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Geojosa Temple – 거조사 (Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Geojosa Temple is located on the eastern slopes of the famed Mt. Palgongsan (1193 m) in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Geojosa Temple was a branch hermitage of the neighbouring Eunhaesa Temple until recently. Originally, the temple was known as Haeansa Temple. However, there is some dispute as to when the temple was first built. In fact, there are three theories as to when the temple was first built. The first theory states that the temple was first completed under the watchful eye of Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) in 693 A.D. However, since Wonhyo-daesa died in 686 A.D., it’s highly unlikely that he founded Geojosa Temple in 693 A.D. Another theory states…
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Daewonsa Temple – 대원사 (Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Daewonsa Temple is located in northern Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. More specifically, it’s located southeast of the diminutive Mt. Obongsan (177.7 m) near Chilpo Beach. Before the modern Daewonsa Temple was built, the site was occupied by a much older temple, which according to local legend, was dismantled during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in 1510. The former temple was dismantled at this point because the land was needed to house the Japanese military. As for the present temple, Daewonsa Temple, it was first constructed in 1945 just after Japanese colonization (1910-1945) of the peninsula came to an end. Temple Layout As you first approach the temple grounds over the Gohyeon-cheon…
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Yongmunsa Temple – 용문사 (Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History and Myth Yongmunsa Temple, which means “Dragon Gate Temple” in English, is located in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do to the south-west of Mt. Sobaeksan (1439.6 m). Yongmunsa Temple was first established in 870 A.D. by the monk Duun-daesa. Initially, the Daejang-jeon Hall was first built at the temple in 1173 to house the first set of the Tripitaka Koreana. This set was eventually destroyed in 1232 during the Mongol Invasions of Korea (1231-1270). The second set of the Tripitaka Koreana was started in 1237, and it was completed twelve years later. In 1398, the completed set was moved to Haeinsa Temple, where they have been ever since. During the Later…
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Eunhaesa Temple – 은해사 (Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Eunhaesa Temple, which means “Silver Sea Temple” in English, is located on the far east side of Mt. Palgongsan (1192.3 m) in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The name of the temple has a double meaning. The first is that Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Nahan (Historical Disciples of the Buddha) look like a wavy silver sea in all their grandeur. Another meaning is that on a foggy day at Eunhaesa Temple, it looks like a wavy sea. Eunhaesa Temple was first established in 809 A.D. by the monk Hyecheol-guksa. Originally, the temple was named Haeansa Temple, which means “Tranquil Sea Temple” in English. The temple was reconstructed in 1264 by Hongjin-guksa. It…
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Gounsa Temple – 고운사 (Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Gounsa Temple, which means “Solitary Cloud Temple” in English, is located in Uiseong, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The temple is located to the west of Mt. Deungunsan, which means “Riding on the Clouds” in English. The temple was first established by the famed monk Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.) in 681 A.D. While the name of the temple originally meant “High Cloud Temple” in English, the meaning of Gounsa Temple changed to “Solitary Cloud Temple.” So while the temple has always been named Gounsa Temple and had the same pronunciation, the meaning of the temple’s name changed after it was visited by the great Confucian and Taoist scholar Choi Chiwon (857-? A.D.), whose…
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Manbulsa Temple – 만불사 (Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Manbulsa Temple, which means “Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple,” in English, is located in south-eastern Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The temple is scenically located in a valley west of Mt. Manbulsan (275.4m). Manbulsa Temple is a modern temple in the truest sense of the word with its overstated colours and ornate shrine halls. The idea for the construction of Manbulsa Temple dates back to 1981, when the monk Hakseong first thought of building it. However, it’s not until 1992 that the first cornerstone got laid at Manbulsa Temple, which, in effect, started the initial construction of the temple. In February, 1993, the founding monk, Hakseong, brought back a sari (crystallized remain)…
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Bogyeongsa Temple – 보경사 (Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Bogyeongsa Temple, which is located in northern Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, is situated to the east of Mt. Cheonryeongsan (774.8 m). Bogyeongsa Temple was first built in 603 A.D., during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla (r.579 – 632 A.D.) by the monk Jimyeong. Upon his return to the Silla Kingdom from studying in Tang China, Jimyeong instructed King Jinpyeong of Silla, “If you discover an auspicious site on a famous mountain on the east coast, bury Palmyeong-bogyeong [scripture], and build a Buddhist temple, you will be able to prevent Japanese pirates from invading the Silla Kingdom, and you will unify the Three Kingdoms.” The king was happy to…
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Unmunsa Temple – 운문사 (Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Unmunsa Temple, which means “Cloud Gate Temple” in English, is located in Cheongdo, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Specifically, Unmunsa Temple is located to the north of Mt. Gajisan (1240.9m). The temple was first built over a three year period starting in 557 A.D. by the monk Sinseung. At first, it was nothing more than a hermitage. The temple was later rebuilt by the monk Wongwang-guksa (558-638 A.D.) in 608 A.D. Originally, the temple was named Daejakgapsa Temple, or “Great Magpie Hillside Temple,” in English. The monk Boyang-guksa reconstructed Unmunsa Temple in 930 A.D. The founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, King Taejo (r.918-943 A.D.), granted Boyang-guksa 500 gyeol (or 17,000 square metres)…
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Chunghyosa Temple – 충효사 (Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Chunghyosa Temple is located in the very scenic Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It’s situated to the north of the picturesque Lake Yeongcheon, which is a long and deep lake, and east of Mt. Giryongsan (965.5m). Chunghyosa Temple, which means “Loyalty to Nation Temple,” in English, is located in Chunghyo-ri. This part of Yeongcheon is filled with locations with similar names, too. Chunghyosa Temple was first built in the 1970’s, and it has continued to grow and expand throughout the ensuing decades. Chunghyosa Temple is not apart of the Jogye-jong Buddhist Order, or even the Taego-jong Buddhist Order or the Cheontae-jong Buddhist Order in Korea. Instead, the temple focuses on the…
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Bongjeongsa Temple – 봉정사 (Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
Temple History Bongjeongsa Temple, which is located in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, was first built in 672 A.D. However, there is some dispute as to who first built Bongjeongsa Temple. According to the Yangbeopdang-jungsu-gi, the founder of Bongjeongsa Temple is the famed temple builder, Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.). However, according to the Sangnyangmun records of the historic Geukrak-jeon Hall, the temple’s founder was Neungin-daedeok (a disciple of Uisang-daesa). These two aforementioned documents, which document the history of Bongjeongsa Temple, are the two oldest documents regarding the foundation of a temple in Korea. However, it seems as though Neungin-daedeok is the more probable founder of Bongjeongsa Temple. According to the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of…