Chilbulam Hermitage – 칠불암 (Gyeongju)
Hermitage History
Chilbulam Hermitage means “Seven Buddhas Hermitage” in English. Chilbulam Hermitage is located on the southeastern part of Mt. Namsan (495.1 m) at the summit of Bonghwa-gok Valley (烽火谷). Temples and hermitages first started to appear on Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju around the 7th century. And from the 9th to 10th centuries, many Buddhist sites like statues and pagodas were located along the ridges and valleys of Mt. Namsan. Chilbulam Hermitage was one of these hermitages.
The name of the hermitage likely derives from the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain,” which consists of a rock-carved triad and joined by four Buddha reliefs carved on a square stone pillar. The style of the reliefs indicate that they were created during Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.). Additionally, it’s believed that the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain” remain in their original locations on the mountain. But while we know when this National Treasure was created, the original temple name is unknown. However, with that being said, a roof tile from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) that dates back to the 10th to 11th century was discovered on the hermitage grounds. On this tile, there’s an inscription that reads “四□寺” (사□사” – Four □ Temple) on it. Unfortunately, the middle hanja character is too damaged to read. Eventually, the temple would fall into disrepair and be abandoned. However, it’s unclear when this happened.
The modern form of the hermitage dates back only to around the 1930s. A local woman was looking for wild mushrooms and vegetables on this part of the mountain, digging through the mud and shrubbery, when she discovered rock-carvings of the Buddha. With the decline of Buddhism during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the reliefs at the hermitage were purposefully hidden. Upon their rediscovery, a nun built a hut on the grounds. And in 2009, the present main hall at Chilbulam Hermitage was constructed.
Chilbulam Hermitage is home to one National Treasure and one Korean Treasure. The National Treasure is the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilburam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain,” while the Korean Treasure is the “Rock-carved Bodhisattva at Sinseonam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain.”
The Stone Buddhist Sutras of Chilbulam Hermitage
The Stone Buddhist Sutras
While the exact date of the creation of Chilbulam Hermitage is unknown; and seemingly, too, is the original name of the temple, there’s another hidden aspect to the hermitage. Originally discovered in 1940, fragments from several stone Buddhist sutras, known as “Seokgyeong-pyeon – 석경편” in Korean, were discovered on the hermitage grounds.
According to the “Gyeongju Namsan Buddhist Cultural Heritage, Yesterday and Today,” which was prepared by the “National Gyeongju Cultural Heritage Research Institute,” stone Buddhist sutras refer to parts of Buddhist sutras, or the name of specific Buddhas from Mahayana Buddhism (to which Korean Buddhism belongs), inscribed on stone. While this form of stone scriptures first appeared to be produced in the early 6th century in China, they appeared on the Korean Peninsula during Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.). Outside of Chilbulam Hermitage, there are two other known locations that also have stone Buddhist sutras. They can be found at Hwaeomsa Temple in Gurye, Jeollanam-do and at the Changnimsa-ji Temple Site on the northwestern part of Mt. Namsan also in Gyeongju.
The Stone Chilbulam Hermitage Sutras
Specifically, the stone Buddhist sutras at Chilbulam Hermitage are made of granite. In total, only four fragments currently remain (three of which are housed at the Gyeongju National Museum). The first discovery of stone sutra fragments at Chilbulam Hermitage and their acquisition by the Gyeongju National Museum occurred on December 1, 1940. It was at this time that two pieces were discovered and stored in the then known Gyeongju Branch of the Joseon Government-General Museum, which is now known as the Gyeongju National Museum. Later, and in 1969, an additional fragment was found and became part of Prof. Hwang Suyeong’s collection. And another fragment was acquired by the museum on June 1, 1999, it was later registered in 2003.
As for the text written on these stone Buddhist sutras from Chilbulam Hermitage, the largest of the fragments is inscribed with parts of the Diamond Sutra. Later, the remaining smaller fragments were discovered to contain portions of the Medicine Buddha Sutra. In other words, these stone fragments were originally part of a much larger text that comprised of the Diamond Sutra and the Medicine Buddha Sutra. Of these much larger stone slabs, only some partial fragments remain from Chilbulam Hermitage.
The Sutras
Among the surviving stone Buddhist sutras, the largest is the one that contains the Diamond Sutra, or Geumgang-gyeong (금강경) in Korean. This large fragment has about 34 hanja characters written on it. Also, the stone fragment has ruling lines written on it, as well. As such, the hanja characters are written on these ruling lines. It’s believed that each line would contain 36 characters.
In total, an intact Diamond Sutra consists of about 5,200 characters. It’s believed that the stone Buddhist sutras at Chilbulam Hermitage would have existed in their entirety. And if the entire Diamond Sutra was inscribed on stone slabs in lines of 36 characters, about 145 lines would have been required. However, without an intact original, the exact width of the stone slabs is unknown.
With that being said, and based upon the size of the surviving slab, a complete slab would be about 70-80 cm in size. From this, it can be calculated that 145 lines would roughly be 360-370 cm in length. The thickness of these slabs is uniformly about 4 cm. Additionally, the hanja characters were carved only on the front side of the stone slabs, while the backside remains smooth.
Meanwhile the three remaining fragments, which are smaller in size, contain a translation of the Medicine Buddha Sutra, or Yaksa-gyeong (약사경) in Korean. Like the large Diamond Sutra fragment from Chilbulam Hermitage, the Medicine Buddha Sutra slab would have consisted of 36 hanja characters per line. However, unlike the Diamond Sutra fragment, there are no ruling lines on the Medicine Buddha Sutra.
In total, the Medicine Buddha Sutra translation used for the text at Chilbulam Hermitage contains approximately 5,000 hanja characters, which is similar in length to the Diamond Sutra. Arranged in lines of 35 hanja characters, there would be about 141 lines that would be required for the completion of the sutra. Again, the stone slab used for the entire Medicine Buddha Sutra, which would measure around 340 cm in length, would be similar to that of the Diamond Sutra’s stone slab length.
The Date of the Chilbulam Hermitage Sutras
Although there is no definitive date for the creation of the stone Buddhist sutras of Chilbulam Hermitage, we can infer things from the carving techniques and style of the hanja characters. It’s believed that the current location of the massive stones that comprise the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain” are in their original locations. Additionally, there appears to be a consensus that they were created sometime in the early to mid-8th century. As a result, it’s believed that the stone Buddhist sutras of Chilbulam Hermitage are from around the same time. The reason for part of this belief is that the east side of the four-sided stone pillar is that of Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha), which has an obvious connection to the Medicine Buddha Sutra. Alongside this image of Yaksayeorae-bul, and housed inside a wooden pavilion, the stone Buddhist sutra would have been mounted on the wall in front of the relief of the Medicine Buddha.
The Enshrinement of the Stone Chilbulam Hermitage Sutras
As for how these large stone Buddhist sutras were enshrined at Chilbulam Hermitage, it can be discerned from a few helpful hints that still remain at the hermitage grounds. For one, there are several square holes found on the sides and back of the large triad Buddha reliefs, as well as artificially carved grooves found in the upper corners of the four-sided stone pillar. This suggests that there’s a possibility that there once was a wooden structure connected to the square stone pillar and the large triad relief. It’s also presumed from the design of the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain” that the stone Buddhist sutras were housed inside this wooden structure at Chilbulam Hermitage.
Another factor to consider is that the stone platform that houses the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain” currently measures 8.5 metres from north-to-south and 5.1 metres from east-to-west. And knowing that an intact stone Buddhist sutra slab measured anywhere from 340 cm (Medicine Buddha Sutra) to 360-370 cm (Diamond Sutra) in length, it’s quite plausible that the interior of the wooden structure was decorated by these stone Buddhist sutras. As such, it’s believed that these two large stone Buddhist slabs were housed inside the once standing wooden pavilion that surrounded the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain.”
Based upon what we know, it’s suggested that worshippers would have entered the wooden structure that housed both the stone Buddhist sutras and the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain.” Worshippers would then perform prayers, while circumambulating around the four-sided stone pillar. They would perform these prayers while reciting the Medicine Buddha Sutra and the Diamond Sutra that presumably hung on the interior walls of the wooden structure. And because both stone Buddhist sutras are quite large in size, it’s likely that worshippers would also recite these sutras in chanting rituals. Worshippers would have hoped to have accumulated merit through their circumambulation.
Hermitage Layout
Chilbulam Hermitage is located at the summit of the Bonghwa-gok Valley. To get to the hermitage, you’ll need to walk about two kilometres up the long valley. At times, the trail can be quite easy, as you walk beside a beautiful little stream. However, the final five hundred metres of the trail can be a bit tough. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to rest, and the hike becomes doable. As you finally near Chilbulam Hermitage’s grounds, you’ll pass through a curving bamboo forest that bends inwards to greet any and all visitors.
\When you finally do come to the mountain plateau that houses Chilbulam Hermitage, you’ll notice the main hall, which also acts as the nuns dorms, to your immediate left. This rather plainly painted main hall is joined to the left by the hermitage’s Samseong-gak Hall. Inside this shaman shrine hall are three beautiful, but somewhat customary, paintings dedicated to Chilseong (The Seven Stars), Dokseong (The Lonely Saint), and Sanshin (The Mountain Spirit). If anything, it’s the seated image of Sanshin that stands out.
As there are only a couple shrine halls at Chilbulam Hermitage, it won’t take you all that much time to make your way towards the National Treasure, the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain.” The rock carvings date back to the early to mid 8th century. In total, and as the name kind of hints at, there are seven images that appear on the two separate stones that comprise this National Treasure. Four of these images appear on the smaller rock pillar that’s placed in front of the much larger rock to the rear. And on the larger rock, you’ll find three additional images. The larger rock, which is 2.7 metres in height, appears to have Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) in the centre. Amita-bul sits atop a lotus flower with a benevolent smile. To the right appears to be Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion), which is made plain by the bottle of sweet dew that it holds in its hand. The final image, presumably, would be Daesaeji-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom and Power for Amita-bul). In front of the larger rock is a squarish stone with four images on it on each side. This stone is known as “The Buddhas of the Four Directions” in English. There is much controversy as to who each of these four images are, however.
To the right of the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain,” and as an added bonus (as if this hermitage needed one), you’ll find a trail that leads to the top of the neighbouring mountain. At the end of this trail, you’ll find the “Rock-carved Bodhisattva at Sinseonam Hermitage on Namsan Mountain.” The hike up to this relief can be a bit treacherous, so take your time and be careful. Finally arriving at the stone relief of the Bodhisattva, you’ll find that an image of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) greets you on a rather narrow ledge. This carving is a Korean Treasure, and it dates back to the late 8th century. Physically, Gwanseeum-bosal appears with a flower in its right hand and its left hand is raised. Additionally, Gwanseeum-bosal wears a large, ornate crown, and the robe loosely flows from its body. Gwanseeum-bosal is seated on a pedestal with her left foot tucked up under her. The relief of Gwanseeum-bosal sits on top of a cloud, as her eyes are meditatively held only partially open. The scenic location of this relief is really second to none. And in more recent years, a railing has been built to help safeguard people from falling off this narrow ledge.
Admission to Chilbulam Hermitage is free. Also, if you’d like to stay the night at the hermitage, you can for a small fee. However, make sure you call ahead to make sure that it’s possible.
How To Get There
The easiest way to get to Chilbulam Hermitage is to take Bus #10 or Bus #11 from the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal. However, one of these buses takes fifteen minutes, while the other takes about forty-five minutes. To be sure which one is faster, you can ask at the tourism kiosk next to the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal. You’ll need to get off at the “Tongiljeon – 통일전” stop. From this stop, you’ll have to pass through the parking lot to Seolchu-jin Pond. From there, you’ll have to walk the rest of the way. There are plenty of signs leading you the rest of the way, so just follow those.
The more convenient way, on the other hand, is to simply take a taxi from the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal. If you’re in a group, the taxi ride should cost about 16,000 won, and would be almost equal to the bus fare.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Chilbulam Hermitage is beautifully situated on the side of Mt. Namsan up the Bonghwa Valley. Mixed in with all this natural beauty are two stunning works of Silla Buddhist artistry. The first is the “Rock-carved Buddhas at Chilbulam Hermitage in Namsan Mountain,” while the second is the crowning “Rock-carved Bodhisattva at Sinseonam Hermitage on Namsan Mountain.” All together, Chilbulam Hermitage is often overlooked compared to other sites in Gyeongju like Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Hermitage, but it shouldn’t be.
