Celebrated Temples in the Gwangju-Jeonnam Region

By Park Nahm-Sheik

Gwangju-Jeonnam is blessed with several big-name Buddhist temples. To begin with, the region happened to be where Buddhism had its first encounter with this country. The faith came to Korea via the port of Beopseong-po in Yeonggwang County around 384 C.E. Parenthetically, both Bulgap Temple (불갑사) and Beopseong-po (법성포) are pregnant with suggestive indications. “Bulgap Temple” clearly says that it is the “top Buddhist temple” of Korea. “Beopseong-po” highlights the pride of place afforded it as the port hallowed in the annals of Korean Buddhism, as “beop,” “seong,” and “po” here reference “Buddhism,” “holy,” and “port,” respectively.

Legend has it that Maranatha, a Buddhist missionary of Indian heritage, is said to have first set foot in southwestern Korea by way of China. He must have braved thorny trails and fierce waterways ad infinitum all the way from Lumbini in the upper northwestern corner of the Indian subcontinent to the upper northeastern corner of the Asian continent. Originating in the ancient Aramaic tongue, “Maranatha” means something like “The Lord has come!” This expression is said to appear in the Christian Bible in Corinthians (16:22) and also in the Gospel According to John (22:20). This apparently has to do with the shared origins of Buddhism and Christianity.

Gwangju-Jeonnam boasts several other well- known temples. Hwaeom Temple (화엄사) and Yeongok Temple (연곡사) are particularly prominent. The Mt. Jiri National Park in Gurye is home to both of these big-name temples. High Priest Uisang-daesa is thought to have had 80 volumes of Hwaeom-gyeong (the Diamond Sutra) stone-engraved for permanent storage at Hwaeom Temple. The temple itself was built in the middle of the seventh century as the lead temple, so to speak, for the 19th Jogyejong District to oversee all the temples in and around Mt. Jiri. Hwaeom Temple was constructed at royal behest with overall management charged to High Priest Yeongi-josa. In 875, it was expanded with High Priest Doseon-guksa at the helm.

Gakhwang-jeon (realize-sovereign-hall), a prominent structure in Hwaeom Temple, is complemented by an impressive stone lantern (National Treasure No. 12). Presumably dating back to the Unified Silla Period, it stands 6.4 meters tall and measures 2.8 meters across. This stationary lantern known as Gwangmyeong- deung (the illumination lamp) symbolizes the light radiating from the Buddha. Slightly upward of Gakhwang-jeon is Sasajasang (sculptured pride of four lions; National Treasure No. 300). In the den of these lions is the Rev. High Priest Yeongi-josa on his knees reverently holding aloft a cup of green tea for his mother, an unmistakable icon of true filial piety.

Also in Mt. Jiri National Park is Yeongok Temple, another monumental Buddhist temple dating from the Silla-Baekje era. It is interesting that the Chinese characters employed for “Yeongok- sa” apparently speak to the temple having hosted an abundance of swallows. Lore has it that large flocks of swallows made their home there, giving rise to the name of the temple, which obviously reminds us of a valley chock full of swallows. Legend has it that, built around the 22nd year of Baekje King Seongwang (544 C.E.), it served as a place of worship and prayer for Zen meditation practitioners. This temple was the brainchild of Yeongi-josa, who is said to have hailed from Gandhara, India. On the temple premises are Dongseung Stone Pagoda (National Treasure No. 132) and Bukseung Stone Pagoda (National Treasure No. 133). By the way, the “jiri” of “Mt. Jiri” derives from “duryu” in proto-Korean of the early Goguryeo period and means “very tall.” Both Mt. Baekdu and Mt. Jiri are thus supposed to be very tall mountains, according to their etymological roots.

Mt. Jiri is also remembered as a grim reaper of a mountain that has become permanently etched into the recent history of Korea. Indelibly engraved in our collective memory is its place as a major setting for eerie blood-drenched confrontations between the two Koreas and their ideologies from the late 1940s through the 1950s and into the early 1960s. Despite this tragic history, Mt. Jiri ranks high on the list of the most acclaimed mountains in the country. It certainly is awesome and even venerable as mountains go.

Unju Temple (운주사; cloud-riding-temple) is on Mt. Cheonbul (천불산; thousand-Buddha- mountain) in Doam-myeon of Hwasun County. Some thousand stone images of the Buddha are supposedly scattered over the mountain. Reclining Buddhas, as most of them are, afford visitors a rare sight to behold. It is amazing how our ancestors so long ago could possibly imagine putting up such a mind-boggling legion of sculptured works of art for such an out-of-the- way place.

For those who especially crave a quiet getaway, Hyang-il Hermitage (향일암) in Yeosu is a gem of a retreat. As can be gathered from the name, it is a peaceful seaside hermitage, where one can quietly enjoy viewing the sun as it rises above the horizon smiling down upon our humble planet. It is a breathtaking lookout point. A peaceful temple stay here may be prescribed for a patient recuperating from a health issue. It makes an ideal resort for rest and recreation and overall rehabilitation, especially for those facing an extended uphill battle with a condition that is not easy to cope with.

Let me close this essay by thanking a couple of friends, who came to my aid every time I was in need for this article. For one thing, they have brainstormed with me providing priceless tips about the temples featured in this narrative. Yang Inmo, a native of Gurye, came to my assistance whenever I was in need of in-depth knowledge about Hwaeom and Yeongok Temples. For another, Park Sangyong complemented my meager understanding about Unju Temple and Mt. Cheonbul. He is well versed in the folklore of relevance as a former journalist from Hwasun and based in Gwangju.

Photograph courtesy of KOGL.