The day begins at 3 a.m. One monk rises a little earlier, washes, and puts on his ceremonial robes. Slowly, he walks to each part of the monastery beating a mokt'ak (a hollowed, wooden, bell-shaped percussion instrument) and chanting as he goes. The clear sound of the mokt'ak breaks the stillness of the pre-dawn hours...

"Pray that the whole universe will hear this sound and may all painful places be brightened. May the hells, ghosts and animals be relieved of suffering, and may all problems disappear so that all living beings may properly awake."

This wake-up ceremony is carried out every day of every year regardless of the weather. On hearing the mokt'ak, the monks get up, fold and put away their bedding, and wash (they sleep in their clothes). In the countryside, traditionally, they often wash in a stream or from a large stone bowl where water collects. After a short time, the large bell, followed by the drum, gong and wooden fish, are sounded and all monks go to the Main Hall for chanting.

The large bell, drum, gong and wooden fish each represent a section of the world of living beings. The large bell calls those who have become decadent. The drum, made of an animal skin, calls the animals; and the cloud-shaped gong calls the beings of the air. The log carved into the shape of a fish calls all that live in water. Every living thing is called to listen to the chanting of the words of liberation taught by the Buddha and to follow that wisdom, if they so wish.

After communal chanting, each monk returns to his place. The students go to the study hall; the meditating monks go to the meditation hall (in the meditation seasons they merely bow in the meditation hall and sit); and the working monks go to their place of duty. At about 6 a.m., breakfast takes place.

Breakfast traditionally consists of rice porridge and pickles which the community eats together in silence in a formal style from a set of four individual bowls. A spoon is used along with chopsticks, a custom which is unique to Korea.