KOREAN TEMPLE ADVENTURES Welcome to the Year of the Snake

A Snake Painting from the 12 Spirit Generals at Haedong Seongchwi Temple in Gijang, Busan / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

With another year behind us, we look forward to the new year ahead to see which of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals will guide us. For 2025, it's the Year of the Snake. Unfortunately, the snake is one of the lesser-observed zodiac animals at Korean Buddhist temples. But with that being said, while snakes aren't as popular at temples as dragons, tigers or even rabbits, the snake makes its appearance in less obvious forms.

The Chinese zodiac has a long history in many cultures. In China, where the zodiac is believed to have originated, evidence supports the claim that it predates Buddhism there. The zodiac took the form of local animals that were familiar to the Chinese people. It was based upon Chinese cosmology, and as a result, it grew more elaborate in time, as well as in popularity. The zodiac was used to count the years, months, days and hours to help predict the future, tell fortunes and determine a person’s personality based on the year one was born and the assigned animal given to that year. And because of its importance in China, it helped allow the zodiac to spread to other neighboring countries like Korea and Japan through trade and cross-cultural pollination.

A high-relief of a snake adorning the base of the East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas at Wonwon Temple in Gyeongju / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Buddhism, as it migrated eastward from India, did a remarkable job of adapting to local religious beliefs and cultural customs. Instead of competing against local traditions, Buddhism adapted to local culture, as is the case in China with both Taoist and zodiac beliefs and in Korea with shamanic beliefs.

A painting of the snake from the 12 Spirit Generals at Seonji Temple in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

One of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals is the snake. Snakes, and those born in the Year of the Snake, are thought to be charming, introverted, generous and smart. As for Korean Buddhism and Korean Buddhist temples, the most common place to see depictions of the snake, is as one of the 12 Spirit Generals, or the “Sibiji-shin” in Korean. The 12 Spirit Generals come in many forms, and they are meant to be the embodiment of Yaksayeorae-bul (Buddha of the Eastern Paradise, and the Medicine Buddha). They can appear as shrine hall paintings, statues or even adorning pagodas.

A statue of the snake from the 12 Spirit Generals at Samhwa Temple in Donghae, Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Another way in which snakes appear at Korean Buddhist temples is through legends. One specific legend can be found at Yeojeok Hermitage, which is located in the southern portion of Songnisan National Park in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province. The hermitage is one of 11 directly associated with the famed Beopju Temple.

Purportedly, Yeojeok Hermitage was the richest hermitage on the mountain. However, its previous abbots were obsessed with material gain, so they didn’t help others with the hermitage’s resources. Yeojeok, who was just a novice monk at this time, made nine rice balls. Yeojeok and the abbot of the hermitage traveled to neighboring Sujeong-bong Peak. There, the two sat in front of a rock and called out the names of the former abbots of Yeojeok Hermitage. One by one, Yeojeok would throw a rice ball and a big snake would come out from one of the cracks of the large stone and eat the rice ball, then return to its hole. Yeojeok did this until he got to the eighth snake. The present abbot noticed this as his former master and was surprised to see his teacher reborn as a snake.

Seeing his surprise, Yeojeok told the abbot that his teacher had become a snake because he was greedy. And even after he had died, he couldn’t forget the hermitage’s wealth, so he lived in Sujeong-bong Peak to be near Yeojeok Hermitage. Still seeing that there was one more unoccupied hole remaining in the side of the large rock, the abbot asked Yeojeok who that hole belonged to. Yeojeok answered that the hole belonged to the current abbot. After that, the abbot held a meeting, where he distributed the wealth of the hermitage to those in need. And it was after this that the hermitage came to be known as Yeojeok Hermitage.

A high-relief image of a snake adorns the base of the Dabo Pagoda at Samgwang Temple in Busan / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Arguably, an even better-known legend connected to a temple and a snake can be found at Cheongpyeong Temple in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. In this legend, there once was a Tang princess who was loved by a young man. This princess was known as Princess Pyeongyang, the daughter of Emperor Taejong [Taizong] of Tang (r. 626-649). Emperor Taejong had the man killed, but the lovesick man was reborn as a snake who constantly clung to the princess. And every effort that was made to separate the snake from the princess failed. Eventually, the princess left the palace, where she wandered until she arrived at the valley where Cheongpyeong Temple would be built. After spending a night at Gongju-gul (Princess Cave), she cleansed her body in a Gongju-tang (Princess Bath). Afterward, she dressed in a monk’s robe. Thanks to her virtue, the lovesick snake finally broke free from the princess and entered Nirvana. Afterward, the princess asked her father to build a temple there. Eventually, a pagoda was erected and the local people called it Gongju-tap (Princess Pagoda).

The princess and the snake at Cheongpyeong Temple in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Yet another lesser-known way in which snakes can appear at Korean Buddhist temples is as a naga, which is a divine, or semi-divine, species of half-human, half-serpent beings. Nagas are one of the Eight Legions, or “Palbusin-jang” in Korean, of Buddhism that are protectors of the Dharma (Buddha’s Teachings). Because of their role in protecting the Dharma, you’ll typically find nagas as stone reliefs around the base of pagodas at Korean Buddhist temples. Also, as the nagas moved eastward, they became dragons. So it’s the dragon, rather than the snake or naga, that you’ll typically find at most Korean Buddhist temples. Among the most notable nagas in the Korean Buddhist tradition, and Buddhism more generally, is Naga Mucalinda, who protected Seokgamoni-bul (Historical Buddha) from torrential rain as the Buddha neared enlightenment.

Naga Mucalinda at Mucalinda Lake in Bodh Gaya, India / Courtesy of Joseph Bengivenni

So the next time you’re at a Korean Buddhist temple during the Year of the Snake, have a look around at the hard-to-find images of the reptilian arbitrator of good fortune. Most commonly, you’ll find them in the legends and traditions of temples, but you might be lucky enough to see a statue or painting of a naga or the snake from the 12 Spirit Generals. With all that being said, here’s to a happy and prosperous 2025, the Year of the Snake!

Dale Quarrington has visited over 500 temples throughout the Korean Peninsula and published four books on Korean Buddhism. He runs the website Dale's Korean Temple Adventures.