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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…
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Sammaksa Temple/Sangbulam Hermitage – 삼막사/상불암 (Anyang, Gyeonggi-do)
Temple History Hello, everyone! Giuseppe back with my third temple and yet another mountaintop temple. This time, Sammaksa Temple, “Three Curtain Temple,” near the peak of Mt. Samseongsan, “Three Saint Mountain” in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do. Sammaksa Temple was first established in 677 A.D. during the Silla Dynasty as a small hermitage by the great monk Wonhyo-daesa. If this sounds familiar, it’s the same year that Uisang-daesa established what is now Yeonjuam Hermitage, just across the narrow valley, on Mt. Gwanaksan. The mountain is actually named after Wonhyo, Uisang, and Yeonpil, “three saints” who spent time here. It’s a well-known fact that Wonhyo-daesa and Uisang-daesa were close friends and travel companions, but I was…
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Jangansa Temple – 장안사 (Gijang-gun, Busan)
Temple History Jangansa Temple in Gijang-gun, Busan is located at the foot of Mt. Bulgwangsan (659 m). The name of the temple comes from the local area of Jangan-eup, which is where the temple is located. Specifically, Jangansa means “Inside the Castle Temple” in English. The temple was first founded in 673 A.D. by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.). At first, the temple was known as Ssanggyesa Temple, which means “Twin Stream Temple” in English. The temple later changed its name to its current name of Jangansa Temple in 809 A.D. after King Aejang of Silla (r. 800-809) visited the temple. In total, and according to records, Wonhyo-daesa built…
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Mihwangsa Temple – 미황사 (Haenam, Jeollanam-do)
Temple History Mihwangsa Temple, which means “Beautiful Yellow Temple” in English, is located in Haenam, Jeollanam-do. According to the temple myth from the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), which is one of the more interesting temple myths that you’ll find in Korea, Mihwangsa Temple was first founded in 749 A.D. Mihwangsa Temple, which is located to the west of Mt. Dalmasan (489 m), is the southernmost temple on the mainland Korean peninsula. Also, Mihwangsa Temple enjoys beautiful views of the South Sea off in the distance. As for the creation myth surrounding Mihwangsa Temple, which also gives the temple its name, it’s definitely one of the most intriguing…
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Dogapsa Temple – 도갑사 (Yeongam, Jeollanam-do)
Temple History Dogapsa Temple is located in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do in Wolchulsan National Park. The temple was established in 880 A.D. by Doseon-guksa (827-898 A.D.). Originally, the temple site was home to a temple called Munsusa Temple, which was named after the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Munsu-bosal. In fact, during a recent excavation that took place in 1999, there were roof tiles that date back to the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. to 660 A.D.) that were discovered to the rear of the temple grounds. This helped prove that a temple existed on the site that Dogapsa Temple now occupies predating Later Silla (668-935 A.D.). Munsusa Temple was where Doseon-guksa spent his childhood.…
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Shinjung Taenghwa & Dongjin-bosal – The Guardian Mural & The Bodhisattva that Protects the Buddha’s Teachings: 신중탱화 & 동진보살
Introduction The Shinjung Taenghwa is one of the most popular murals that you’ll find at a Korean Buddhist temple. In English, the Shinjung Taenghwa means “Altar Painting of Guardian Deities,” or the “Guardian Mural” for short. This mural is highly intricate. So what exactly does a Shinjung Taenghwa look like? Where can you find it? Whose in it? And what does it all mean? It should be noted, before we go any further, that a lot of the wonderful information and research in this post comes from academic article entitled “Skanda, The Multifaceted God: Skanda in Korean Buddhism and Beyond” by Sujung Kim. The Placement of Shinjung Taenghwa Inside the…
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Seonamsa Temple – 선암사 (Busanjin-gu, Busan)
Temple History Seonamsa Temple is located in Busanjin-gu, Busan on Mt. Baekyangsan (642 m). There is some dispute as to when Seonamsa Temple was first built, but it’s estimated to have first been built during Later Silla (668-935 A.D.). According to one legend, Seonamsa Temple was first established by the famed monk Wonhyo-daesa (617-686 A.D.) in 675 A.D. Originally, the temple was called Gyeongangsa Temple. Before the 15th century, the temple was relocated to its current location and renamed Seonamsa Temple. In fact, it was renamed Seonamsa Temple in 1483 by the monk Gakcho. Seonamsa Temple, in English, means “Immortal Rock Temple.” The name is in reference to its current…
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Hongryongsa Temple – 홍룡사 (Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do)
Temple History Hongryongsa Temple is located on the western slopes of Mt. Cheonseongsan (920.1 m) in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam. The name of the mountain means “Thousand Saints/Sages Mountain” in English, while the name of the temple means “Rainbow Dragon Temple.” The name of the temple comes from a myth and the waterfall that flows at the temple. The spray from the waterfall often forms a rainbow, and there once lived a golden dragon that lived in the pooling water beneath this waterfall. Eventually, this dragon would ride a rainbow up into the sky and disappear. This type of dragon is known as a Heavenly Dragon, or “Cheonryong” in Korean. In Buddhism…