Borimsa Temple ( or ) is one of the oldest Korean temples on Gaji mountain in Jangheung County, South Jeolla,

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 ...

. The temple holds great significance as the first

Zen Buddhist Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

temple during

Unified Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla, is the name often applied to the historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alli ...

Myth

The great monk Wonpyo, while studying in Borim temple in India and China, missed the good climate of the Korean peninsula, and returned to Silla, looking for a place to construct a temple. One day he paid a visit to Gaji Mountain in present Jangheung. All of sudden, a fairy appeared, telling him that nine dragons were wreaking havoc around the pond where she had been living. The monk threw a charm into the pool, expelling all the dragons except for a white dragon. Eventually, the white one also left but lost his tail in the nearby forest. That place became Yongmunso (용문소), meaning the pond was dug by the dragon's tail; the great monk claimed this place for founding his temple. Following this legend, local names include many elements related to ''yong'' (용, "dragon").

History

During Unified Silla, nine temples in mountains of this area were considered significant Buddhist temples. Ilyeon, the author of

Samgukyusa ''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 ...

, one of the most prominent historic books about Korean history, also belonged to Borim Temple. In 860, King

Heonan of Silla Heonan (died 861), personal name Kim Ŭi-jŏng, was the 47th king of the Silla kingdom of Korea. He was the younger half-brother of King Sinmu. What little we know of his reign comes from the ''Samguk sagi''. The rebel leader Kung Ye is all ...

encouraged the great monk Chejing (체징) to build this temple, which later was named after temples of the same name in India and China. In the 14th century, under the reign of

Gongmin of Goryeo Gongmin (; 23 May 1330 – 27 October 1374), also known by his Mongolian name, Bayan Temür, was 31st ruler of Goryeo from 1351 to 1374. He was the second son of King Chungsuk. Biography Early life Goryeo had been a semi-autonomous vassal s ...

, the great monk Bowoo worked to harmonize different denominations in order to restrengthen Zen Buddhism in Korea. From the foundation of

Joseon dynasty 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 ...

in 1392, several annexes of the temple were rebuilt and much enlarged. This was a difficult period, however, owing to Joeseon suppression of Buddhism.Jangheung county - village web site
/ref> During the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, 20 annexes except for two gates were burned down in a punitive expedition sent by commanders who suspected the temple of housing partisan rebels. After the war, the temple underwent several restorations and now holds several national treasures.

References

9th-century Buddhist temples Buildings and structures of Silla Jangheung County Tourist attractions in South Jeolla Province Buddhist temples in South Korea 9th-century establishments in Korea