In Search of Quietude

May 23, 2007 - The Japanese say that if one can climb the summit of Mount Fuji at night, and then observe the sunrise, one will be given a second chance at life, to right all wrongs, and start again. In this regard, Fuji is as important to the Japanese as Chomolungma is to the Sherpa, or Mount Kailash to the Hindu. Although not as world renowned as the three aforementioned mountains, there is at least one South Korean mountain, when taken slowly, that offers more than a fresh start.

Mount Jiri, which roughly translated means "perceiving exquisite wisdom", lies near the southern coast of Korea. It was designated the first of Korea’s twenty National Parks on 29th December, 1967. The park covers over 470 square kilometres, and Cheonwangbong, the summit, rises 1915 metres above sea level. There are many legends that have been born from the womb of Jiri – stories of giant snakes, divine monks, and magical springs – far too many to mention here. What is more and of greater tangible merit, Jiri is a fountain of natural wonder.

Nature’s architects must have been hard at work on Mount Jiri, stacking the stones that form her steep flanks. She is a circuit of ridgelines, snaking to and fro like gargantuan veins. Serving as one of those veins is the very life force of Korea, the Baekdu Daegan, the peninsula’s primary mountain range; the tiger’s spine.

In and around these ridges teems energy and life. Jiri is one of the last sanctuaries for Korea’s dwindled wilderness. A sauntering hike at any season will reveal the inner flesh of the mountain. In spring, life shakes off sleep as azalea and apricot blossoms begin a vernal portrait. In the summer, rains bring rushing rivers, and spread dew on leaves, intensifying their green. The autumn comes unabashed and effervescent, glowing in various hues of amber and vermillion. The winter, frigid and blustery, whisks its snow until the trees are frozen crystalline and white.

In each season too are the animals, birds, and insects that complete the mosaic. Perhaps the most intriguing of these is the Asiatic black bear, highly vulnerable worldwide and critically endangered in South Korea. Mount Jiri for them serves as a safe haven where they may live protected, striving to bring their populations back from the brink of extinction - a sincere hope for Korea’s biodiversity.

Going quickly through all this scenery and beauty is a mistake. In Jiri there is a delicate opportunity for one to find peace in a nation – indeed, in a world – that often has little time to rest. On Mount Jiri, just stroll. Move deliberately and mindfully until there is no divisibility between you and Jiri. Then, at this point, when mind and mountain are the same, you may be so blessed as to receive the mountain’s offering of a moment of quietude, and in that gain a small amount of the most exquisite wisdom. This article was published in the April, 2007 edition of The Compass Magazine, published by Hyundai Merchant Marine.

© Shawn James Morrissey. All rights reserved. 2007-2008

All materials copyrighted unless otherwise noted, 2005-2008