Chilseongsa Temple – 칠성사 (Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History
Chilseongsa Temple is located to the west of Chilseong-bong Peak (905.8 m) in northern Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do. Originally, the temple was known as Geumbongam Hermitage, or “Golden Phoenix Hermitage” in English, when it was rebuilt in 2004. The name of the hermitage then changed to Geumbongsa Temple in 2009 with the increase in prominence of the temple. Finally, the temple was renamed as Chilseongsa Temple, or “Seven Stars Temple” in English, on October 8th, 2014.
Chilseongsa Temple is a temple that was restored and rebuilt in 2004 by the monk Danje. Danje was a disciple of Hyobong, who was a monk that served as the Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye-jong Order during the 1950s and 1960s. He was also a disciple of the renowned modern Seon master Ilgak-seonsa. Danje spent over 25 years practicing at Seon meditation halls throughout Korea. It was while practicing at the Unsang Seonwon meditation centre, which is affiliated with Chilbulsa Temple, that Danje agreed to honour the wishes of Hyobong to restore Chilseongsa Temple. Chilseongsa Temple, in the end, was restored to support the spiritual cultivation of others in the area.
According to the “Comprehensive Survey of Cultural Heritage,” which was published by the Cultural Heritage Administration (the precursor to the present KHS) in 1977, as well as the “Hadong County Gazetteer” published in 1972, there existed an old hermitage site of unknown age just slightly above the current location of Chilseongsa Temple.
Around the time of the Korean War (1950-53), there was an iron Buddha statue (believed to be bronze) that was enshrined in a cave at the former hermitage site where locals worshiped. Then one day, an old monk appeared, claiming that he needed to take care of the statue temporarily until a temple was established there, and he took it with him. This iron Buddha statue is still missing; however, the monk Danje is currently searching for its whereabouts and hopes to bring it back to Chilseongsa Temple one day.
Additionally, and according to the “Doseon Tongmaek Jiri – 道詵通脈地理,” which is a pungsu-jiri (geomancy) text associated with the monk Doseon-guksa (827–898 A.D.), the location where Chilseongsa Temple is situated is referred to as a “secretly transmitted sacred land.”
The temple is home to one Gyeongsangnam-do Cultural Heritage Material, which is the “Gilt-Bronze Seated Bodhisattva Statue of Chilseongsa Temple, Hadong.” It was designated as such in 2009. And although the founding of the original Chilseongsa Temple is unknown, the historic gilt-bronze statue is believed to date back to around the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). This coupled with the legend and stories surrounding Chilseongsa Temple and Doseon-guksa make the likelihood of Chilseongsa Temple first being founded during the Goryeo Dynasty.
Temple Layout
You first approach Chilseongsa Temple up some back alley roads, until you come to the part of the mountain road that leads up to the temple parking lot. From the temple parking lot, you’ll pass by some beautiful gardens, as well as the temple kitchen and administrative office.
Eventually, you’ll mount a small set of stairs and be greeted by a large three-story stone pagoda that’s fronted by two seokdeung (stone lanterns). To the right of this pagoda are the monks’ dorms, and to the left is the aforementioned administrative office.
Beyond the three-story pagoda and the grassy main temple courtyard, you’ll find the unpainted Daeung-jeon Hall. On the stairs leading up to the main hall, you’ll find another pair of stone lanterns. The light chamber to these stone lanterns are slightly more slender than the pagoda stone lanterns. The signboard for the Daeung-jeon Hall is written in gold ink; however, the rest of the main hall is absent of the more traditional dancheong that typically adorns almost all temple shrine halls in Korea. There are beautiful wooden reliefs of lotus flowers and dragons on either side of the main hall’s signboard, but they remain in their natural brown tones.
Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll be greeted by a main altar triad that rests underneath a large, golden canopy. The main altar is centred by an image dedicated to Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) and joined on either side by statues dedicated to Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). Rather interestingly, and on the underside of the main altar canopy, are a pair of protective golden dragons. On the far left wall is a beautiful Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) with a unique stormy sky at the top of the mural. And on the far right wall is a picture and statue dedicated, presumably, to the monk Hyobong.
To the left of the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll next find the Geukrak-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with a set of Insaeng-do (Life Cycle Murals). Stepping inside the Geukrak-jeon Hall, you’ll find a main altar occupied by a triad of stone statues. The central statue is dedicated to Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise), while the flanking images are dedicated to Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) and Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife). This triad is then backed by rows of miniature statues dedicated to various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Also housed inside this shrine hall are numerous pictures of the dead.
To the left of the Geukrak-jeon Hall, and up a side-winding trail, you’ll come to the hut-like Sanshin-gak Hall. During your ascent up towards the shaman shrine hall, you get some beautiful views of the temple grounds below. Housed inside the Sanshin-gak Hall is a painting and statue dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). The painting dedicated to Sanshin almost looks as though it’s slightly smiling. Again, the exterior, much like the Daeung-jeon Hall, is absent the traditional dancheong colours.
As for the whereabouts of the “Gilt-Bronze Seated Bodhisattva Statue of Chilseongsa Temple, Hadong,” it’s probably housed inside the administrative office for safe-keeping. The statue is just 20.8 cm in height, and it wears an ornate crown. It’s seated on a lotus pedestal, where the upper and lower lotus petals are symmetrical. In one of its hand, it holds a medicinal bowl, while its head is slightly bowed. Traces of gilt-gold still remain on several parts of the statue’s surface. Overall, the statue is well-preserved.
What’s interesting about this statue is that it exhibits stylistic features associated with Tibetan Buddhist sculptures like the ornate crown adorned with floral motifs, sharp eyes, elaborate jewelry, and the triangular pedestal. These features are commonly seen in several gilt-bronze Bodhisattva statues from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), as well as the late Goryeo Dynasty that were influenced by Yuan style. Also, they continued into the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). With all this being said, and based upon its distinct features, the “Gilt-Bronze Seated Bodhisattva Statue of Chilseongsa Temple, Hadong” was probably produced in China during the Ming Dynasty. As such, the statue is important because it shows the stylistic and cultural connections found within Korean Buddhist statues.
According to the Chilseongsa Temple, this Bodhisattva statue, which was separately housed inside its own paulownia wood box by the abbot of the temple, was donated by a devout Buddhist a long time ago. And it’s been kept at the temple ever since.
How To Get There
There’s really no way of getting to Chilseongsa Temple unless you own your own mode of transportation. Either that, or you can take a taxi from the Hadong Bus Terminal, but it won’t be cheap. From the Hadong Bus Terminal to Chilseongsa Temple, it’ll take about 25 minutes, or 18 km, and it’ll cost you around 32,000 won (one way).
Overall Rating: 6.5/10
There are quite a few highlights at Chilseongsa Temple which are quite often overshadowed by the major temples in the area like Chilbulsa Temple and Ssanggyesa Temple. With this in mind, things to look for at Chilseongsa Temple is the painting dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit) inside the Sanshin-gak Hall, the views enjoyed from this shaman shrine hall, the interior of the Daeung-jeon Hall, as well as the “Gilt-Bronze Seated Bodhisattva Statue of Chilseongsa Temple, Hadong” (if you’re invited in for a viewing). In addition to all of this artistic and architectural beauty, there are several gardens in and among the temple grounds to enjoy, as well. The abbot of the temple is really nice. He was helping me with the right angles for my pictures during my visit. He even showed me some of his own photography. Chilseongsa Temple is definitely worth a visit, if you’re in the area.
