■ Practice with rice “I think rice is the law, the law of that person” In the early morning, they wake up earlier than anyone else and cook ‘rice’ in the lowest position to feed and save people. To them, ‘rice’ is ‘law’ and ‘cooking rice’ is ‘practice.’ If rice made with time and sincerity becomes an unforgettable comfort to someone, how could there be such beautiful labor! The story of practitioners who think rice is the basic food that sustains life, to them, cooking rice is sacred labor and prayer. [Practicing with Rice] commemorates the achievements of the first Buddhist monk, Yeonggyu Daesa, in Joseon Dynasty, and includes the mothers who have prepared the 'Tea Ceremony' for 40 years in Yeonggyu Daesa's hometown (Yupyeong-ri, Gyeryong-myeon, Gongju-si); the Wonju monk (the monk in charge of the kitchen) and bodhisattvas who are in charge of the temple meals in the offering room from 5 a.m. for an average of 50 to 60 people per day and an average of 200 people on weekends; and the story of the very special meals of the 'Daughters of St. Paul', a community of 120 nuns who are walking the path of monks while holding the hands of poor and hungry souls in the heart of Seoul - a community that always prays for the sick and ailing world, but has rarely been revealed to the world. What kind of comfort and encouragement do the monks who practice with rice in the lowest, unseen place, but in front of the hottest fire, give? ■ Monk Yeonggyu Daesa who protected the country, and a practice to honor his heart – Gyeryong-myeon, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do Every September 25th, the village of Yupyeong-ri becomes the busiest of the year. Today’s event is a tea ceremony to honor Monk Yeonggyu Daesa, the first monk general of Joseon who protected the country during the Imjin War in 1592. Monk Yeonggyu Daesa achieved a great victory in the Battle of Cheongjuseong Fortress, but returned home after dying a heroic death in the Battle of Geumsanseong Fortress. The village has been holding a memorial service for the hero who protected the country for over 40 years so that his heart would not be in vain. The 20 or so members of the Yupyeong-ri Women’s Association have spent their time preparing not only the food for the ancestral rites table, but also the food for the 400-500 guests who come. The village women’s association mobilizes from early in the morning! There is so much food to prepare that they have to be busy starting the day before the tea ceremony. There are many kinds of pancakes, from Daegujeon, which uses dried codfish whole, to Myeongtaejeon, Yukjeon, etc. However, the pancake that is never left out is the flat pancake. It is a large bundle that is placed so that people can eat their fill and take food with them when they leave if they are not hungry. It is a tradition of this village that contains the respect for ancestors who come to the ancestral rite table. They fight a battle with oil all day long, but that is only the first part. They say that the bigger task is to arrange the food on the ancestral rite table like a tower... Park Yu-sun (78 years old), who piles boiled jujubes one by one, is a master with 40 years of experience in preparing food, whether it is chestnuts or codfish! In addition, the village head, Yoo Ui-sun (64 years old), makes a simple meal with all his heart even late at night. From Gyejeok (鷄炙), which symbolizes sacrifice to ancestors, to the funny rice cakes made by hand, and various fruits, the hearts of mothers who pray for the well-being of their families and neighbors are piled up on the ancestral rite table. After the ceremony, which includes not only the ancestral rites food but also entertaining over 400 guests, everyone is exhausted, but the mothers say that this arduous labor is not asceticism, but a sacred training that must be done to the best of their ability. We take a look at the busy daily life of the women’s association of Yupyong-ri Village, preparing for the Yeonggyu Daesa tea ceremony. ■ The path of training in the offering room of Magoksa Temple, a thousand-year-old temple – Sagok-myeon, Gongju-si, Chungcheongnam-do It is said that training is waking up first and breaking the dawn, and brightening the dark world. Even before the beomjong bell rings to signal the dawn service, the ones who prepare breakfast are the head monk of the offering room, the monk Muyong, and three bodhisattvas. Magoksa Temple, a thousand-year-old temple at the foot of Mt. Taehwa, has been a popular temple for tourists since it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, and has beautiful scenery all year round. As a result, the offering room, which is responsible for the temple meals, has no time to rest. The head monk of Magoksa Temple, Monk Muyong, is a talented person who worked as a nutritionist at hospitals and training centers before becoming a monk. He not only puts sincerity into the food but also puts effort into the nutrition and texture of the temple meal, which is made up of only vegetables. In particular, most of the ingredients that go on the temple meal are procured from the vegetable garden surrounding Magoksa Temple... The path of practice that starts in the vegetable garden is completed at the table through the food pantry. If you don't work for a day, you won't eat for a day! This is thanks to the teachings of Monk Wonkyung, the head monk of Magoksa Temple, who values ​​the labor that goes into putting food on the table and says that feeding and saving people is the most important part of practice. Sweet potato stems, which cannot be stored and can only be eaten at this time of year, teach the Buddha's lesson of 'don't be greedy' in the vegetable garden. When trimming sweet potato stems that produce rich sap, the underside of your fingernails turns black, but when you make kimchi, you can enjoy the sound of crunching fallen leaves, a delicacy that can only be eaten this fall. The sesame seeds picked together are dried with glutinous rice paste and made into bugak, which can be fried and eaten when needed. If picked early, they smell like money, and if you miss the timing, they turn black, so sesame seeds are a precious food that can only be eaten now, during this season. Monk Muyong says that even thoughts like “When will they dry? And when will I be able to finish them?” are worries. He says that all the work of the Gongyanggan, which feeds and saves sentient beings, is a work of building virtue, so they don’t even know how hard it is. From the subtle fragrance of cilantro dumplings that can only be found in temples, to the sesame seeds bugak that looks like white snow has fallen on the trees, to the eggplant pancakes and eggplant tangsuyuk that are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside… We meet the autumn story of Magoksa Gongyanggan, which serves a table that makes people happy at every meal, even though it is not shown on the outside. ■ A meal of comfort resembling the love of Christ – Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul The Daughters of St. Paul are located on a hill overlooking the night view of the city and the complex daily life of the city. At 5:30 AM, the morning of the monastery begins with the prayers of 120 nuns and the dawn mass. The community of nuns who always pray for the poor and sick world, but are rarely introduced to the world, the Daughters of St. Paul. Usually, two people prepare a simple breakfast, and on days when they make bread for the week, the kitchen is busy from 4 AM. Whether it is bread or sauce, the nuns avoid commercial products and make their own food. They say that even though they live in the city, they choose inconvenience over convenience. Sisters Sophia and Maria make ciabatta, the nuns’ favorite bread, from 4 AM. Ciabatta requires a long time because it has to be fermented twice, so for the nuns, the time of waiting is prayer. Crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside with holes. The savory ciabatta, like scorched rice, contains the prayers of the nuns to be strict with yourself but warm to the people you should embrace and the world. True to the saying, “Breathe and communicate with the world and spread the love of Christ,” the Daughters of St. Paul, which opened in Korea in 1962, is finding the path of truth that humanity should take through media apostolates such as publishing, audiovisual materials, and records. For 60 years in the monastery, the Bible stories told by grandmother Sister Aloysia to her children are like food that mothers make their children swallow, food for the soul. But that’s not all. There are also nuns who recreate food for the soul with real food. Sister Ilma, who started making food from the Bible herself and uploading it to her video channel to help those who are having a hard time during the COVID-19 pandemic, spreads love through her unique humor and food. A father's endless love for his son who returns penniless, veal stew, lentil porridge with brotherly love, and even fig cake, a dessert developed in the convent... We listen to the comfort and prayers the nuns of the 'Daughters of St. Paul', who resemble Christ's love and never lose their cheerful smile toward the world, deliver to the world 24 hours a day. ■ Special narration - Actor Ryu Seung-ryong For 14 years, Mr. Choi Bool-am, who has traveled around the country without fail, laughing and crying with those who cook rice, applauding their hard work, and sharing the meaning of 'rice' and the 'food culture' of Koreans, was no different from 'practicing with rice'. In this episode of [Practicing with Rice], actor Ryu Seung-ryong, who has starred in 'Miracle in Cell No. 7' and 'Extreme Job', participates as a special narrator in place of Mr. Choi Bool-am, who is on his first vacation in 14 years, and joins us on this special journey. Actor Ryu Seung-ryong has been a long-time viewer of [The Korean Table]. He expressed his respect to the presenter of [The Korean Table] for a long time, explaining our food in a friendly way, and sometimes in depth through history and background. He said, “While recording the narration, I thought that I would never be able to keep up with the experience, but this was a meaningful time for me as I became more interested in our food and culture.” ※ This video is [The Korean Table] aired on October 17, 2024. #TheKoreanTable #Cooking #Practice #RyuSeung-ryong ✔KBS Documentary KBS Official YouTube Channel [KBS Documentary] 🔔Subscribe👍Like➡️ / @kbsdocumentary 📝Contact: [email protected] Copyright ⓒ KBS. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use (including AI training) are prohibited. ∙Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use (including AI learning) are prohibited. ∙The current situation and content may differ slightly depending on the time of broadcast. ∙Defamatory and malicious comments may be deleted by the operator to protect the performers.