[RAS Korea] Visiting temples across Korea

A recent photo of Beopju Temple's Maitreya, with the five-story wood pagoda, Palsangjeon, on the right / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

By Steven L. Shields

Nestled deep in a narrow canyon on the eastern boundary of North Chungcheong Province, Beopju Temple is one of Korea's oldest and most venerated Buddhist temples. The temple, founded in 553 CE, became one of the largest in all Korea during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, hosting some 3,000 monks and scores of buildings. In the modern era, the temple is smaller with about 30 buildings and fewer monks. Its current buildings have been rebuilt many times. The Japanese burned the entire complex to the ground during the 1592-98 Imjin War.

Since my first visit in the mid-1970s, I have returned time and again over the succeeding decades. The scenic beauty of the surrounding Songnisan National Park, with high mountain peaks as a backdrop, Beopju Temple is a place of spiritual peace. The temple is second only to Gyeongju on my priority visit list. No matter the season, Beopju Temple is a rewarding visit for both believers and explorers.

For many years, Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea took excursions to Beopju Temple twice a year, to enjoy the seasonal changes of the surroundings. I hosted some of those tours in the 1990s and early 2000s. I took several groups of expatriates and Koreans to the temple for their first visit. While the group wandered through the grounds exploring the incredible art and historical treasures, I would sit under the large tree in the courtyard of the main hall. Sometimes, a monk would wander over and engage in conversation, making the visit richer for members of the group.

On the grounds of Beopju Temple are two ancient carved stone lanterns from the 8th century. One has a twin lion base. The other depicts the Four Heavenly Guardians. The lanterns are small in comparison to the various buildings and impressive 33-meter-tall gilt-bronze Buddha. However, the stone lanterns show not only the artistic beauty of the Unified Silla times but also the staying power of images of faith.

Towering over the entire complex is the gilt-bronze Maitreya Buddha. Weighing 160 tons and covered with 80kg of gold leaf, the statue was erected in 1990 as a prayer for national unification. It replaced an earlier statue that had been done in cast concrete in the late 1960s, which had severely deteriorated. The new statue cost about $4 million when it was built. On a visit in 1989, during the statue's construction, my 11-year-old son gave $10 of his spending money to the fundraising effort. He wanted to connect with the land of his birth and his mother's cultural heritage. There was an older gilt-bronze Maitreya, dating to the 8th century. The conservative Prince Regent, the Heungseon Daewongun, seized it in the 1860s, had it melted down and used in his grand reconstruction of Gyeongbok Palace, which had lain in ruins for 300 years.

This photo, taken by the author at Beopju Temple in 1977, shows the concrete-cast Maitreya that was replaced in 1990. Courtesy of Steven L. Shields/2020-10-05(코리아타임스)

Among the various buildings in the temple compound, none is as unique as the five-storied wooden pagoda. Built over 21 years beginning in 1626, the Palsangjeon (Eight Picture Hall) is an exquisite example of mid-Joseon temple architecture. The pagoda is one of the few existing examples of wooden pagodas in Korea. The paintings depict the life of Sakyamuni Buddha and are essential in both art and faith heritage. The structural features of the building are also important, and many unique features make this building a must-see when visiting the temple.

Beopju Temple's Daeungbojeon (main hall) is one of only a handful of two-story buildings of its type among all Korean temples. Built in 1624, it is one of the largest and contains a Buddha image triad that is also one of Korea's largest. The main hall evokes the grandeur of the spiritual realm in an intense way.

Songnisan National Park is famous for hiking, and the most popular trail heads from the entrance to Beopju Temple, through the foothills, over a well-worn but improved path, to Munjangdae (elev. 1,054 m). The trail is only 7 km, and the hike takes about three hours up and three hours back. The view from the peak is glorious if the skies are clear. It is recorded that King Sejo stood on the spot and composed a poem in 1464.

At the entrance to the park, before arriving at Beopju Temple, the road winds past a 600-year-old pine tree. Now much ravaged by age, disease and a lightning strike, the tree is a scant skeleton of what it was in the 1970s when I first visited. Still sporting a quiet dignity, the same tree greeted King Sejo on his 1464 trip. The branches were so full and low the king's palanquin could not pass. Sejo ordered the lower branches to be cut, but on its own, the tree lifted its branches for the king, who passed unobstructed. King Sejo bestowed the tree as a minister of the second rank, which is a lifetime appointment.

This is a recent photo of the Minister of the Second Rank, the tree that greeted King Sejo in 1464. Courtesy of Steven L. Shields

RAS Korea is restricted from conducting in-person tours and in-person lectures during this time of the pandemic. However, the lecture scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. (on Zoom), features Korean temple expert and author Dale Quarrington. Having visited more than 500 Korean temples over the past 20 years, Quarrington will introduce the artistic and architectural wonders of several unique temples. Visit raskb.com for details.

Steven L. Shields, a retired cleric, serves as a vice president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea (www.raskb.com) and is a columnist for The Korea Times.

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