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Ssangbongsa Temple – 쌍봉사 (Hwasun, Jeollanam-do)
Temple History Ssangbongsa Temple, which is located in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, means “Twin Peak Temple” in English. Ssangbongsa Temple was first established by the monk Cheolgam-seonsa. At the age of twenty-eight, Cheolgam-seonsa (797-868 A.D.) traveled to Tang China (618-907 A.D.) to study Buddhism. Cheolgam-seonsa returned to the Korean peninsula in 847 A.D. alongside Beomil-guksa (National Preceptor). Cheolgam-seonsa settled around Mt. Pungaksan in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do. He later moved to Hwasun, where he built a temple that he called Ssangbongsa Temple. The name of the temple was based upon his pen-name, which literally means “twin peaks” in English. However, there is some dispute as to when the temple was built. The stele dedicated…
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Janggoksa Temple – 장곡사 (Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do)
Temple History Janggoksa Temple, which means “Guardian Valley Temple” in English, is located on the western slopes of Mt. Chilgapsan (559.7) in Cheongyang, Chungcheongnam-do. Located in a valley, Janggoksa Temple was first established in 850 A.D. by Seon Master Chejing (804-880 A.D.). It should be noted that Seon Master Chejing, who was posthumously awarded the title of Master Bojo, established Borimsa Temple in Jangheung, Jeollanam-do. Borimsa Temple was established in 860 A.D. ten years after the establishment of Janggoksa Temple. Borimsa Temple was made at the request of King Heonan of Silla (r. 857-861 A.D.). Borimsa Temple was one of the Gusan Seonmun, or “Nine Mountain Zen Gates” in English.…
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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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Muryangsa Temple – 무량사 (Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do)
Temple History Muryangsa Temple is located in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do at the foot of Mt. Mansusan (575 m). The name of the temple is in reference to Amita-bul (The Buddha of the Western Paradise). One of the halls that Amita-bul can reside in at a Korean Buddhist temple is called a Muryangsu-jeon Hall, which means “Immeasurable Life Hall” in English. The exact date that Muryangsa Temple was first built is unknown; however, it was first built during the reign of King Munseong of Silla (r. 839-857 A.D.). It was first built by the Beomil-guksa (National Preceptor). Muryangsa Temple was later renovated and expanded during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). At this time,…
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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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Pagyesa Temple – 파계사 (Dong-gu, Daegu)
Temple History Pagyesa Temple is located on the famed Mt. Palgongsan (1192.3 m) in northern Daegu. In fact, Pagyesa Temple is situated to the north-west of Donghwasa Temple. Pagyesa Temple was first established in 804 A.D. by the monk Simji. The name of the temple is in reference to Pungsu-jiri, or a Korean form of geomancy. So the word “Pagye” means to stop the energy of the Earth from flowing away through the stream that run down the valley on either side of Pagyesa Temple. Pagyesa Temple was destroyed in 1595 during the Imjin War (1592-1598). The temple was rebuilt in 1605 by the monk Gyegwan, which culminated in the…
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Muwisa Temple – 무위사 (Gangjin, Jeollanam-do)
Temple History Muwisa Temple is located in the southern portion of the picturesque Wolchulsan National Park in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. According to both the Cultural Hermitage Administration website and the Muwisa Sajeok (The History of Muwisa Temple), the temple was first built in 617 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) and named Gwaneumsa Temple (The Bodhisattva of Compassion Temple). But this is hard to believe for a couple of reasons. First, Wonhyo-daesa would have been just a one year old when he first built Muwisa Temple. And as accomplished as he was as a Buddhist monk, this stretches the limits of credulity. Additionally, Wonhyo-daesa was a Silla monk. The…
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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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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…