한국국제교류재단

INTERVIEW

“I loved being enlightened by Buddhism!”
Nittaya Thongphaeng, a sophomore in Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University

Countries such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and VietNam are part of the Buddhist cultural sphere. Nittaya came from Thailand to Korea to train herself and study Korean Buddhism. We spoke with her about the future she dreams of, where everyone could be happy by learning from Buddhist teachings.

Hello. Please say hi to the readers of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.

Hello. I’m Nittaya, an international student from Thailand. I am a sophomore in Buddhist Studies at Dongguk University, and I am studying Theravada Buddhism, which I learned about in Thailand, along with Seon Buddhism, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, which is practiced in Korea.

What makes Buddhism interesting to you?

To me, it’s the teachings of the Buddha. The focus of histeaching is that we must train ourselves. Even if somebody else tells you the ending, you need to realize the truth and practice it on your own. I found it fascinating that you can achieve enlightenment if you train very hard like the Buddha.

So what is your favorite aspect of Buddhist culture?

My favorite element in the Buddhist culture are temple stays. Staying at a temple is like giving yourself a reward because you are getting away from a busy routine to relax in a quiet, spiritually rich temple and are able to enjoy a slow life. I really enjoy these moments. I can also observe and learn a lot about Buddhist culture, so it’s a joy to stay at temples.

What are your future goals?

After I finish my undergraduate studies, I want to go to graduate school. My goal is to help the monks as I study and join them in building a Thai temple in Korea. I am also interested in meditation, so I always practice it. I want to help build a meditation center for Koreans and Thais living in Korea. If I could help other people meditate every day, it would make all of us happy. I believe everyone in the world is connected to each other, and I hope those around me are happy with me every day.