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Jikjisa () is a head
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
of the
Jogye Order The Jogye Order, officially known as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, (대한불교조계종, 大韓佛敎 曹溪宗), is the leading order of traditional Korean Buddhism, with roots dating back 1,200 years to the late Silla period. Around ...
of Seon Buddhism. It is located on the slopes of Hwangaksan in Daehang-myeon,
Gimcheon Gimcheon (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway. ...
,
North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...
, South Korea. It may be one of the oldest temples in South Korea.


History

Jikjisa was established in 418 by Preceptor Ado.
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, a religion originating in what is now
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, was transmitted to
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
via
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
in the late 4th century.Arts of Korea Explore & Learn The Metropolitan Museum of Art
/ref> The
Samguk yusa ''Samguk yusa'' (; ) or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, d ...
records Ado among 3 monks who first brought
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
teaching, or
Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...
, to
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
:
Malananta Malananta (fl. late 4th century) was an Indian Buddhist monk and missionary who brought Buddhism to the southern Korean peninsula in the 4th century. Multiple romanizations of Malananta's name may be found, including Meghananda (मेघान ...
(late 4th century) - an
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
monk who brought Buddhism to
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...
in the southern
Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...
, Sundo -a Chinese Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...
in northern Korea, and Ado - a monk who brought Buddhism to
Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...
in central Korea. There are two stories concerning this temple's name, ''Jikji'' (, literally “pointing with an index finger”). One is that Ado pointed to Hwangaksan from
Dorisa ''Dorisa'' is a genus of parasitic alveolates in the phylum Apicomplexa. The genus was separated from the genus '' Dorisiella'' by Levine in 1980.Levine ND (1980) ''Dorisa'' n. gen. (Protozoa, Apicomplexa, Eimeriidae). J Parasitol 66(1):11 ''Do ...
in Seonsan, and said, “There is also a good temple site on that mountain. The story is that in 936 when Great Master Neungyeo reconstructed the temple, he didn’t use a ruler but instead he used his own hands to measure the land and construction materials, thus, the name Jikji. Hwangaksan (literally “Yellow Mountain”), on which Jikjisa stands, represents the color yellow, one of the five colors that correspond to the
Wu Xing Wuxing may refer to: Places in China Counties and districts * Huzhou, formerly Wuxing County, Zhejiang, China * Wuxing District (吴兴区), central district of Huzhou Subdistricts (五星街道) * Wuxing Subdistrict, Mudanjiang, in Dong'an Dis ...
. The colors black, blue, red, white and yellow correspond respectively to north, east, south, west and center. Jikjisa is located near the center of Korea. That is why the mountain is called Hwangaksan and why Jikjisa has been considered one of Korea's foremost temples since ancient times. From Biro Peak, the summit of Hwangaksan, one can see the three provinces of Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chungcheong. Thus it can also be said that the temple is situated at the center of three of Korea's southern provinces. Jikjisa saw two reconstruction efforts during the Silla era. The first reconstruction, passed down as oral history, was supposedly conducted in 645 by
Vinaya The Vinaya (Pali and Sanskrit: विनय) refers to numerous monastic rules and ethical precepts for fully ordained monks and nuns of Buddhist Sanghas (community of like-minded ''sramanas''). These sets of ethical rules and guidelines devel ...
Master Jajang Yulsa. The second reconstruction, verified by written records, was carried out in 930 by Great Master Cheonmuk. The “Stele of Jikjisa’s Daejangdang Hall Record,” published in the ''Daedong Geumseokseo'' (大東金石書; "Daedong Epigraphy Collection"), says that Daejangdang Hall was built in 930 and that “transcripts of the entire Buddhist canon in gold ink” were enshrined there. During the Joseon era, an earthenware urn holding the placenta from the birth of Joseon's second king, Jeongjong, was enshrined on a Hwangaksan peak north of Jikjisa which is auspicious “snake-head formation” from a geomantic perspective, making the temple the guardian of the royal placenta. Today Jikjisa is the head temple of the eighth religious district of the Jogye Order of Seon and supervises 54 branch temples scattered among the deep folds of the
Baekdu-daegan Baekdu-daegan () is a traditional Korean conception of the mountains and consequently the watersheds of the Korean Peninsula. The mountain range stretches the length of the Korean Peninsula, around 1,500 km, from Baekdu Mountain in the nor ...
range in northwestern North Gyeongsang Province. It was at Jikjisa that Great Master
Yujeong Samyeongdang (1544–1610), also known by his dharma name Yujeong, was a Korean Buddhist monk during the Joseon era. He is sometimes identified by his art name, Song-un. He was born to a family of the Im clan in Miryang, Gyeongsang Province. ...
was ordained, who led a
righteous army Righteous armies (), sometimes translated as irregular armies or militias, were informal civilian militias that appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged d ...
of monks to save Korea during the
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) The Imjin War () was a series of two Japanese invasions of Korea: an initial invasion in 1592 also individually called the "Imjin War", a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 called the Chŏngyu War (). The conflict ended in 159 ...
. Originally from
Miryang Miryang () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Neighboring cities include Changnyeong to the west, Cheongdo to the north, Ulsan to the east, and Yangsan, Gimhae, and Changwon to the sout ...
,
South Gyeongsang Province South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple tha ...
, Yujeong moved to Yuchon Village very near Jikjisa at age 13 and he studied under Hwang Yeoheon, the great-great-grandson of Chief State Councilor Hwang Hui. However, at age 15, his mother died, and the next year his father also died. This sudden turn of events led Samyeong to become a monk under the guidance of Great Master Sinmuk. When Yujeong was 18, he earned the highest score in the State Examination for Monks, and later, when he was 30, he became the head of Jikjisa Temple. At age 32 he was recommended to be the head of Bongeunsa, succeeding his teacher Great Master Seosan. However, he followed Master Seosan to
Bohyeonsa Bohyeonsa () is a temple located in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders Nort ...
on
Myohyangsan Mount Myohyang () is a mountain in North Korea. It is named for the mystic shapes and fragrances found in the area. In the foundation myth of Gojoseon, the ''Samguk sagi'' listed Mount Myohyang as the home of Dangun, King Tangun, forefather of t ...
instead. While at Yujeomsa on
Mount Kumgang Mount Kumgang () or the Kumgang Mountains is a mountain massif, with a peak, in Kangwon-do, North Korea. It is located on the east coast of the country, in Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province, and is part of the ...
(now
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
), Japanese troops invaded Korea in 1592. Yujeong quickly responded to a letter sent by his teacher Seosan and organized and led a righteous army, eventually gaining fame for his leadership. There is one remaining object related to Yujeong's early days at Jikjisa. It is a flat stone beside the Heavenly Kings’ Gate. One day, Great Master Sinmuk dozed off during meditation. In a dream he saw a golden dragon entwined around the gingko tree next to the Heavenly Kings’ Gate. When he awoke, he rushed to the gingko tree and saw a flat stone which appeared as if someone had carved it. A young boy was asleep on it, so Sinmuk took the boy as his disciple; he later became Great Master Yujeong. In 1800 that gingko tree was destroyed in a fire that also burned down Manseru Pavilion, but the flat stone next to the Heavenly Kings’ Gate remains. Perhaps the stone is awaiting another Yujeong.


Tourism

It also offers
Temple Stay Templestay () is a cultural program offered in numerous Korean Buddhist temples, South Korean Buddhist temples. Templestay allows participants to experience the life of Buddhist practitioners and learn the various aspects of Korean Buddhist cultur ...
programs where visitors can experience Buddhist culture.


Gallery

직지사1.jpg


See also

*
Hinduism in Korea Hinduism is a minority religion in Korea. There are 24,414 Indians in South Korea, most of whom are Hindus. Through Buddhism, it has also had an indirect impact on certain aspects of traditional Korean thought. The Four Heavenly Kings that can ...
*
Korean Buddhism Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what its early practitioners saw as inconsistencies within the Mahayana Buddhist traditions that they received from foreign countries. To address this, they ...
*
Korean Buddhist temples Buddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. Most Korean temples have names ending in ''-sa'' (), which means "monastery" in Sino-Korean. Many temples participate in the Templestay program, where visitors can experience Buddhi ...
*
List of Buddhist temples This is a list of Buddhism, Buddhist temples, Monastery, monasteries, stupas, and pagodas for which there are Wikipedia articles, sorted by location. Australia Bangladesh Bhutan Brazil * Khadro Ling Buddhist Temple, Três Coroa ...
*
Korean architecture Korean architecture () refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea. Throughout the history of Korea, various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Korean Buddh ...


References


External links


Official siteTemple profile from Korea Tourism Organization
*{{usurped,
Profile from KoreaTemple
} 418 establishments Buildings and structures of Silla Buddhist temples of the Jogye Order Buildings and structures in North Gyeongsang Province Buddhist temples in South Korea 5th-century establishments in Korea 5th-century Buddhist temples Temples that participate in Templestay