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Colonial Korea – Beopjusa Temple
Temple History Beopjusa Temple is situated in Songnisan National Park to the north-east of Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. Beopjusa Temple means, “Dharma Residence Temple” in English. According to the Dongguk-yeoji-seungnam, or the “Survey of the Geography of Korea” in English, Beopjusa Temple was first founded in 553 A.D. by the monk Uisin. After traveling to India to learn more about Buddhism, Uisan returned to the Korean Peninsula with Indian Buddhist scriptures. Carrying these scriptures on a white donkey, he housed these texts at the temple he was to build: Beopjusa Temple. According to historical documents, the famed monk Jinpyo (8th century) returned to the Mt. Songnisan area and marked a location where it was…
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Templestay – Beopjusa Temple (Boeun, Chungcheongbuk-do)
Introduction to Temple Beopjusa Temple, which is located in Songnisan National Park in Boeun, Chungcheongbuk-do, means “Dharma Residence Temple” in English. The temple was first built in 553 A.D. by the monk Uisin. After traveling to India to learn more about Buddhism, Uisin returned to the Korean Peninsula with Indian Buddhist texts. He carried these Buddhist texts on a white donkey, and he housed them at the temple he would call Beopjusa Temple. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), and in the early 1100’s, over 30,000 monks gathered at Beopjusa Temple to pray for the dying Uicheon-guksa (1055-1101). At its largest, Beopjusa Temple housed some three thousand monks. However, during the…
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Geumgangmun – The Diamond Gate: 금강문
Geumgangmun Gate Design The Geumgangmun Gate is one of five entry gates that can potentially be found at a Korean Buddhist temple. The Geumgangmun Gate is the second of these entry gates, and it’s placed between the Iljumun Gate (the first entry gate) and the Cheonwangmun Gate (the third entry gate). The name of this gate, Geumgangmun, means “Diamond Gate,” in English. The name is Hindu in origin. Geumgang means “diamond,” in English, which is the hardest substance on Earth. It can’t be harmed or broken by any other matter, but it can cut through or break other material. As such, it’s a symbol of the Buddha’s teachings. The Dharma…
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Beopjusa Temple – 법주사 (Boeun-Gun, Chungcheongbuk-do)
Temple History Beopjusa Temple is situated in Songnisan National Park to the north-east of Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. Beopjusa Temple means, “Dharma Residence Temple,” in English. According to the Dongguk-yeoji-seungnam, or the “Survey of the Geography of Korea,” in English, Beopjusa was first founded in 553 A.D. by the monk Uisin. After traveling to India to learn more about Buddhism, Uisan returned to the Korean peninsula with Indian Buddhist scriptures. Carrying these scriptures on a white donkey, he housed these texts at the temple he was to build: Beopjusa Temple. According to historical documents, the famed monk Jinpyo (8th century) returned to the Mt. Songnisan area and marked a location where it…