Iljumun is the first gate at the entrance to many
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism repres ...
s. Called the "One-Pillar Gate", because when viewed from the side the gate appears to be supported by a single pillar.
Description
The Iljumun is one of the three major types of gates constructed on the path that leads to the temple and often illustrates the formality of
Buddhist architecture
Buddhist religious architecture developed in the Indian subcontinent. Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism: monasteries ( viharas), places to venerate relics ( stupas), and shrines or prayer ...
. The other two are the Cheonwangmun (Gate of Guardians) and the Haetalmun (Gate of Deliverance). The construction of Iljumun is said to have originated from the tradition of placing four gates at the four cardinal points around the
stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circum ...
s of
Sanchi
Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located, about 23 kilometres from Raisen town, district headquarter and north-east of Bh ...
in India since the 1st century BC.
The Iljumun symbolizes the one true path of enlightenment which supports the world.
Physically, the gate serves to demarcate the temple from the outside. It is the boundary between the Buddhist temple and a human's worldly life.
The gate symbolizes purification and one must leave all of their worldly desires before entering the temple.
The oneness is also a metaphor for
non-duality
Nondualism, also called nonduality and nondual awareness, is a fuzzy concept originating in Indian philosophy and religion for which many definitions can be found, including: nondual awareness, the nonduality of seer and seen or nondiffe ...
(unity) in spirit and heart.
An image of an Iljumun appears on the obverse of the
Korean Service Medal
The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...
.
See also
*
Hongsalmun
In architecture, a ''hongsalmun'' is a gate for entering a sacred place in Korea. ''Hongsalmun'', also called ''hongjeonmun'' or ''hongmun'', are usually erected to indicate Korean Confucian sites, such as shrines, tombs, and academies such as ...
, in Korean architecture with both religious and other usage
*
Torana
''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...
, in Hindu-Buddhist Indian-origin also found in Southeast Asia and East Asia
*
Toran, ceremonial Indian door decoration
*
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simple ...
, in Japanese temple architecture
*
Paifang
A ''paifang'', also known as a ''pailou'', is a traditional style of Chinese architectural arch or gateway structure. Evolved from the Indian subcontinent's ''torana'' through the introduction of Buddhism to China, it has developed many styles ...
, in Chinese temple architecture
*
Hongsalmun
In architecture, a ''hongsalmun'' is a gate for entering a sacred place in Korea. ''Hongsalmun'', also called ''hongjeonmun'' or ''hongmun'', are usually erected to indicate Korean Confucian sites, such as shrines, tombs, and academies such as ...
, in Korean temple architecture
*
Tam quan
A Tam quan (Chữ Hán: 三關) or Tam môn (Chữ Hán: 三門) is a style of traditional gateway symbolic of Vietnamese Buddhism, it has three aisles (traditionally, the middle aisle is the largest and the two side aisles are smaller) not only ...
, in Vietnamese temple architecture
References
Architecture in Korea
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