-
Gamno-do – The Sweet Dew Mural: 감로도
Introduction One of the more difficult Buddhist murals to find at a Korean temple is the Gamno-do, or “Sweet Dew Mural” in English. In fact, I’ve only ever seen this mural at a handful of temples and hermitages in all of my travels. So what is a Gamno-do? What does it look like? And what is it supposed to mean? The Buddhist Afterlife Before we can better understand the Gamno-do, we must first better understand the Buddhist afterlife, for the afterlife is central to better understanding the symbolism found in the Sweet Dew Mural. In Buddhism, death doesn’t mean the end; instead, death is but a part in the process…
-
Budo – Stupa: 부도
Introduction When you first enter a Korean temple or hermitage, or even their grounds, you might see a row of strangely designed stone monuments that somewhat resemble headstones. In Korean, these are known as “budo,” or “stupa,” in English. Officially, they are known as “seung-tap,” or a “monk’s pagoda,” in English. So what exactly does a Korean Buddhist stupa look like? What are they for? And what are their symbolic meaning? History In Buddhism, a pagoda historically enshrines the remains of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). In Korea, however, a stupa contains the remains of a monk or nun. Stupas first began to appear in the late Unified Silla Dynasty (668-935…
-
Biseok – Stele: 비석
History and Design A biseok, or stele, in English, is a rectangular piece of stone that stands as a monument for a deceased monk. The tradition of creating biseok started during the Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 B.C. – 668 A.D.). Stylistically, they are typically made up of three parts: the turtle base, dragon cap, and body with writing. The turtle is thought to be the longest living animal, which is meant as a metaphor for the longevity and legacy of the monk’s life and teachings; hence, the turtle base. The dragon cap, on the other hand, of the biseok is meant to symbolize the ability of the biseok to…
-
Tap – The Korean Pagoda: 탑
Introduction One of the most noticeable, and important features of a Korean Buddhist temple is a pagoda. The history of the pagoda in Korea is as old as Buddhism in Korea. And while a pagoda’s design is both beautiful and elegant, it’s also packed with symbolic meaning that may not always be all that evident. So when did the pagoda first appear in Korea? Why is the pagoda situated at a Korean Buddhist temple? What do they look like? And why are they designed the way they are? History Originally, in India, Buddhist temples were centred around stupas. The word stupa means heap in Sanskrit because these pagodas were in…
-
Shimu-do – The Ten Ox-Herding Murals: 심우도
Introduction Another set of murals that are commonly found at Korean Buddhist temples are the Shimu-do, or “The Ten Ox-Herding Murals,” in English. These paintings are typically found around the exterior walls to the Daeung-jeon Hall, but they can also be found adorning the exterior walls of other shrine halls at a temple. Also, they can be found individually adorning a temple shrine hall, or they can be joined by the Palsang-do (Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha Murals). Either way, and on whatever building they might adorn, they are painted at seon temples both in Korea and in China. The Shimu-do first came to the Korean peninsula…
-
Palsang-do – The Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha Murals: 팔상도
Introduction There’s various artwork that typically adorns a Korean Buddhist temple both in and around temple shrine halls. And one of the most popular pieces of artwork is the Palsang-do (The Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha Murals) set. This set is a collection of eight murals that depicts the Buddha’s life from birth to death. Typically, they can be found around the exterior walls of a Daeung-jeon Hall, or they can appear inside a Palsang-jeon Hall like at Beopjusa Temple or Beomeosa Temple. These paintings can range in complexity and overall sophistication. And while they do vary in composition, they all depict the same eight scenes, and…
-
Yeongsan-jeon – Vulture Peak Hall: 영산전
Introduction Another one of the more obscure shrine halls that you’ll find at a Korean Buddhist temple is the Yeongsan-jeon Hall. The name Yeongsan-jeon means “Vulture Peak Hall,” in English. The hall is meant to symbolically re-enact the Historical Buddha, Seokgamoni-bul, seated on Vulture Peak. It’s on Vulture Peak that Seokgamoni-bul espoused his central ideas and teachings found in the Lotus Sutra, or the “묘법연화경” (Myobeop Yeonhwa-gyeong; short: Beophwa gyeong), in Korean. Yeongsan-jeon Design In the Lotus Sutra, which is regarded as one of the most important and influential sutras in Mahayana Buddhism, Seokgamoni-bul presents the ultimate truth of life. The central idea found in the Lotus Sutra is that…
-
Jong-ru – The Bell Pavilion: 종루
Introduction One of the most universally found structures at a Korean Buddhist temple, outside the main hall, is the bell pavilion. In Korean, the bell pavilion is known as the Jong-ru – 종루. Typically, a Korean temple’s bell pavilion is open in design, and it’s usually found at the entry of a temple. A temple’s bell pavilion can range in size and height. Sometimes, they are simple one story structures; and other times, they are two stories in height. With that being said, a standard Korean Buddhist bell pavilion has four different percussion instruments. Together, these four percussion instruments are known as the Buljeon Samul, in Korean. This literally means,…
-
Cheonbul-jeon – The One Thousand Buddhas Hall: 천불전
Introduction One of the more obscure shrine halls that you might find at a Korean Buddhist temple is the Cheonbul-jeon, which means “One Thousand Buddhas Hall,” in English. Because of just how well-populated this shrine hall is, it’s one of the easier shrine halls to identify at a Korean Buddhist temple. With that being said, why are there, in fact, one thousand Buddha statues in this type of shrine hall? And why is the the Cheonbul-jeon Hall at a Korean Buddhist temple. Cheonbul-jeon Design The practice of worshiping one thousand incarnations of the Buddha is based upon Mahayana Buddhism, which Korean Buddhism largely ascribes to. The one thousand Buddhas are…
-
Josa-jeon – The Founder’s Hall: 조사전
Introduction Another shrine hall that you might find at a Korean Buddhist temple, especially a temple that’s larger in size or had a venerated monk, or monks, that once took up residence at the temple, is the Josa-jeon Hall. The word “Josa,” in English, means “patriarch” or “founder.” While the word “jeon” means “hall,” in English. So the Josa-jeon Hall at a Korean Buddhist temple is “The Founder’s/Patriarch’s Hall,” in English. The Josa-jeon Hall can also sometimes be called a Josa-dang Hall, which is just a different honourific term for a shrine hall. Josa-jeon Design So what exactly is this halls purpose and what does a Josa-jeon Hall look like?…