Buseoksa Temple – 부석사 (Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do)
Temple History
Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, which shouldn’t be confused with the more famous Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is located to the west of Mt. Dobisan (352.8 m). The temple was purportedly first established in 677 A.D. by the famed monk Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.). Buseoksa Temple means “Floating Rock Temple” in English. Little is known about the temple’s history except that it was rebuilt during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) by the monk Muhak (1327-1405). Later, and during the 20th century, both Gyeongheo (1846-1912) and Mangong (1871-1946) lived and taught at Buseoksa Temple.
Originally, there was a wooden seated statue of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) that dated back to 1689 housed inside the Geukrak-jeon Hall. This was to commemorate the birth of King Sukjong of Joseon’s (r. 1674-1720) son, who would later become King Gyeongjong of Joseon (r. 1720-1724). Originally, this statue was located at Yongbongsa Temple, but it was moved to Buseoksa Temple in 1905. However, in 1980, this statue was stolen. In 1995, the Geukrak-jeon Hall that once housed this historic statue was dismantled, repaired, and then restored.
Temple Legend
Rather clumsily, Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do attempts to hijack the temple legend associated with Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. According to the Seosan Buseoksa Temple, which is almost exactly the same as the temple legend from Yeongju Buseoksa Temple, Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.) was studying in Tang China (618–690 A.D., 705–907 A.D.), when he met a young woman named Lady Seonmyo at the house that he was staying in. Lady Seonmyo fell in love with Uisang-daesa, so she tried hard to get his attention. However, Uisang-daesa remained devoted to his Buddhist studies, for which he had travelled to Tang China. When it finally came time for Uisang-daesa to return to the Korean Peninsula, the desperate Lady Seonmyo threw herself off a cliff and into the sea, where she drowned. After she died, Lady Seonmyo turned into a dragon. Seonmyo the dragon would guard Uisang-daesa, as he sailed home across the Yellow Sea. Upon his arrival on the Korean Peninsula, and feeling grateful for Seonmyo’s protection, purportedly (and this is where the legend diverges from the one at Yeongju’s Buseoksa Temple) Uisang-daesa decided to found a temple in her honour on Mt. Dobisan.
Once again, the legend falls back into place with the other Buseoksa Temple legend, by stating that a group of villagers protested the construction of this temple. Seonmyo the dragon, who was still protecting Uisang-daesa, lifted a huge rock up into the sky, which scared the villagers. With the villagers frightened, Uisang-daesa was able to build a temple.
The Yeongju Buseoksa Temple has a large rock to the northwest that’s believed to be the “Floating Rock” for which the temple gets its name. As for the “Floating Rock” of Seosan’s Buseoksa Temple, it’s said that the rock that Lady Seonmyo lifted up into the sky to protect Uisang-daesa became an island in the sea about ten kilometres from the temple.
It’s rather strange that the two temples have the same legend. What is most likely is that Seosan’s Buseoksa Temple mistakenly took the exact same legend, believing it to be theirs. What’s more likely is second legend for which this Buseoksa Temple gets its name.
According to this second legend, Seosan’s Buseoksa Temple started as a villa built immediately after the formation of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The villa was built by a distinguished, but disgruntled, Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) official named Yu Geumheon (柳琴軒), who wanted to live undisturbed by the world after the loss of the Goryeo Dynasty. So, he retreated to his hometown. He spent his remaining years absorbed in reading. After his death, a monk named Jeokgam (赤感) converted his residence into a temple and named it Buseoksa Temple. According to this legend, the name of this Buseoksa Temple was given to the temple because it’s located on top of a cliff on the slopes of Mt. Dobisan, which means “Island Flew Mountain” in English. As a result, the temple appears like a rocky island floating above the sea. This seems to be the more probable of the two foundational legends associated with Seosan’s Buseoksa Temple.
The “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue of Buseoksa Temple”
Buseoksa Temple was once home to the “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue,” which was housed at Kannonji Temple in Tsushima, Japan. The statue stands 50.5 cm in height and weighs 38.6 kg. Originally, it was enshrined at Buseoksa Temple in 1330. There is considerable dispute as to how this statue of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) ended up in Japan. The Japanese claim that it was a present to the monk that founded Kannonji Temple, when he traveled to the Korean Peninsula in 1527. Buseoksa Temple, on the other hand, claim that the statue was looted during the 14th century by Japanese pirates.
In October, 2012, the statue was stolen from Kannonji Temple by Korean thieves who had also stolen a Silla-era standing Buddha statue from the Kaijin Shrine in Japan, as well. They were stolen on the same day with the intent of selling them. The thieves were arrested upon their return to Korea and were prosecuted in early 2013. Both statues were confiscated by the Korean government with the Silla-era standing Buddha being sent back immediately. As for the “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue,” Buseoksa Temple in Seosan Chungcheongnam-do filed a temporary injunction on the transfer of the statue back to Japan. This prevented the Korean government from returning it immediately to Japan. As a result, the statue was housed at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Daejeon.
Several years of court filings would take place from 2016 to 2023 over the “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue,” and whether it ultimately belonged in Korea or Japan. In 2016, Buseoksa Temple filed a legal action against the Korean government to gain possession over the statue. In 2017, the Daejeon District Court ruled in favour of Buseoksa Temple, citing the documents found inside the statue as evidence proving that the Japanese had stolen the statue from the Buseoksa Temple in the early 16th century. The Korean prosecution appealed the results and sought an injunction to suspend the ruling.
In February, 2023, the Daejeon High Court overturned the lower courts ruling, stating that the Kannonji Temple had acquired the statue legally; and thus, Kannonji Temple was the legal owner of the “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue.” The ruling of the Daejeon High Court was based upon the law of “acquisitive prescription” of the statue. This law governing the ownership of the statue falls under Japanese civil law, which states that a person or entity may acquire ownership of property even if it didn’t originally belong to them, as long as they possess it “peacefully and openly” for at least 20 years. In 1953, Kannonji Temple listed itself as a legal entity. This means that the temple has been in possession of the statue since that time. In this mind-numbing ruling, the court would also state that it was difficult to define whether the current Buseoksa Temple is the same 14th century Goryeo Buseoksa Temple from which the statue was taken.
The former abbot of Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, Ven. Wonwoo, is quoted as saying, “There is already clear evidence that the word ‘Seoju’ in Seoju Buseoksa Temple which was destroyed in 1407, indicates the Seosan area. Also, the fact that Buseoksa Temple’s physical form had once been destroyed does not mean Buseoksa Temple as a whole disappeared from history.”
It’s unclear where the “Gilt-Bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue” might be at this time. However, Buseoksa Temple has appealed the Daejeon High Court ruling. So it seems that things aren’t quite resolved at this date in time.
**Update**
It appears as though the Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue” will now be returned to Japan after Buddha’s Birthday in 2025.
Temple Layout
From the temple parking lot, you’ll first encounter the diminutive Geumgangmun Gate. The exterior walls are left in their natural wood finish. As for the interior, you’ll find two standing images of Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warriors). Through the Geumgangmun Gate, and beyond the little tea shop to your left, you’ll find the Ungeo-ru Pavilion. You can sit inside this pavilion overlooking Seosan with a good cup of tea in hand. It’s a slender, less fancy, version of the Anyang-ru Pavilion from the Yeongju’s Buseoksa Temple.
Heading north, and alongside the elevated Geumjong-gak Hall, you’ll see the two-story Gwaneum-jeon Hall. The first story of the structure appears to be some sort of office, while the second story acts as the Gwaneum-jeon Hall. The exterior walls to this modern shrine hall are adorned with various murals from the Uisang-daesa and the Lady Seonmyo legend. Have a close look, especially around back. As for the interior of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, you’ll find a rather chubby-looking image of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) on the main altar. This solitary statue is backed by a beautiful relief of the Bodhisattva of Compassion joined by Yongwang (The Dragon King) and Sudhana (Child of Wealth). Hanging on the far left wall is a beautiful Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural).
To the rear of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall is what looks to be a modern stone relief of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha), which is known as a Maae-bul. It’s also up in this area that you’ll find the Sanshin-gak Hall, which functions as a Samseong-gak Hall. The exterior walls are adorned in understated dancheong colours. Stepping inside the shaman shrine hall, you’ll find a central image dedicated to Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit), who is holding a large, green leafy fan. To the left is an atypical Yongwang (Dragon King) mural. In this painting, Yongwang is joined by four other shaman deities. And to the right of the central painting of Sanshin, you’ll find a statue and painting dedicated to Lady Seonmyo.
To the right of the Geumjong-gak Hall, and in its own courtyard, you’ll find the Geukrak-jeon Hall. There are other buildings in the area like monks’ dorms, but they are off-limits. As for the Geukrak-jeon Hall, the exterior walls are adorned with intricate dancheong colours. Stepping inside the main hall, you’ll find a main altar occupied by a triad of statues centred by Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). This seated central image of Amita-bul is joined on either side by two diminutive statues dedicated to a green-haired image of Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) and Gwanseeum-bosal. To the right of the main altar is an older mural dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars). And hanging on the far right wall, you’ll find an older Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) with a bald Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) with a troubled look on his distressed face in the bottom right corner of the painting.
How To Get There
While you can get to Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do using public transportation, it’s difficult and long. So the easiest way to get to Buseoksa Temple is by taxi from the Seosan Bus Terminal. The taxi ride will take you 25 minutes over 14 km, and it’ll set you back around 30,000 won (one way).
If this isn’t affordable for you, and you don’t mind a bit of an adventure, you can take a bus to get to Buseoksa Temple. You’ll need to take Bus #633 from the Seosan Bus Terminal. You’ll need to take this bus for 29 stops, or 35 minutes, and get off at the “Buseok – 부석 하차” bus stop. From where the bus drops you off, and this is where the adventure begins, you’ll need to walk 2.4 km, or 50 minutes, to get to Buseoksa Temple. You should be able to spot the brown sign to the north that will point you in the right direction towards Buseoksa Temple.
Overall Rating: 6/10
While filled with legends and missing its most prized possessions, Buseoksa Temple must have once been a very beautiful and important temple. However, it’s not quite its former self. Of things to look for are the paintings dedicated to Uisang-daesa and Lady Seonmyo adorning the exterior of the Gwaneum-jeon Hall, the beautiful interior of the Geukrak-jeon Hall, and the three shaman paintings housed inside the Sanshin-gak Hall. And if you have the time, enjoy a delicious tea and enjoy the view at the other Buseoksa Temple.
