20170903
You can see very unique but not special structures in Korean mountain. These are piles of stones. Nobody knows from where these stone piles came and when these began. Only what I am remembering is my granma had put one stone on the pile of stones when she had visited the Buddhist Temple.
Time is changing. Religion in Korea was also changed a lot. Eventhough Korea was a Confucian country, Christianity have prevailed over korean society for 100 years since Door had been open to the religion from out side.
Some scholars had guessed that the purpose of the piling stones had defensive and security meaning.
In the past, I could had seen the piles of stones in the entrance of the village. I heard the reason why they had piled stones in the entrance of the village when I was a elementary school pupil. In peace time people had gathered the stone when they passed the entrance of the village. They said that piling stones were kind of combat readiness. When enemy invaded, people though the stones at the entrance.
This story reminded me of my childhood. There was a stone throwing combat periodically between villages. Boys took part in the stone combat. I remember adults didn't care about that fighting. The battle field and combat time was designated as custom. Boys put a metal pan or bawl on the head like a helmet. Accidents were happen from time to time. They bleeded and head was torn sometimes. May be that stone battle was a kind of combat training.
But the stone piling in the mountain is supposed to be quiet different from the combat readiness in the entrance of the village. The stone piling in the mountain seemed to express people's sincere hope and wish. There is religious meaning in stone piling.
Whenever I have visited the mountain, I find and l look around the stone piles with caution. There were so many stone piles in Gyeryong mountain than another mountain. The shapes were various than other mountain.
I guessed that there were much more wishes and hopes. Usually people put only one stone over the other stones.
You can estimate how many people have prayed for their wishes. People's wish is simple, healthy and kidd's success entering college. One thing we shouid remind is peoples's wishes are all connected.
As I wrote, people put stone on other stones what someone had already put on. It means that our wishes could be attained with relations of people. I heard so many times from my grandma that if you want to be treated well and receive fortune, you should do good things for others. When you did good behavior, then your children or grandchildren will receive the paybacks from the heaven. Strangely enough christianity and my granma's traditional religious teaching was all but similar.
Thank you for reading.
But in my place , as you visit the religious places, I can even see the stones piled up. I was eager for finding the reason for the piled up stones. An old man passed by at a moment and asked for the reason . He's answer was mindblowing
"The more you pile up the stone's ,the more you server the people. You can get a safe place in a heaven . You have built a home for the poor"
I was shocked. It seems like in every corner of the world , the piled up stone has some beliefs !
Thanks for sharing !
It is interesting korea and nepal have similar custom even though they are apart far away from each other.
On my country is a one beach, there are too piles of stones. About 3 m height. and they are so many. But I don`t know why they to that, the people where come to beach. Some religion.
lol
Thanks for this fascinating post and wonderful photos. Stone piling is world wide it seems but I rather like the connotations of the practise.
Always interesting following you @slowwalker
Thank you
Thank you for reading
Stones have a lot of wisdom within them. They bring great medicine.
I am a stone balancer. I like working with stones and balance them one on top of another looking for the perfect balance points. If you'd like, I have so much to say about stone balancing and the amazing effect it has on the person who practice it.
I used to wonder why people put up the cairns everywhere. I understand better now and it warms my heart knowing that it is put up in memory of another.
I wander through Arlington Cemetery here in the Washington, DC area and see many stone piles on top of the gravestones.
Thank you for your comment
people' heart seem to similar
I always thought that cairns (piled stones) were a way to mark a trail. I went hiking/camping once in the mountains, at some point I got separated from my friends, each had a different pace of walking. I worried a bit, I felt lost at the top of that mountain. But, thankfully there were stone piles marking the path to follow. I followed them and I rejoined my friends later. Perhaps some cultures see them as a spiritual symbol. For me, I see them as a guide put by travelers for the travelers; they put me back on track 🙂
I live in Israel, In the desert the Beduians (Native tribes of the desert), used to mark their paths and trails in the mountains by piles of stones called Rujums (Arabic), from each Rujum you can see the next one, this way you travel from Rujum to Rujum. I also pile stones one on to of the other but in a very different way - It is called Stone Balancing, have you heard of it ?
It would be very useful in the mountain.
Thank you for your comment
wow maybe that's important. It is a relic of historic objects. means once had hudup ancestors there, thank's @slowwalker. a very good post about history I really like it
I am glad you like this post
When I was hiking, on the way I saw many stones was arranged like as these pictures but I don't know why they did like that in that time?
really @noopu wow.. sure hiking is fun.. nice comment and did you take some pictures?
No,I didn't.
😥
Awww😏 ...don't worry you get better chances... Find time to check my blog...have some good info for you
Yea, I will
ok dear and keep steeming
updated a new post today
I am looking forward your new post too.
in japan ?
In Thailand 🇹🇭
May be similar reason ?
Aians have common cultural background
i think same reason
I have silmilar memories with you when it comes to piling stones. But I didn't know there is the purpose of defense to use as a weapon. I have just known the meaning of "wish". Now I can make sense why Korean people in the old age pile stones in the entrance of the village.
you need to sleep early
Thought provoking article. I have seen the stone piling in many countries around the world. All are very similar. No one has been able to give me a reason for these piles. This comes close. It is amazing to think that many different cultures have this in common...
Thank you so much for your comment.
There must be lots of things we don't know yet
I know this stone piling practice after watching Korean drama, Scarlet Heart Ryeo. In this drama, the ones who piled stones were normally mothers. They wished for their children's sake. I had no idea that this practice actually existes in the past. I thought it was just the director's imagination. Thanks @slowwalker, now I know.
Thank you for your comment
You're most welcome
Thank you sharing this fascinating post and wonderful photographs. Stone piling is world wide but it is like the connotations of something.
very interesting story, and photos. Every culture has different stories on building of rocks. In some Indian cultures in America, when an Indian started a center rock, others would add to it indicating they were home with the, in other words ready to go to war with them against enemy. If big pile is formed then there is much support for going to war against an enemy.
Good post with meaning to the stone piling. I think that it tells a good story and looks beautiful
Thank you so much
you are welcome
wow.. nice photos and narratives @slowwalker worthy of my 100% upvote
your post always gets my attention...nice one and keep it up dear...
Thank you for your comment
Welcome as always and find time to check some of my blog posts too
@ slowwalker i love you say this words..
have prayed for their wishes.
People's wish is simple,
healthy and kidd's success entering college.
One thing we shouid remind
is peoples's wishes
are all connected."
just love the context..very touching..upvoted..
kindly see my poem its about value friendship and also life that to much work..
https://steemit.com/poetry/@mrblu/poem-i-m-tired
https://steemit.com/poetry/@mrblu/getting-your-friends-hooked--a-friendship-last-forever
hope give me a chance to upvote my post..your vote will help me a lot..please follow me back also..thanks and more power to you..until your next post..my friend @slowwalker
so naturally very happy to be in that place. you are also very fine in explaining it @slowwalker
Thank you for your compliment
You are welcome @slowwalker
Very good my friend.
Very nice articel @slowwalker
Upvote and resteem
Two of my favourite things in nature are stones and trees, so you can imagine how much I liked this post ;)
@nacktepoesie
sure... they are natures best...
nice comment..do yu also blog on nature?
Nature is always a big part of my stories. Feel free and have a look at my blog, maybe you find something you like :)
Ok dear...heading there and check my blog too...mainly natural home remedies...😉
I checked you out, too. Some interesting stuff!
thanks dear.. keep steeming
lol
Thank you for dropping
:)
Beautiful cairn pictures, I really appreciated this post.. :)
like show , I hope you had a good time
Thank you
30 dollar upvote :O
Amazing post @slowwalker. . I like your post . Thankyou for sharing 👏👏👏
wow .. neatly arranged into beautiful scenery. great post my friend
Unreal, The first is incredible, very informative post thanks for sharing about Korean culture.
Thank you
Nice Picture @slowwalker ,, Good Work..
I like Your Post ..
Interesting postings, and good, reliable phhography.
Thank you so much
Nature is amazing and we have to protect it and not to poluate it
this is amazing, I want to travel after reading things like this
I like photo
Thank you for your work, I invite you to evaluate my work.
very informational and interesting, thanks for sharing!
Help me
Link 👇👇👇
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@auliaramadhn/hello-im-new-member-join-here-to-steemit-201793t201323520z
great photography
Nice
Those stones are great. I would like to build a house with them
Thanks for sharing very interesting. Here in the UK you see a lot of stone piles Kerns often to remember people although some say their to guide lost travellers. Inspirational all the same :)
Following for more intrigue :)
thank you.
Yes cairn was made for travellers,but here, stone pile is different from cairns
Yes indeed sounds very interesting. I would like to know more :)
Thank you so much for sharing all this information! that's great! All the best! Waiting for more posts! :)
As I wrote, people put stone on other stones what someone had already put on. It means that our wishes could be attained with relations of people. I heard so many times from my grandma that if you want to be treated well and receive fortune, you should do good things for others. When you did good behavior, then your children or grandchildren will receive the paybacks from the heaven. Strangely enough christianity and my granma's traditional religious teaching was all but similar.
That's right, I really agree with your opinion that, as social beings we have to help each other because we include people who still need others and god is very fond of people who help and help others, good job.
I am very interested to read your post with good grammar greatly facilitate me to translate into my language. I see a lot of your posts are screaming about the culture and things uni, I became interested to follow you to get the latest knowledge, knowledge and experience after reading your article, I feel happy listen your writing is, hopefully your day is fun.
Thank you so much
So interesting... also in my region!
Awesome, this people have created with passion a magical place! :O
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I like posts like this that look into the lifestyle and mindset of cultures.
Are you living in Korea or traveling there? Your profile does not say, if you don't want to answer that is also ok.
My wife is korean and my children thus half korean. We have not been there yet but hope to one day.
I am a buschcrafter/nature survivalist among may things and we use stone stacking as markers when hiking so we can find our way through the wilderness without getting lost. It is also often used on hiking trails for the same reason to mark the trails.
Also stone stacking is often done as a zen meditation or art.
I am following you now. Thanks for sharing.
SteemON!
Yes I am korean. Nice to meet here in Steemit
I follow you too
Thank you
Awesome!
Great to meet you. I hope to get to know you better and will follow up on more of your beautiful posts!
Like from the stone age one... nice @slowwalker
we have a game for this stone pile in India called Satoliya, It needs seven small flat stones; every stone size should be less than the other stone. Keep the stones on each other in decreasing size order. Hit the pile with a cloth ball from a fixed difference.
Interesting thank you
Welcome dear.
My plzr..😊😊
@slowwalker I love those photos, that place is very cute. I'll follow you.
We use to do it here in India too. Especially in the temples. I don't have any picture yet but whenever i visit a temple will show you. ☺
more piled up stones means more hopeful people around-- hope is such a refuge in a world of many wonderings. thanks for sharing @slowwalker
Very zen/meditation, @slowwalker
How long it take to build one small structure?