Baegyangsa (), also spelled Baekyangsa, is a head temple 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 ...

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 ...

. It is situated in Bukha-myeon,

Jangseong County Jangseong County () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Jangseong is in the southern region of the Korean peninsula and Gwangju and Naju is the nearest city from Jangseong. In South Jeolla, ...

, in

South Jeolla South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam region, South Korea, and the southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of North Jeolla to the nor ...

province,

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 North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. Built in 632 under the

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 ...

kingdom, it lies on the slopes of Baegam-san in

Naejangsan National Park Naejangsan National Park () is located in the provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do, South Korea. It was designated as the 8th national park in 1971. It is named after the mountain Naejangsan Naejangsan is a mountain located on the borde ...

History

Baegyangsa was established by Zen Master Yeohwan (여환선사; 如幻禪師) in 632 AD. The temple's original name was Baegamsa (백암사; 白巖寺). In the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

Dynasty, it was renamed Jeongtosa (정토사; 淨土寺) in 1034 by the monk Jungyeon (중연; 中延), who spearheaded a reconstruction of the temple. In Korean, Jeongto is the same concept of heaven as in

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. After the mid-

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period, this temple got its name as Baegyangsa. This is because in 1574, during the reign of

King Seonjo Seonjo (; 6 December 1552 – 6 March 1608), personal name Yi Yeon (), was the 14th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was known for promoting Confucianism and attempting reforms at the beginning of his reign. However, he later gained ...

, a monk noticed that whenever he did his daily recital of the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: ''Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram'', ''Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma'', zh, p=Fǎhuá jīng, l=Dharma Flower Sutra) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. ...

, many white goat would gather around him. Therefore, he adopted his Buddhist name as Hwanyang (환양; 喚羊), meaning 'calling goat', and gave Jeongtosa a second name, Baegyangsa, meaning 'white goat temple'. Both names would be used until the latter half of the 19th century when Baegyangsa became the sole name. In the Japanese occupation era the temple was recognized as one of the main temples in the Korean peninsula. It belongs to the Chogye Order at the present time. These days, a large role has been given to Baegyang Temple for educating monks around

Jeolla Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...

province. The temple has recently become well-known as the home of monk and chef

Jeong Kwan Jeong Kwan (born 1957) is a Seon Buddhist nun and chef of Korean cuisine. She lives in the Chunjinam Hermitage at the temple Baegyangsa in South Korea, where she cooks for fellow nuns and monks, as well as occasional visitors. Jeong Kwan does not ...

Forests

Large numbers of ''

Torreya nucifera ''Torreya nucifera'' is a slow-growing, coniferous tree native to southern Japan and to South Korea's Jeju Island. It is also called Japanese torreya or Japanese nutmeg-yew. Description It grows to 15–25 m tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m dia ...

'' grow around Baegyang Temple. This area is one of the northernmost areas where ''Torreya nucifera'' can grow in the Korean peninsula.

Tourism

The temple is a notable tourist destination, offering a

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 ...

program. The Temple Stay offers a shorter program and an overnight program, in which participants can learn cooking with Jeong Kwan.

Transportation

Baegyangsa is serviced by intercity buses, with several buses per day to the main bus terminals in

Jeongeup Jeongeup (; ), is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. The city limits include Naejang-san National Park, a popular destination particularly in autumn due to its foliage. Jeongeup is on the Honam Expressway and Honam Line, with the ...

and

Gwangju Gwangju (; ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated Special cities of South Korea, metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home ...

References

External links