temple in the rain
Mangwolsa Temple in Uijeongbu - A temple that touches the sky
Cheongju Mayasa Temple: A place as warm as a mother's embrace
Mungyeong Hansansa Temple: A temple for leisurely rest
Haeinsa Temple, Hapcheon_The Buddha's Dharma will spread!
Hadong Cheonggyesa Temple_Making tea and practicing
Jeju Yakcheonsa Temple: A Buddhist temple with exotic charm

[autumn]

Jeongeup Naejangsa Temple_A temple that holds treasures
Jangseong Baekyangsa Temple: The center of Honam Buddhism, welcomed by baby maple leaves
Yesan Hyangcheonsa Temple: A temple that spreads the Dharma with a clear and beautiful fragrance.
Paju Bogwangsa Temple - A majestic paradise adorned with chrysanthemums
Gongju Donghaksa Temple_A temple filled with the sound of students reciting sutras
Sancheong Susunsa Temple_A picturesque landscape
Daeseungsa Temple in Mungyeong: Teaching the Principles of Acting
Andong Bongjeongsa Temple - A temple brightly lit by lanterns descending from the sky

[winter]

Gilsangsa Temple in Seoul_When I miss the monk Beopjeong
Jeongseon Jeongamsa Temple_Jeokmyeolbogung at the foot of the snow-covered Taebaeksan Mountain
Gimcheon Sudoam Temple: Life and death are not separate entities.
Hwasun Unjusa Temple_A place where the earnest desire of a thousand Buddhas and a thousand pagodas resides
Jinan Maisan Tapsa Temple - A temple full of mystery
Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon: A temple where monks are treasures
Pyeongchang Sajaam Temple_Jeokmyeolbogung, located on the most famous mountain
Yeosu Hyangilam Temple - A sacred site of Guanyin with a beautiful sunrise

Coming out

"Human Theater" airs... YouTube views surpass 4.1 million
32 Beautiful Korean Temples Introduced by YouTuber Monk Muyeo
From the story behind its founding to easily missed viewing points, check it out!

"Nice to meet you.
A beautiful temple tour.
“I will start today with a joyful and happy heart.”

Perhaps it's because of the perception that "Buddhism is difficult." Even at renowned temples, many visitors simply take a quick look around, saddled with Chinese characters and difficult-to-understand signage.
If it is called a single pillar gate, why are there two pillars? When were the wooden fish and cloud plate in the bell tower used? What is the difference between a Buddha statue and a Bodhisattva statue? Why are there no Buddha statues in the Jeokmyeolbogung?
There is a video that will answer questions you may have been reluctant to ask anyone.
This is the 'Beautiful Temple Tour' of the YouTube channel 'Monk Muyeo TV'.

"Beautiful Temple Tour," which has been gaining popularity with over 50,000 subscribers and over 4.1 million views, has finally been published as a book.
YouTuber Monk Muyeo carefully selected 32 temples that suited each season among the 120 or so temples he visited over the past four years, and kindly explained the history and culture of the temples from their founding to the present day with over 100 photos he personally took.
He also wrote about the intimate aspects of the Seonbang (Zen room) that could not be captured on video, memories from his days as a student, the story behind the founding of the temple, and the lives and teachings of monks practicing throughout the country.
Each section introduces temple information and local attractions worth visiting.

Part 1, 'Spring', opens with Jeondeungsa Temple, the first filming location of 'Beautiful Temple Tour'.
You can feel the charm of Jeondeungsa Temple after three challenges.
At Magoksa Temple, widely known as 'Chunmagok Chugapsa Temple', we recommend that you visit Yeongsanjeon (a treasure) that is easy to pass by.
The signboard of Yeongsanjeon is known to be a calligraphy written by King Sejo, and is also famous as a hall with great spiritual power.
At Gyeongju Namsan Chilbulam, don't miss the sight of hikers carrying their luggage from the entrance to the temple, and the Shinseonam Rock-carved Bodhisattva Pensive Statue, where you can meditate while watching the sunrise.
Also, at Namwon Silsangsa Temple, we attend the 'Dharma Session that Opens the Day' where monks and laypeople equally discuss temple management, and reflect on the meaning of Buddhism and temples in this era.

Part 2, 'Summer', welcomes readers with the cool sea scenery of Naksansa Temple.
At Naksansa Temple in Yangyang, let's look for the hidden Biikjo and Samjokseom Island in the treasure chest in front of the Haesu Gwaneum statue, and at Cheoneunsa Temple in Samcheok, let's look for snacks hidden by the head monk Dong-eun in the so-called 'Solbat Cafe'.
At Mangwolsa Temple in Uijeongbu, you can catch a glimpse of the Zen temple that is not open to the public, and at Mayasa Temple in Cheongju, you can feel your childhood while riding on the wooden swing made by the head monk, Hyeonjin.
Let's listen to the stories behind the founding of Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, Hansansa Temple in Mungyeong, and Cheonggyesa Temple in Hadong, told directly by the head monks.

Part 3, ‘Autumn’, introduces majestic temples with colorful autumn leaves and bright chrysanthemums.
You can see the famous autumn leaves of Naejangsa Temple in Jeongeup and Baekyangsa Temple in Jangseong, as well as the 'passionate red autumn leaves' of Hyangcheonsa Temple in Yesan, which has long attracted the attention of Monk Muyeo.
Paju Bogwangsa Temple, where a chrysanthemum festival is held every fall, conveys the teaching, “Do not neglect your work and work hard diligently” through a 3-meter-long wooden fish hanging from Manseoru Pavilion.
Donghaksa Temple, which has the oldest Buddhist nunnery in Korea, is a temple where you can hear vivid stories of Monk Muyeo's school days.

Part 4, 'Winter', presents the calmness of ending the year and the excitement of welcoming the new year.
When I think of the teachings of the Venerable Beopjeong, I visit Gilsangsa Temple in Seoul, and at Sudoam Temple in Gimcheon, where I experienced a crossroads of life and death, I engrave the teaching of Banghachak (放下著), which means, "Let go of everything."
The 'sense of emptiness and fullness' felt at Pyeongchang Sajasa Temple, one of Korea's five major Nirvana Buddhist temples, and the preciousness of relationships reflected on at Yeosu Hyangil Temple, one of the four major Guanyin sacred sites and a famous sunrise spot, give me the strength to live today.

As the saying goes, “Traveling is reading while standing, and reading is traveling while sitting.” Let’s take a book with the kind explanations of Monk Muyeo and go out to discover the charm of temples that change with each season.

The story of Monk Muyeo, a YouTuber

The book also contains the story of Monk Muyeo's ups and downs as he grew from a beginner who didn't even know how to use a camera to a creator with five years of experience.

A nineteen-year-old girl who loved Buddhism so much that she read Buddhist scriptures at school decided to become a monk one day.
After graduating from Unmun Buddhist College and leading sermons for children and youth at a temple, the monk, who wanted to study Buddhism further, completed a doctoral course at Dongguk University.
Then, I suddenly began to wonder, "What's the point of studying if it doesn't help others?" and decided to use YouTube as a way to convey the Buddha's teachings in a more accessible and enjoyable way.
I think that instead of difficult doctrines, showing the beauty of temples and their tangible and intangible values ​​through video would be helpful in conveying the true meaning of Buddhism.

First, I started learning camera shooting techniques and video editing techniques.
In order not to lose my dignity as a performer, I wrote each line of the script with great care and also received speech training.
As a practitioner, I had many concerns before standing in front of the camera, but I was able to muster up the courage because I had made a wish to introduce 108 temples.
The monk bravely visited the temple with a small camera, a tripod, and a recorder, overcoming countless setbacks and difficulties, and presented his first video, "Beautiful Temple Tour with Monk Muyeo - Jeondeungsa Temple" in March 2019.
Since then, he has been uploading videos without a single week off for two years, causing a stir and receiving much love after being introduced on KBS's "Human Theater" and EBS's "Korean Travelogue."

Monk Muyeo said, “I went through a lot of trial and error, but through YouTube, I was able to broaden my understanding of the world and use it as an opportunity to reflect on my own practice.” He added, “I will continue to develop better content and contribute to spreading Buddhism in an easy and fun way.”