Meditation is very much stressed in Korean Buddhism and many monks and nuns spend their whole life in meditation. In all Buddhist schools in all countries, meditation is considered the main means for attaining enlightenment. The year is divided into meditation seasons, winter and summer, and free seasons, spring and autumn. The winter retreat begins on the 15th of the 10th lunar month and continues until the 15th of the 1st lunar month (roughly November to February). The summer season starts on the 15th of the 4th lunar month and ends on the 15th of the 7th lunar month (roughly May to August).

About two weeks before the season begins, monks and nuns start to look for a meditation hall where they can spend the season. Once the season starts, they are not permitted to leave the monastery until it is over. To eliminate distractions, there is neither chanting, nor reading and even talking about the Buddha is discouraged. All potential obstructions to concentration are eliminated to permit the meditator to make the breakthrough to enlightenment. Many monks observe silence and others may give up reclining for a certain period.

There are four meditation sessions a day: pre-dawn, morning, afternoon and evening. Silent meals are taken with the rest of the residential community.

Before a session starts, a hollowed-out bamboo rod ("chuk-bi" in Korean) is struck three times. Fifty minutes later, the chuk-bi is sounded once only before the ten minute walking meditation period. Then all sit down again to continue the sitting meditation. At the end of the session, the chuk-bi is again struck three times.

Once a year, in many temples--twice in the bigger ones--there is an intensive, one-week period. At that time, the meditators practice up to twenty hours a day and do not recline. After this, many continue the exercise and occasionally even extend it to years!

Traditionally, meditating monks have few possessions and what they have can be packed into a backpack together with their bowls for eating and robes for chanting. In the search for enlightenment, meditating monks are unattached as clouds in the sky, or as flowing mountain streams. Some remain in the same temple for three or five years, others move about. Some only meditate for a short while, others for the whole life. Once enlightenment is attained, the monk has a duty to teach others.