Taeeulam Hermitage – 태을암 (Taean, Chungcheongnam-do)
Hermitage History
Taeeulam Hermitage is located in northern Taean, Chungcheongnam-do to the west of Mt. Baekhwasan (284.6 m) near the coast of the Yellow Sea. The exact date and founder of the hermitage are both unknown, however, it’s believed that Taeeulam Hermitage was first established when the Taeil-jeon Hall moved to Taean from Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Housed inside the Taeil-jeon Hall was a portrait of Dangun, who is the legendary founder of Korea. And the reason for moving the Taeil-jeon Hall from Uiseong to the Taean is that it was to symbolically promote safety and peace to the people of the area. Taean was not only a gateway for the entry of Chinese travelers and traders, but it was also a region constantly troubled by Japanese pirates that would plunder the region.
So there’s a theory that the reason that Taeeulam Hermitage is called “Taeeul” is because of its close associate with the Taeil-jeon Hall. Unfortunately, the Taeil-jeon Hall no longer exists; instead, the hall site is located some 200 metres to the rear of the temple grounds. Taeeulam Hermitage is one of the 982 traditional Buddhist temples in Korea.
Taeeulam Hermitage is home to one National Treasure. It’s the “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean,” which is National Treasure #307.
Hermitage Layout
From the hermitage parking lot, and up a set of stairs, you’ll come to the main hermitage courtyard. Straight ahead of you is the Daeung-jeon Hall. The exterior walls are adorned with the Shimu-do (The Ox-Herding Murals). Of particular note is the tenth, and final, painting in the set entitled “In the World (or Return to Society).” Typically, you’ll find that the ox-herder, after having spent years in solitude, returns to the world to teach what he has come to learn. However, in this painting at Taeeulam Hermitage, the ox-herder appears to be transformed into Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) upon his enlightenment. The exterior walls of the main hall are also adorned with images of Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power) riding a six-tusked white elephant, Munsu-bosal riding a blue lion, and an all-white Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion). And at the base of the front doors to the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find highly stylized reliefs of Gwimyeon (Monster Masks).
Stepping inside the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find a triad of statues on the main altar. In the centre sits the image of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha), who is joined on either side by statues of a black-haired Jijang-bosal (The Bodhisattva of the Afterlife) and Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion), who is adorned with a fiery, golden crown. To the left of the main altar, you’ll find a large Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) mural that’s joined by a wonderful Banya Yongseon-do (Dragon Ship of Wisdom Mural) that’s painted directly onto the surface of the interior wall. And to the right of the main altar, you’ll find a well-populated Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural) and a painting dedicated to Jijang-bosal. If you look particularly closely, you’ll notice that the beams of the structure are adorned with white cranes and blue and yellow Gwimyeon.
To the right of the Daeung-jeon Hall, you’ll find the “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean.” This rock-carving is now protectively housed inside a pavilion. The rock-carving, which is located on a rocky outcropping near the peak of Mt. Baekhwasan (284 m), depicts a Buddhist triad. It’s presumed to date back to around the end of the 6th century. This makes it the oldest extant Buddhist rock-carving of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. – 660 A.D.). Rather interestingly, the triad depicts a central image of a Bodhisattva instead of the customary Buddha. The central image appears to be Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion), and she holds a wish-fulfilling pearl with both of her hands. And the two flanking Buddha’s appear to be either Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) or Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) to the left and Yaksayeorae-bul (The Buddha of Medicine, and the Buddha of the Eastern Paradise) to the right, who is holding a container of medicine in his hands. Another interesting feature of the rock-carving is that the central image of Gwanseeum-bosal is smaller than the flanking images of the Buddhas.
Customarily, it’s a central Buddha being joined on either side by either two Bodhisattvas or two additional Buddhas. For example, a triad can consist of a central image of Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha) joined by flanking images of Munsu-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Wisdom) and Bohyeon-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Power). Or another example can have Seokgamoni-bul being joined on either side by Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) and Yaksayeorae-bul (The Medicine Buddha, and the Buddha of the Eastern Paradise). But for whatever reason, this historic rock-carving doesn’t follow in this tradition.
Originally, the “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean” was created to wish for safety at sea, as well as for the revival of the Baekje Kingdom. The rock-carving was made at a time when Taean became central to sea-trade for the Baekje Kingdom after the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. 935 A.D.) had gained control over the Han River in the mid-6th century. When the “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean” was first discovered, the bottom one metre of the rock-carving was buried underground. In 1995, work was conducted on the rock-carving to expose the lower portion and pedestals of the triad. The “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean” is National Treasure #307.
To the front right of the pavilion that houses the “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean,” and past a stone water basin, you’ll find the temple’s Samseong-gak Hall. But this Samseong-gak Hall is quite unique. Housed inside the Samseong-gak Hall is a single mural that includes six images. In the centre of the six images sits an image of Dangun. This harkens back to the Taeil-jeon Hall that once occupied the hermitage grounds. Dangun, who is the legendary founder of Korea, is joined at his back by two images of what appear to be Hwanin (Lord of Heaven) and Hwanung (Heavenly Prince). To the bottom left of this triad is an image of Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) with his accompanying tiger. To the top right of this triad is Jeseok-cheon, who is meant to represent Chilseong (The Seven Stars). If you look closely, you can see that he sports a hat that has a moon and a sun on it. This is probably a nod to Ilgwang-bosal (The Sunlight Bodhisattva) and Wolgwang-bosal (The Moonlight Bodhisattva), who almost always accompany the central image of Jeseok-cheon in a Chilseong mural. And to the bottom right of the central image, you’ll find an image of Yongwang (The Dragon King), who is joined by a blue dragon. Conspicuously absent is Dokseong (The Lonely Saint) in this painting. Overall, the painting is a wonderful piece of shamanic artwork.
How To Get There
From the Taean Bus Terminal, you’ll need to take Bus #301 to get to Taeeulam Hermitage. You’ll need to take this bus for ten stops, or thirteen minutes, and get off at the “Sakseon 1-ri, Seongbakk – 삭선 1리, 성밖 하차” bus stop. From where the bus drops you off, you’ll need to walk 1.3 km, or thirty-five minutes, to get to Taeeulam Hermitage. You’ll need to follow the twisting road that first heads east. Just follow the signs along the way.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
For a hermitage, Taeeulam Hermitage is both large and dynamic. The main highlight is the stunning, and historic, “Rock-Carved Standing Buddha Triad in Dongmun-ri, Taean” that bucks tradition with its design. In addition to this National Treasure, both inside and out of the Daeung-jeon Hall are stunning like the tenth mural from the Shimu-do (Ox-Herding Mural) that appears to be Wonhyo-daesa. Additionally, the mural housed inside the Samseong-gak Hall is both original and stunning in who it depicts. A trip to Taeeulam Hermitage is a trip filled with wonderful originality both new and old.
