I wasn’t in Korea for long before I started marking the passage of time by the bloom of whichever flowers. The cosmos flowers bloom in midsummer but are still prevalent late into the fall. Any sincere country road will probably be lined with them this time of year.

The small Dharma Hall among the flowers is in Yeon’ho-dong, Lotus Lake Village, a tiny country village in the eastern edge of Daegu, just passed the small mountains that separate it from the metropolis, within eyeshot of World Cup Stadium.

Although these small country temples can’t compare to the large temple complexes in their impressiveness, they often have a great feeling. Talk about sincerity, it’s no wonder all these cosmos decided to gather here!