[kijin]

Monasteries are a Western tradition. Some Buddhist temples and Christian organizations offer a similar program in South Korea, but most people who aren't religious don't feel comfortable attending an overtly religious program.

Edit: Most Koreans would think of monasteries as a Western/Christian thing. Culturally, modern South Korea is much closer to the West than to India or even China.

[Mikeb85]

There's definitely a strong historic Buddhist monastic tradition in Korea. The Christianity that has taken hold in Korea is the American/evangelical sort and they don't do monasticism, so it seems strange to me that it would be associated with the West.

Anyhow, when I made the comment, I was thinking of the last line of the parent post "even in the West as a modern alternative to a monastery". To me, an alternative to monasteries seems redundant when you can go to a monastery.

[kijin]

I meant a secular alternative.

A majority (56%) of South Koreans have no religion. Among the remainder, there are more Christians (19% Protestant + 8% Catholic) than Buddhists (15%). Unlike in Japan, Buddhism hasn't been a dominant force in the Korean society for a long time -- not since neo-Confucianism replaced it as the state ideology in the early 15th century.

Some Buddhist ideas and habits remain in the culture, of course, but most people regard them as part of their national tradition, not Buddhist in particular. The younger generations think of Buddhism more as a subject of history books than as something that might be relevant to the 21st century.

So a Buddhist monastery is not exactly the first thing that the average person would think of when they want to get away from the stresses of life in Seoul. Some temples run "temple stay" programs for short-term visitors, and some people seem to like it, but that's about it. It's just another niche. Not every Asian country is deeply Buddhist!

Meanwhile, anything that is vaguely related to America or Europe is grouped as "Western" in Korean parlance ;)

[malloryerik]

You could go to a Buddhist temple but then you have to wake up at 5am and do a routine.

[eeZah7Ux]

> Monasteries are a Western tradition

China and Japan had monastic traditions for more than 2000 years. Also Buddhist monasticism predates christian monasticism by centuries.

[magic_beans]

> Monasteries are a Western tradition

Where on Earth are you getting that idea? Are you forgetting about India?

[thaumasiotes]

If you're Korean, India is Western. They share "Buddhism", though generally not the same sect of Buddhism. They don't share a cultural tradition.

[virtualwhys]

Japan and China (in the past) have had a long monastic tradition. I assume it's the same for Korea.

Monasteries are most definitely not exclusive to the west.

[kijin]

IMO South Korea has been Westernized much more than Japan or China.

Even before South Korea came under U.S. influence, Buddhism in Korea has been weaker than in Japan for a long while because neo-Confucianism took over as the state ideology in the early 15th century. Neo-Confucianism emphasizes going out into the world and contributing to the public good, not withdrawing into a hermitage. Most of the great Buddhist monks that people remember are from before the switch. Buddhism was often actively suppressed, and tolerated at best, for the last 600 years.