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Cheonbulsa Temple – 천불사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Cheonbulsa Temple is located to the north-east of Mt. Yongcheonsan (544.7 m) in the eastern part of Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The name of the temple means “Heavenly Buddha Temple” in English, and it was originally constructed in 1974. Cheonbulsa Temple’s name refers to the energy of the temple that it gets from the heavenly realm of Tushita. When the head monk at Cheonbulsa Temple wanted to build a temple, he held a memorial service for one thousand days in a cave at Yaksuam Hermitage near Baekyangsa Temple in Gwangju. During this memorial service, the head monk received a divine revelation. In this revelation, he learned that he should find…
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Seonjisa Temple – 선지사 (Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Seonjisa Temple is located in the western part of Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do to the south of Mt. Gyeongunsan (377.2 m). Seonjisa Temple was officially registered as a temple with the Korean government in 2007. The name of Seonjisa Temple is in reference to the local town, Seonji. It is also the name of a local pond called Seonji, as well. Before 2007, it’s believed by some that there had been a temple on the Seonjisa Temple grounds until it fell into disrepair and disappeared altogether. For nearly thirty years, this temple was nothing more than a tent that the head monk lived in. Two lay women, or “bosal” in…
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Seoamjeongsa Temple – 서암정사 (Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Seoamjeongsa Temple is located in Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do in the northern part of Jirisan National Park. Seoamjeongsa Temple was built over a thirty year period starting in 1989. The temple is most famous for the cave Geukrak-jeon Hall. The cave was built by the monk Woneung to appease the spirits of those that were killed during the Korean War (1950-1953). Purportedly, this part of Mt. Jirisan (1,915 m) has a horrible history of death and misery related to the Korean War. When the monk Woneung was travelling around this part of the mountain, he heard the cries of numerous dead spirits that had lost their lives during the Korean…
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Ssangmireuksa Temple – 쌍미륵사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Ssangmireuksa Temple is located at the base of Mt. Hyangrosan (726.7 m) in the very scenic Baenaegol Valley in northern Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. A beautiful flowing stream from Lake Miryang passes by the front of the temple. Ssangmireuksa Temple means “Twin Future Buddhas Temple” in English. Originally, the temple was known as Seongbulsa Temple. In 2019, the temple changed its name to Ssangmireuksa Temple. The probable reason for the name change is that the head monk at the temple probably changed, as well. The current head monk at Ssangmireuksa Temple was looking for the twin Mireuk-bul (Future Buddha) for thirty-seven years. He finally found the twin image of Mireuk…
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Mitaam Hermitage – 미타암 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Hermitage History and Myths Mitaam Hermitage is located on the eastern slopes of Mt. Cheonseongsan (922 m) in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The hermitage is named after Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). Mitaam Hermitage was first established by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.). In addition to Mitaam Hermitage, Wonhyo-daesa built eighty-nine other temples and hermitages on Mt. Cheonseongsan (One Thousand Saints Mountain) which includes Hongryongsa Temple. The hermitage was later expanded in 921 A.D. by the monk Jijong. It was expanded again in 1238 A.D. by the monk Jungjin. Mitaam Hermitage, and more specifically, the 8th century stone standing statue of Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise) and…
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Singwangsa Temple – 신광사 (Geoje-do, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Singwangsa Temple is located on the southern coast, on the western side, of Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do. Specifically, Singwangsa Temple is situated on the western portion of Mt. Baekamsan (494.6 m). According to the temple website, the location of Singwangsa Temple has long been regarded as a sacred place for the worship of Buddhism. Singwangsa Temple dates back to the 1930’s, when a farmer, while digging a pond, discovered the Oryang Stone Buddha Statue. This stone Buddha statue dates back to either Later Silla (668-935 A.D.) or the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). This statue was designated Gyeongsangnam-do Tangible Cultural Heritage #48 in 1972. More recently, Singwangsa Temple underwent extensive building during…
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Boriam Hermitage – 보리암 (Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Hermitage History and Myth Boriam Hermitage is located on Mt. Geumsan (704.9 m) in the southern part of Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do. Boriam Hermitage was first established in 683 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) near the end of his life. Wonhyo-daesa was drawn to this location because of the amazing appearance of the mountain. Wonhyo-daesa saw light emitting from the mountain. Wonhyo-daesa described this light as a “light beyond description.” So he named the mountain Mt. Bogwangsan, and he named the new temple Bogwangwa Temple. Boriam Hermitage gained famed as the site where General Yi Seong-gye (King Taejo), who would become the founding king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910),…
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Sinheungsa Temple – 신흥사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History and Myth Sinheungsa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, which shouldn’t be confused with the more famous temple of the same name in Sokcho, Gangwon-do, means “New Enjoyment Temple” in English. Sinheungsa Temple is located on the foot of Mt. Yeongchuksan (1081 m) on the western side of the mountain. If this mountain sounds familiar, it should, as it houses Tongdosa Temple on the eastern side of Mt. Yeongchuksan. There are some that claim that Sinheungsa Temple was first established in 301 A.D. during the Gaya Confederacy (42-532 A.D.). And while it’s plausible, it’s highly unlikely with the introduction of Buddhism entering into the neighbouring kingdoms of the Baekje Kingdom…
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Haeseonam Hermitage – 해선암 (Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Hermitage History and Myths Haeseonam Hermitage is located in southeastern Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do in a deep valley fold north-east of Mt. Cheontaesan (631 m). Unlike all the other hermitages on this website, Haeseonam Hermitage is not Buddhist. Instead, it’s a shaman hermitage, which is made plain by the lack of shrine halls dedicated to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the ample shrines and shrine halls dedicated to a wide assortment of shaman deities. According to the local mudang (female shamans), Haeseonam Hermitage was once a prayer site for hundreds of years where Buddhist monks studied. Haeseonam Hermitage was a place where locals and fortunetellers came and prayed, as well. Specifically, Haeseonam Hermitage…
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Hongryongsa Temple – 홍룡사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Hongryongsa Temple, which means “Rainbow Dragon Temple” in English, is located on Mt. Cheonseongsan (920.1 m) in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. The name of the temple comes from the waterfall, Hongryong-pokpo Waterfall, which is at the centre of the temple and stands fourteen metres in height. According to legend, there was a dragon that once lived inside this waterfall. Afterwards, it rode off on a rainbow up into the sky and disappeared. The temple was first built during the reign of King Munmu of Silla (r.661-681 A.D.) by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.). Wonhyo-daesa first built this temple to teach the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, or “Hwaeom-gyeong – 화엄경” in Korean,…