One monk’s mind over matter and many, many miles

Jul 19, 2012

Photo: Korean monk Daeung Sunim in Sharbot Lake with his bicycle, which he will ride for 2 years on his 30,000km trip across the two American continents.

Daeung Sunim, a 42-year-old Korean monk who is on a bicycle trip circumnavigating North America and then continuing on to the southern-most tip of South America, spent the night in Sharbot Lake at the home of Jule Koch Brison on July 14.

Daeung, who has been a practicing monk in Seoul, South Korea, for 24 years, calls his trip a “Journey of the Spirit “and his aim is to “test his spirit” on this self-inspired trip, which will take him over 30,000 kilometres across North and South America. He estimates that the journey will take two years.

Daeung began his journey in Vancouver on April 18, speaking limited English and with only two contacts in Canada, one in Toronto and one in Newfoundland.

One day when he was broken down with a flat tire near Vernon, BC, and very tired and hungry, he met Vernon resident Dave Pope, who had spotted him on the side of the road and stopped to help. Pope is himself a former professional athlete, and when he found out about Daeung’s journey and situation, he and two others began a facebook page to assist him.

Daeung averages 100 kilometers per day and the three supporters began to worry that he did not have enough cooking or camping gear to make nutritious meals or get the rest that such vigorous days on the road demand. They are hoping the facebook page will assist him in getting hosts for at least every 200 km. that he travels, and judging from the response, their plans are doing just that.

When asked what the most difficult part of his journey has been so far, Daeung said that the camping is the most difficult since he does not have enough room in his tent to comfortably house all his gear, and as a result is very cramped. He says that although coping with a different language and culture is difficult as well, people have been very kind.

After finding out about the support that was being offered to him through the facebook page Daeung wrote on his blog: “Water doesn’t stagnate when it flows. In the same way, humans should move so they will find their relationships with others. If you take a test you’ll know how well you’ve studied. If you overcome a limitation you will know your heart; tears are opening my heart. My pilgrimage is not only my path, but also a journey to connect with the lives of others.”

To follow Daeung on his journey you can visit www.facebook.com/JourneyOfSpirit/info. Daeung also has a blog that you can visit at journeyofspirit108.blogspot.ca where he updates his journey on a regular basis and where you can also find inspiring entries by the hosts and friends he has met along his way.