It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. Tax season is winding down and the last rush is on its way. Basically, the flood gates will be open and I’m just hoping to survive. So, I decided that last weekend, we needed to go clear our heads and do something peaceful. Thus, we decided to go check out a working Korean Buddhist temple in Honolulu. I found it on a whim through Yelp, looking for something unique to fill up our bucket list before we leave the island. Since we’d already been to check out the more tourist-y Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe, this was a hidden gem. “Gem” is right! It was so much more colorful and because it is an actual practicing temple, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the area.
The Mu-Ryang-Sa Temple (Broken Ridge Temple) is tucked away in a residential area. We parked on the street and would’ve missed it entirely if we hadn’t been looking for it. Right away, we noticed the reason for the Broke Ridge namesake. Because of building restrictions, the top of the temple had to be halted. Now it clearly shows a flat top where a peak should be.
Where “Broken Ridge” moniker came from.
Remember when I said it was colorful? I mean, it’s insanely bright. Everything was so intricately painted. The amount of detail was extraordinary.
The exterior of all the buildings was covered in this vibrant, detailed facade.
I really should have expected it. The minute we walked up, we were greeted by four huge statues that were just as colorful and detailed as the outside of the buildings.
Representative of the four directions.
As we continued into the complex, we found even more statues…
Statue of Miruk Boddhisatava
World Peace Pagoda
…and discovered a little hidden corner with hundreds of Buddhas commemorating the departed faithful.
Commemorating the dead
While photography was not allowed inside the buildings–it’s considered poor taste to photograph places where the actual worshipping was taking place (they were all fantastic as well), I did snap a quick one from the outside. It was just as intricate as the rest.
Intricate as the outside.
Overall, it was a peaceful experience and I’m glad we were able to experience it. I’m not sure what is planned for this weekend–I had a long week and haven’t really had the energy to make any plans. Plus, my birthday is Sunday so I’m not gunning for much more than relaxation.
But, as I just got word that I’ll be leaving the first week in May, I will be doing SOMETHING.
Until then…
Cheers!
–A. xoxo
The Waid Chronicles 