Magoksa () 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 ...

Gongju Gongju (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun the previ ...

, South Korea. It is located on the eastern slope of Taehwasan, on

taegeuk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Sino-Korean vocabulary, Sino-Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality / extremes". The term and its overall concept is derived from the Chinese ''Taiji (philos ...

-shaped bend in the Taegeukcheon Stream. 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.

History

Magoksa was established in 640 by Vinaya Master Jajang Yulsa, who also built Tongdosa Temple upon his return from China. Silla's Queen Seondeok then gave him 200 gyeol (an ancient measurement of land estimated at 6,800 square meters) of land on which he built a brick pagoda and Magoksa. The name "Magoksa" originated with Ven. Bocheol Hwasang, a monk who lived there later, because the way many people gathered to listen to his Dharma talks reminded him of hemp stalks closely packed together. Magoksa was closed during the turbulent transition period between the Goryeo dynasty and the Joseon dynasty. From then on the temple became a hideout for thieves for about 200 years. Finally, in 1172, Ven. Jinul (also Chinul or Bojo Guksa) drove out the thieves and renovated the temple with the help of his disciple Ven. Su-u. Joseon's King Sejo visited the temple and personally wrote the plaque for Yeongsanjeon Hall. The king also left behind the palanquin he rode in on his trip to Magoksa. During the Japanese invasion (1592–1597), most of the temple's buildings were burned down. In 1651 some buildings, Daeungjeon, Yeongsanjeon and Daejeok-gwangjeon, were reconstructed. During the period of the Korean Empire (1897–1910), Kim Gu (金九, pen name: Baekbeom) came to Magoksa after escaping from Incheon Prison, and temporarily lived a monastic life under the Dharma name Wonjong. Kim Gu had been imprisoned after killing a Japanese military officer who had conspired with the murderers of Empress Myeongseong. The juniper tree growing in front of Daegwang-bojeon Hall is said to have been planted by Kim Gu himself.

Legend

Legend tells us that when Jajang came to the eastern slope of Taehwasan where Magoksa is found he decided to establish a temple and call it magok, which means Flax Valley. Jajang felt that many good priests could come from the area "to cause the rapid growth of Buddhism", like the rapid growth of the

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

plant that grows here.

Cultural Properties

According to geomantic theory, the terrain of the mountains and rivers around Magoksa forms the "taegeuk" design and so it was selected as one of Joseon's ten utopian sites, places safe from war and disaster, by geomancy books like Taengniji (Guide for Choosing Desirable Settlement-sites) and Jeonggamnok (The Prophetic Writings of Jeong). That may be why Magoksa has many timeless pieces of cultural heritage. One must first appreciate the calligraphy of the name plaques that deck the Dharma halls, which can easily be missed. First is the calligraphy on the plaque of Daeung-bojeon, the Main Buddha Hall. Written by Kim Saeng, one of the four great calligraphers of Silla and Goryeo, the characters display the energy and talent of the writer. Next is the plaque of Yeongsanjeon which has "Sejo-daewang-eopil (世祖大王御筆)," meaning "Written by King Sejo" in the upper left hand corner. It may have been written when the king stopped by Magoksa on his way to Onyang or Mt. Songnisan. Another is the plaque of Daegwang-bojeon, written by Gang Se-hwang who excelled in literature, art and calligraphy, and taught such disciples as Sin Wi and Kim Hong-do. Then there is the plaque of Simgeomdang written by Jo Yun-hyeong, an honorable government official during the reign of King Jeongjo. The plaque reading "Magoksa" that hangs on the dormitory was created by Kim Gyu-jin, an artist of the modern era, by adding a simple painting around the writing. * Treasure #799 – Magoksa houses a five-storey, Ocheung Stone

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

. The pagoda is one of only three in the world the top embellished with

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

, suggesting influence from Tibetan (Lama) Buddhism. * Treasure #800 – Yeongsanjeon * Treasure #801 – Daeungbojeon * Treasure #802 – Daegwangbojeon * Treasure #1260 – Gaebultaeng of Buddha, a woodblock print from the 13th year (1687) of King Sukjong, in color on hemp cloth.

Gallery

File:2009-10-11 - Magoksa Panorama.jpg File:Magoksa.JPG File:Magoksa Deagwangbojeon.JPG File:Magoksa Pagoda.JPG File:Magoksa Daewoongjeon.JPG File:Temple magoksa of monks in 1930.jpg

References

External links