Daeheungsa (), sometimes called Daedunsa, is a main 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 ...

. Daeheungsa is located on the slopes of Duryunsan (Duryun Mountain) in Samsan township,

Haenam County Haenam (''Haenam-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The capital of Haenam-gun is Haenam-eup (Haenam town). The economy of the county is based mainly on agriculture, with rice and radish being the two most common crops. Hist ...

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...

, South Korea.

Origins

Daeheungsa is believed to date to the

Three Kingdoms period The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Western Jin dynasty. Academically, the ...

(4th-9th centuries CE). Although no exact record of its founding has survived, some think Daeheungsa was founded by Adohwasang (Monk) in 514. Originally, this temple was called Handeumjeol, after the mountain's original name, Mount Handeum. Chinese characters were eventually used, which caused it to be called Daedum, and later, the name was changed to Daeheungsa. The mountain's name was later changed to Mount Duryun. Daeheungsa received little attention until 1592, when Seosan Daesa (monk) organized and trained a guerilla army of 5,000 monks at the temple to help defend the Korean people during the Imjin War (Japanese invasions).

Treasures

Cultural Properties #348

Daeheungsabungmireugammaaeyeoraejwasang (North rock-cut seated Maitreya Buddha of Daeheung Temple) is a cliffside Buddha carved out of a large natural wall of rock, believed to date from the early years of 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 (918-1392). This estimate is based on the sculptural style and the way the lower part of the body is out of proportion with the larger upper part. The

mudra A mudra (; , , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. As well as being spiritual ges ...

, or symbolic hand gesture, signifies expelling devils. The robe is tied on the left shoulder, which is rather uncommon. One distinctive feature of this statue is the beobeui (sacerdotal robe), which was typical of this era. The hands look weak, and the form of the legs is very awkward.

Treasure #320

Three-Storied Stone Pagoda of Daeheungsa is a 4.3 meter/14.1-foot-high stone pagoda typical of the

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 ...

Dynasty, and which stands in front of Eungjinjeon (hall). This pagoda is very neat and elegant in its construction.

Treasure #1347

Stupa of Seosan Dasae of Daeheungasa is the reliquary for preserving the sarira (pearl or crystal-like, bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters) of the monk Seosan Dasae. He is renowned as the monk who led an army that defeated invading Japanese forces. This 2.6 meter/8.5-foot-high

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

is believed to have been erected in 1648.

Features

Daeheungsa is very famous for the long walkway to the entrance, which wanders through a beautiful forest at the foot of Duryun Mountain. Inside Cheonbuljeon (Thousand Buddha Hall) are 1,000 smiling Buddha statues. The tiny Buddhas represent the Buddha that is omnipresent in the past, present, and future, and that anyone can become a buddha. Records indicate that Cheonbuljeon burned down in 1811 and was rebuilt in 1813. The temple is famous as a historical center of Korean tea culture.

Gallery

File:Daeheungsa 11-03896.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03921&2.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03926.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03927&8.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03916.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03878.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03882.JPG File:Daeheungsa 11-03905.JPG

References

External links

*
Official site
* {{Authority control Buddhist temples in South Korea Haenam County Buddhist temples of the Jogye Order Buildings and structures in South Jeolla Province Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea Historic Sites of South Korea