Heavenly Nymphs - 'bicheon'

"Celestial Nymphs, Heavenly Maidens to Transmit the Buddha's Voice: Playing Instruments and Scattering Flowers in Praise of the Buddha"

Celestial nymphs (bicheon) are a type of heavenly being who give offerings and praise to the Buddha by playing instruments, dancing and sprinkling flowers. Though unseen by ordinary people, they fly at will with their supernatural powers. Wherever Buddhas teach or bodhisattvas reside, celestial nymphs fly over them and sprinkle flowers or play instruments. How were these attractive celestial nymphs, who float in the air with their heavenly robes fluttering, introduced to Korea from India through China? Let’s see where these celestial nymphs are found in a temple compound, and further explore the music and instruments they play.

Celestial nymphs are mythological beings that symbolize the beauty and peace of the Buddha realm, the ideal world of Buddhism. As an artistic expression of our desire to fly as well, celestial nymphs can be compared to the angels of Western mythology. However, unlike Western angels who need wings, celestial nymphs of the East, especially those depicted in Buddhism, have much more freedom. The idea that one can fly without wings is a somewhat novel concept by itself. Perhaps celestial nymphs are just an expression of our own inner desire to fly without the aid of wings.

Originating in the Indian districts of Gandhara and Mathura, the concept of celestial nymphs was introduced to China via the Silk Road and then to Korea. A depiction of male and female celestial beings sprinkling flowers is one of the oldest examples of Indian art. In Indian mythology they were considered low ranking devas, and the females were called apsaras or devatas. The most often depicted image of celestial nymphs, afloat in the air with celestial robes fluttering, is reminiscent of the legendary Daoist fairies, but in fact, originally, they were not considered that beautiful. In Indian mythology, depictions of celestial nymphs evolved from images of gandharvas or kinnaras, which may have been animals or birds; nobody is quite sure. They often had a human head and a bird-like body or a horse head with a human body. They evolved into more of a fairy image in China and Korea where imported Buddhist thought coexisted with China’s concept of Daoist hermits. The celestial nymphs depicted in the Dunhuang grottoes had already been transformed into the elegant and charming images of Daoist legends. These beautiful Chinese-style celestial nymphs were introduced to Korea in the late 4th century during Korea’s Three Kingdoms Period, along with Buddhism. After some changes in style, celestial nymphs were established in Korea as what we now call bicheon.

Korea’s Celestial Nymphs Transformed into Beautiful Fairies

Already transformed in China into attractive Daoist fairies, in Korea, celestial nymphs were depicted as beings who could freely soar into the sky or descend to earth draped in fluttering celestial robes. They first appeared in Korea in the murals of Goguryeo dynasty tombs, and on a queen’s pillow discovered in the Muryeong Royal Tomb of the Baekje kingdom. During the Unified Silla era, celestial nymphs appeared as decorative motifs on the nimbi and pedestals of Buddha statues, and on metal artworks such as temple bells and sarira utensils. 

Celestial nymphs in Goguryeo’s ancient tombs have nimbi, their half-naked bodies are elegantly curved, and their robes and wide waistbands, depicted in sophisticated artistic techniques, convey the freedom and feeling of soaring. They look free and unhindered. In murals they convey a sense of the Buddha realm through their total freedom. 

This evolution of Korea’s celestial nymphs continued on the Bronze Bell of Sangwonsa Temple (National Treasure no. 36). The most exquisite of Korean flying celestial nymph images are found on this temple bell, located on Mt. Odaesan. Though rather small in size, the Bronze Bell of Sangwonsa Temple has a multitude of celestial nymphs on its surface, giving the impression they are dancing in sequence. They are depicted playing a lute and a wind instrument called a saenghwang. Their robes flutter upward from the ascending air currents, and the vegetal design on their waistbands heightens their allure. Another temple bell similar in stature to the Bronze Bell of Sangwonsa Temple is the Bell of King Seongdeok (National Treasure no. 29), aka Emille Bell, which is housed in the Gyeongju National Museum. Production of the bell was begun by Silla’s King Gyeongdeok to honor his father King Seongdeok, but it was completed in 771 by his successor, King Hyegong. The bell is known for its aesthetic beauty and graceful form, along with its clear, deep sound. 

Unlike the celestial nymphs on the Bronze Bell of Sangwonsa Temple, those on the Bell of King Seongdeok are presenting offerings to the Buddha, probably because the bell was crafted to pray for the eternal repose of the deceased King Seongdeok. Seated on opposite sides of the dangjwa, the bell’s striking point, two exquisite celestial nymphs captivate even modern designers. Holding lotuses in their open palms, they are kneeling on lotus pedestals. Their cascading robes and necklaces fluttering in the wind, they make offerings while encircled by large and small floral scrolls from heaven. Artworks that are dazzling typically lack loftiness, and lofty artworks typically lack luxuriousness. However, the celestial nymphs on the Emille Bell are both lofty and luxurious. They exude stillness in the midst of movement, and hint at movement in their stillness. 

Although these celestial nymphs are typically inscribed on cold, hard surfaces, such as bells and walls, their free and joyful postures evoke thoughts of subtle music and beautiful scenes of the Pure Land. Singing of the limitless freedom and beauty of the Buddha realm, and the inexhaustible truth of the Buddha, celestial nymphs are eternal symbols that embody the ideals of modern Buddhists. 

Why the Bell of King Seongdeok is called the Emille Bell 

On exhibit in the Gyeongju National Museum, the Bell of King Seongdeok (National Treasure No. 29) is also called the “Emille Bell,” based on a heartbreaking legend. Silla’s King Gyeongdeok wanted to craft a bell for Bongdeoksa Temple to honor his deceased father, King Seongdeok. Although several bells were made, their sound never earned the king’s approval. To augment their sincere devotion, monks began to solicit donations from subjects. One day, a woman from an impoverished family donated her daughter as she had nothing else to give, and legend says the child was put into the molten bronze to make a new bell. When the bell was rung, everyone heard “Emille… Emille…” as if the child was calling her mother. And that’s why it came to be called the “Emille Bell.” Is it true that a child was sacrificed to make a bell? Buddhists don’t even kill insects as Buddhism prohibits all killing. So how could Buddhists make a temple bell, which is supposed to save sentient beings, by sacrificing a child? A scientific analysis of the metal in the bell revealed no phosphorus, which would have been present if human bones had been added. Sometimes legends are just legends. The flying celestial holding an incense burner is clearly and earnestly praying for King Seongdeok to be reborn in the Pure Land.

The Bell of King Seongdeok aka the Bell of Emille (National Treasure No. 29) - Source

Celestial Nymphs Depicted in Temple Compounds Praise the Buddhas Who Live in the Buddha Realm

Although mostly found as decorative design on temple bells, celestial nymphs are also found on the ceilings, main altars and canopies of Dharma halls, and on stone lanterns, monks’ stupas and decorative paintings on the walls of Dharma halls. On the underside of canopies placed above Buddha statues we also see various carved designs of dragons, flames, precious jewels and phoenixes. Surrounding the canopies are celestial nymphs seeming to emerge from the ceiling. These dazzling sculptures give a dramatic effect to the inner space of Buddha halls. Let us find out more about the celestial nymphs adorning these places.

Celestial nymphs are divided into three types: those that play instruments, those that fly and those that make offerings. 

Instrument-playing celestials play various instruments; flying celestials are either descending from heaven or flying horizontally; those making offerings to the Buddha are holding lotuses or incense burners. Temple bells from the 8th century typically feature instrument-playing celestials sitting lightly on clouds with their robes fluttering upward in graceful curves. Temple bells from the late 8th century and 9th century typically feature celestials making offerings while kneeling on lotus pedestals or instrument-playing celestials. In addition to temple bells, celestial nymphs are also found on Dharma halls, pagodas and monks’ stupas. Some noteworthy celestial nymphs adorning Dharma halls are found: on the altar of the Main Buddha Hall at Beomeosa Temple in Busan; on the ceiling of the Main Buddha Hall at Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong; and those emerging from the ceiling of the Main Buddha Hall of Songgwangsa Temple in Wanju. In the Main Buddha Hall of Yongjusa, celestial nymphs are depicted flying through the air.

Celestial nymphs on the canopy of the Main Buddha Hall at Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong. With one leg bent back and the other stretched out, two nymphs fly over the heads of Buddha statues, their robes fluttering.

A celestial nymph, adorning the canopy of the Pure Land Hall at Hwa-amsa Temple in Wanju,
flies in dynamic fashion holding a flower in her hand. 

On the ceiling, two celestial nymphs are depicted flying over the heads of Buddha statues and surrounded by flying phoenixes and floating wish fulfilling-gems, symbols of auspicious energy. With one leg bent back and the other stretched out, their postures suggest movement while their robes and arm bands flying upward evoke dramatically the sense of flight. The luxurious flowers adorning their robes and arm bands symbolize devout faith to the Buddha. The whole scene depicts an aesthetically beautiful fantasy or dream. 

The celestial nymphs on the Main Buddha Hall of Yongjusa Temple, though small in size, exude magical power that draws onlookers into the Buddha realm. The stone lantern in front of Ven. Na-ong’s (aka Boje Jonja) stupa at Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju features outstanding bas-relief images of celestial nymphs. On each plane of the octagonal lantern chamber, carved from agalmatolite, an arch-shaped window is cut, and the rest of the plane features elaborate inscription of celestial nymphs and dragons. The face of one celestial nymph holding a lotus bud is damaged, but her graceful body and softly fluttering robes make it easy to imagine her in flight. Her voluptuous body entwined in thin, soft cloth is captivating to the point that we can almost feel her bodily warmth. 

Other noteworthy depictions of celestial nymphs are: those inscribed under the roofstone of National Preceptor Hongbeop’s stupa, retrieved from the Jeongtosa Temple Ruins and now displayed in the National Museum of Korea; Seon Master Cheolgam’s stupa at Ssangbongsa Temple in Hwasun; a monk’s stupa at Godalsa Temple Ruins in Yeoju; the Three-Story Pagoda at Jinjeonsa Temple Ruins in Yangyang. When we see depictions of a celestial nymph, we should look beyond their physical form. With knowledge of their significance, you might feel their free and joyful movements as well as listen to their sublime music resounding through the universe. You might even visualize a scene from the Pure Land with celestial nymphs flying about. Wherever featured in a temple compound, celestial nymphs symbolize our veneration and exultation to the Buddha and the Pure Land.

Celestial Music in Praise of Buddhas’ Merits Instruments Played by Celestial Nymphs

The music played by celestial nymphs expresses the profound joy of Dharma, and the deep sound of liberation that transcends this mundane life confined in a physical body. Playing various wind or string instruments, they lead us to the world of nirvana.

Music has always been closely related to Buddhism as it can effectively praise, adorn and present offerings to the Buddha. Many Buddhist scriptures, including the Lotus Sutra, often feature musical gods like kinnaras and gandharvas, as well as performances of celestial music and music to entertain. However, in principle, temples prohibit music intended to entertain. This includes all music that does not guide one to higher realms of thought; including dancing and singing, as well as gongs and drums. 

The Buddha said, “Singing is not allowed except on two occasions. One is to praise the virtues of great monks and the other is to chant the Impermanence Sutra.” In this way the Buddha warned against music for the sake of one’s enjoyment. A monastic’s foremost task is to cultivate themselves physically and mentally in order to attain enlightenment and to edify sentient beings. “Enchanting music” is an obstacle to Buddhist practice. 

The reason the Buddha allows offerings of music but prohibits singing and dancing is because he has great compassion for people, and those who offer music to the Buddha receive blessings according to their wishes. By integrating passages from various sutras, we can conclude that any singing and dancing should be for the sake of Buddhism’s Three Jewels, and meant to praise the Buddha. Playing music to glorify the Buddha is to achieve great merit and a way to attain the path to Buddhahood.

Instruments for Offerings of Sound 

Celestial nymphs praise the Buddha, play celestial music, sprinkle fragrant flowers and reside in the heavenly realm of abundant joy. That’s why Buddhists believe they can instantly reach the Pure Land of the Buddha if they can even grasp the hem of their fluttering robes. A bipa (a kind of lute) is the instrument most often held by celestial nymphs. Most of the instruments they hold are ancient musical instruments from central Asia. Each nymph seems to be playing alone, but in actuality they are all playing together as an ensemble to express the joy of Dharma. They play blissful music of the Buddhist paradise as described in the scriptures of the Pure Land tradition. 

Of the four heavenly kings that protect temples,
the one in charge of the north holds a bipa (a kind of lute) in his hand.

If you have no idea of what a bipa is, think about the four heavenly kings enshrined in the Gate of Heavenly Kings. One of them is holding a bipa in his hand. Why does this king, the one who protects the BuddhaDharma, holds bipa instead of a sword, arrow, spear or vajra? It is because the bipa enjoyed great popularity in ancient central Asia, where most people lived a nomadic lifestyle and rode horses. As a bipa could be played while riding horseback, many warriors played them. That’s probably why that one king, clad in warrior attire, is holding a bipa. Some noteworthy celestial nymphs playing a bipa are depicted on the pillars of the Main Buddha Hall at Beomeosa Temple in Busan, and on the ceiling of the Main Buddha Hall at Jangnyuksa Temple in Yeongdeok. 

Flute-playing celestial nymphs are inscribed
on the main altar at Gwallyongsa Temple in Changnyeong.

Other instruments used to make offerings of music are the piri (a kind of flute), haegeum (a string instrument resembling a fiddle), janggu (hourglass-shaped drum), saenghwang and bara (spherical hand drum). Most of these are depicted in the Main Buddha Hall of Naesosa Temple in Buan. Every instrument depicted on the ceiling has fluttering robes dangling from it. Beautiful celestial nymphs are also inscribed on the main altar of Gwallyongsa Temple in Changnyeong.

Celestial Nymphs Playing Instruments and Dancing 

Buddhism says we can attain Buddhahood by praising and presenting offerings to the Buddha. In Buddhist art, offerings of music are done by either celestial nymphs or ordinary musicians dancing and playing music. Most human musicians have either the features of heavenly beings or bodhisattvas with haloes, or ordinary people in colorful attire and round hats. Celestial nymphs playing instruments are often depicted on the ceilings of Buddha halls, on pagodas enshrined with Buddha’s cremains, on sarira utensils, and on the platform of an eminent monk’s stupa. 

The nymphs on the ceiling of the Main Buddha Hall at Songgwangsa Temple in Wanju are featured in various scenes playing instruments or dancing. Also seen are traditional Korean elements such as some dance movements in the style of the mask dance and in a woman playing the daegeum (a kind of flute) and wearing a shaman’s hat decorated with a feather. At Silleuksa Temple in Jecheon two symmetrically positioned celestial nymphs are depicted, a style hinting at Chinese influence. 

The stupa for Jijeung Daesa at Bongamsa Temple in Mungyeong features celestial nymphs kneeling with joined palms, as well as others playing various instruments. Some outstanding depictions of celestial nymphs inscribed on stone pagodas include: instrument-playing nymphs on the three-story stone pagoda at Baekjangam Hermitage (affiliated with Silsangsa Temple in Namwon) and the Four-Lion-Three-Story Stone Pagoda at Hwaeomsa Temple. The celestial nymphs inscribed on the base of the Four-Lion-Three-Story Stone Pagoda at Hwaeomsa Temple are meant to offer praise to the Buddha’s sarira which are enshrined within. As can be seen, celestial nymphs play various instruments, dance and sing to praise the Buddha and present offerings of music to the Buddha realm. 

Meaning of Dragons in Buddhist Temples

Dragons Who Guard the Buddhadharma and Temples

One of the most common designs adorning temples is the dragon. Dragon designs are not only common but also often decorate important features in a temple compound. They appear on the pillars and under the eaves of Dharma halls; on the ceilings, walls and canopies in Dharma halls; on the staircases in from of Dharma halls; in murals and on the hook from which temple bells are hung. 

What is the stature of dragons in Buddhism that make them so ubiquitous in temples? Dragons are guardian deities that protect Buddhas and the Buddha realms; they admire Buddhas. They also appear on the prow of the Wisdom Dragon Ship, a mythical ship that carries beings from the shore of this world to the other shore of Buddha's Pure Land. How is that dragons came to be embraced by Buddhism? Let's take a look at where dragons are found in a temple and also learn some temple foundation legends involving dragons.

A Sacred Animal and an Icon of Supreme Authority

What do dragons mean to Buddhism? In the West, dragons are often seen as an icon of evil. On the other hand, some Indian myths, the country where Buddhism originated, feature dragon gods, or naga, a serpent deity. In China and Korea, dragons are an icon of supreme authority and an auspicious creature of unlimited abilities. During Korea's Joseon Dynasty, the king's visage was referred to as yongan (literally, dragon face) and his clothes were yongpo (dragon robes). Although dragons are mythical creatures, they are described as sacred beings and symbols of the highest authority.

As Buddhism was gradually established in India and various indigenous deities were embraced as guardian deities of Buddhism, dragons were also embraced. In India, these dragon deities had the appearance of snakes. One such dragon deity had the form of a king cobra. One image of a dragon deity appears with Vishnu in a 6th century bas relief carved in the stone grotto located at Mamallapuram in southern India. It features a seven-headed cobra with one body. Similarly, other Indian dragon deities also had the form of a serpent, but as Buddhism spread to China, their outward appearance changed to that of a dragon, the form we are now familiar with in Korea. The typical physical features of a dragon include antlers on the head, scales on a serpent-like body, and four legs with sharp claws. Combining the characteristics of many animals, dragons sometimes have the head of a cow, the antlers of a deer, the tail of a fish, whiskers and a wish-fulfilling gem in its mouth.

As Buddhism was introduced from India and gradually established in China, the dragon deity shed the appearance of an Indian serpent and took on the appearance of a traditional Chinese dragon. Influenced by Chinese Buddhism, Korea also embraced the Chinese dragon. However, their similar appearance doesn't mean Chinese and Korean dragons have the same characteristics and symbolic meaning.

Two dragon heads protruding from the Main Buddha Hall at Heungguksa Temple in Yeosu. A Dharma hall is compared to a ship that journeys to the Pure Land along with the Buddha [sic]. The carved dragon heads on the pillar capitals symbolize the Dharma hall's role as the Wisdom Dragon Ship.

Protecting Sentient Beings and Guiding Them to the Pure Land

Dragons depicted in Korean temples have their own distinctive roles that combine the character of the Indian serpent deity and Buddhist symbolism into the traditional form of the Chinese dragon.

Western dragons are usually depicted burning people alive and imprisoning princesses. Unlike their evil Western counterpart, Eastern dragons have a different character, although retaining some of the violent characteristics of their Western cousins. Dragons in Buddhism have transformed their nature after being influenced by the Buddha and his teachings. Buddhism adapted the craftiness and great power of dragons and applied them to protect the Buddhadharma. A dragon without this transformation must remain an earth-bound monster with no chance to ascend to heaven. 

In fact, there is a deep association between the Buddha and dragons. When the Buddha was born, two nagas name Nanda (Nagaraja) and Upananda sprayed pure water over Siddhartha's body to bathe him. When the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra, the eight dragon kings listened to his teaching and admired him. Dragon deities of dragon kings are one of the eight kinds of beings that protect the Buddhadharma: devas, dragons, yaksas (spirits of the dead), gandharvas (demi-gods), asuras, garudas, kinnara (heavenly demi-gods of music) and majoraga (snake spirits). 

After encountering the Buddha, dragons brought rains to make crops grow to feed sentient beings. Dragons are also the guardian deities of rivers and oceans, and protectors of the Buddhadharma and who ward off evil. 

In Buddhism, dragons guide sentient beings to the Buddha's world of wisdom, as in the case of the Wisdom Dragon Ship. Buddhism uses the symbol of a ship to explain the journey from this world to the "other shore" of enlightenment, the Pure Land. This mythical ship is usually depicted having a dragonhead prow and a dragon-tail stern. A Dharma hall can also be compared to a ship that carries Buddhists to the other shore where the Buddha resides. Some prominent dragon images found in a temple are: the two dragons that are carved on the top of the two pillars on the central facade of the Dharma hall, and the dragon heads protruding from the corners of the eaves outside a Dharma hall. The dragons on the central facade usually have their heads outside the Dharma hall and their tails inside the hall. The dragon faces protruding from the eaves are often at the front of a Dharma hall and their tails protrude from the the back of the building. This reinforces the symbolism of Dharma halls as the Wisdom Dragon Ship. The moment one steps into a Dharma hall, they are symbolically on a ship heading to the other shore. In other words, dragons are deities who transport sentient beings to the Pure Land.

A Wisdom Dragon Ship painted on the exterior wall of Geungnakjeon (Hall of the Pure Land)
at Silleuksa Temple in Jecheon.

Depictions of the Wisdom Dragon Ship are also found in temple murals. One the rear exterior wall of the Pure Land Hall at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan is a picture of the Bodhisattva Guide of Souls and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva guiding sentient beings to the Pure Land aboard the Wisdom Dragon Ship. Sailing through harsh seas, the ship has a dragonhead prow and a dragon-tail stern, with many joyous people in the cabin. Similar scenes may be found on the read exterior wall of the Main Buddha Hall at Bogwangsa Temple in Paju, and on the right side exterior wall of the Pure Land Hall at Silleuksa Temple in Jecheon.

Who is the tenacious Bodhisattva clinging to a rope? Tenacious Bodhisattva, or "akchak Bosal", refers to the humorous depiction of a woman who was too late to board the Wisdom Dragon Ship but was determined to go to the Pure Land, even if she had to cling to rope trailing behind the ship. There is no written record of her, but this is the story that has been passed down orally.

Once upon a time, the Wisdom Dragon Ship docked to take on people bound for the Pure Land, people of deep faith who had accomplished many virtuous deeds and accred great merit. One woman lingered too long bidding farewell to her children, and found the ship pulling away when she arrived. She caught a rope thrown to her by the boatman and arrived in the Pure Land by tenaciously holding onto the rope. She has been called the Tenacious Bodhisattva since then, and became a model for practitioners who practice fiercely with a vow to attain enlightenment in this life. The way she is depicted clinging to the single rope may symbolize single-minded adherence to the path.

Finding the Hidden Dragons in a Temple

Dragon images have different meanings according to their location.

Buddhism uses the dragon design to protect sacred spaces. Other designs used to adorn temples include lotuses, chrysanthemums, Asian plums, lions, elephants, fish, monkeys, and even mythical creatures like phoenixes and dragons. Among these, dragons are one of the most powerful features that protect the Buddha realm and are found in many places in the temple compound. Where can we see these dragons and what are their meanings?

Temple decorations are usually referred to as "adornments" as they embody the ideal world of the Buddha realm that is filled with beauty and dignity. Dragons have different meanings depending on where they are carved or painted. First and foremost, dragons are considered deities who protect the Buddhadharma.

Dragons Have Become Protectors of the Buddhadharma

At the entrance to most temples are bridges that symbolize liberation. They remind us that before entering the Buddha realm of a temple, we should wash away our afflictions symbolically as though in a running stream. These bridges are often appropriately named with names like: Geungnakgyo (Bridge of the Pure Land), Neungheogyo (Bridge of Ascension to the Void), Seungseongyo (Bridge of Aspiring Hermits), Sesimgyo (Bridge of Washing the Mind) and Haetalgyo (Bridge of Liberation). Sometimes a dragon's head protrudes from underneath these bridges. One example is Seungseongyo at Seonamsa Temple. The dragon's head is not clearly visible unless one walks down to the mountain stream. It was not meant to be a decoration but to ward off any evil that may infiltrate the pure realm of the temple. 

A dragon head hidden underneath the stone bridge named Samcheonggyo at Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon. The dragon wards off evil forces to keep them from infiltrating the pure realm of the temple.

A similar bridge is found at Songgwangsa Temple. The stone bridge, named Samcheonggyo, also has a dragon's head underneath it to protect the temple. Crossing this bridge we enter the temple compound. The Gate of Heavenly Kings enshrines the four heavenly kings who guard the four cardinal directions. Each king holds one or two symbolic objects in his hand. 

• Dhrtarastra rules the east and has great power to protect the state; he holds a lute. 

• Virudharka rules the south and has great power to cultivate life; he hold a sword. 

• Virupaksa rules the west and sees all with wide open eyes; he holds a dragon and a wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani). 

• Faisravana, who rules the north, is the head of the four heavenly kings; he holds a stupa and a three-pronged spear. 

Among these four, it is Virupaksa, ruler of the west, who controls the dragons, which are said to control the clouds, rain and thunder, as well as to rule the whole world. Living in the west on the midriff of Mt. Sumeru, Virupaksa guards the western lands with his large, wide eyes and helps sentient beings.

Hidden Meanings of Dragon Adornments

Dragons, whose function is to praise the Buddha and protect the Buddha realm, are found inside Dharma halls too. They are carved or painted on the wooden canopies above Buddha statues, on main crossbeams and on ceilings. In particular, dragons depicted on canopies symbolize protection of the Buddhadharma and the supreme authority of Buddhas.

Canopies in Buddha halls always feature dragons to symbolize the protection
of the Buddhadharma and the supreme authority of the Buddha.

At Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju a coiled dragon is carved into the wooden canopy in Muryangsujeon, Hall of Immeasurable Life, known as the oldest wooden structure in Korea. The dragon is holding its head up and looking straight ahead. On the wooden canopy in the Main Buddha Hall at Heungguksa Temple in Yeosu, three dragons thrust their heads from behind two phoenixes. These dragons are also looking straight ahead as if to guard against any evil that might approach the Buddhas seated on the altar.

Meanwhile, the dragon design of the jongnyu, the hook from which a temple bell is hung, has a wide open mouth without any wish-fulfilling gem. Also called "yongnyu", the dragon on this hook is aid to have a resounding cry. That's why this dragon is depicted on the bell hook so that the Buddha's teachings can reach far out into the world. Among these bells with dragons on their hooks, you may want to check out the temple bells at Sangwonsa Temple in Pyeongchang, Naesosa Temple in Buan, Gapsa Temple in Gongju and Yongjusa Temple in Hwaseong. Of these, the beautiful bell at Sangwonsa is the oldest. The dragon head on the hook is very big, and its jaws are open wide as if it is shouting. The dragon on Naesosa's bell is bent into a loop and its mouth is also wide open. 

Most of the dragon designs on a jongnyu, the hook from which a temple bell is hung,
have a wide open mouth with no wish-fulfilling gem.

The body of a Dharma drum, struck to save all land-dwelling animals, is covered with dragon images because the sound of a Dharma drum reverberates sonorously with all the majesty of a dragon. 

On the roof of a Dharma hall, both ends of the ridge line on the roof are decorated with tiles featuring a dragon head; this is called "chimi". Dragons are also often depicted in temples because of their association with water. In Korea, the dragon is the god of life who rules all watery realms. They live in ponds, wells, rivers and oceans, and control water by giving or withholding rain. By placing dragons on the roof of a Dharma hall, Korean ancestors wanted to protect monasteries, the abode of Buddhas, from fire.

As can be seen, dragons are ubiquitous at temples, appearing under bridges, on canopies and on the pillars of Dharma halls. They are there to maintain the temple's purity and protect the Buddhadharma while the dragon designs on temple bells and Dharma drums are intended to propagate the words of the Buddha far and wide.

Interesting Dragon Myths Passed Down at Temples

In Korea, dragons are regarded as one of the four spiritual animals, along with giraffes, phoenixes and turtles. Though a mythical creature, dragons rank highest in the animal hierarchy and exercise supreme authority. That is because they lent a helping hand when humans needed them. Many legends depict dragons as guardian deities who exert their diverse talents and possess great powers. Buddhism in particular has regarded dragons as the protectors of humans and the Buddhadharma. Thus, it is not surprising that many temples have dragon legends. 

Many Korean temples have names which include the syllable "yong", (literally, dragon). Dragons also appear in temple foundation legends. Yongusa Temple in Hwaseong had its name bestowed by King Jeongjo (Joseon's 22nd king, r. 1776-1800) who saw in his dream a dragon ascending to heaven holding a wish-fulfilling gem in its mouth. It is true that dragons (or nagas) were embraced by Buddhism in India. But dragons were already important deities in Korea's indigenous faith, and as Buddhist temples were established in Korea, people wanted to maintain this association with dragons. This is apparent in the name of Yongjusa.

What Kind of Dragon Legends to Temples Have?

Dragons are a part of many interesting myths in Korea. Buddhism in particular has an intimate relationship with dragons, and many temples pass on various dragon-related legends. In 553, King Jinheung (Silla's 24th king, r. 540-576) had workers clear land to build a palace, and while they were digging, a yellow dragon appeared. Regarding this as an extraordinary omen, King Jinheung had a temple built instead of a palace and named it Hwangnyongsa (literally, Yellow Dragon Temple). Later, when eminent Silla monk Jajang was on his way back to Silla from Tang China, he encountered a dragon deity. This dragon deity told Jajang how to lead Silla to security and prosperity. The dragon deity said, "The dragon who protects Hwangnyongsa Temple is my oldest son. He guards the temple under orders from Brahma. If you establish a nine-story pagoda there when you go back to Silla, and a temple in the southern region of Gyeonggi-do, your state will enjoy peace." Back home, Jajang honored the dragon deity's advice and erected a nine-story pagoda at Hwangnyongsa and also established Taehwasa Temple.

Buseoksa Temple in Yeongju passes down the story of Seonmyo, a girl who transformed into a dragon goddess. One day the Silla monk Uisang stayed in a village overnight on his way to Tang China. A village girl named Seonmyo, who greatly admired Uisang, made a vow that he must return safely and teach Buddhism far and wide in Silla. She then threw herself into the ocean and became a dragon. Sometime later, a hostile crowd tried to obstruct Uisang's plan to build a temple, so the dragon goddess Seonmyo lifted a gigantic boulder in front of them. They ran away, and Uisang was able to establish the temple. In consideration of the dragon goddess' help, Uisang named the temple Buseoksa, meaning Floating Stone Temple.

Other temple foundation legends also involve dragons. There is a pond named Guryongji (literally, Nine Dragon Pond) by the Main Buddha Hall at Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan. The site where Tongdosa now stands was originally a great pond where nine dragons lived. In order to build a temple there, Vinaya Master Jajang asked the dragons to leave but they refused. Then Jajang set fire to a talisman, which made the pond hot. Due to the unbearable heat, five dragons ran away, and three died colliding with boulders during their escape. Only one blind dragon was left, and he asked Jajang if he could remain and guard the temple. Jajang granted its request, and preserved a corner of the great pond for the dragon to live in. This pond is still called Guryongji.

Another legend of nine dragons involves Guryongsa (Nine Dragon Temple) Temple on Mt. Chiaksan in Wonju. Guryongsa's foundation legend also involves a confrontation between a monk and nine dragons. When Uisang planned to establish this temple, the current site of the Main Buddha Hall was a pond inhabited by nine dragons. The nine dragons displayed their power to him by causing a torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. Uisang remained unruffled. In response, Uisang drew a talisman and placed it in the pond. The water began to boil, and the stunned dragons fled. One of the dragons couldn't go very far and found shelter in a nearby pond. That pond is named Guryongso and is one of the eight great scenic sites of Wonju City.

The temple ruin of Ongnyongsa in Gwangyang also has a legend involving a contest with nine dragons. In this story, eight dragons converted to Buddhism while one remaining white dragon resisted. 

As can be seen, there may be minor variations, but many temple foundation legends involved dragons in one way or another.

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The article and the pictures were all taken from the quarterly Templestay Korean, Vol 5: No 3, Autumn 2016. The article, "Dragons Who Guard the Buddhadharma and Temples: They Admire the Buddhas and Protect the Buddha Realms" was the feature article.

Wawoojeongsa, Yongin

Wawoojongsa Temple was established in 1970 by Kim Hae-Geun, a monk displaced by the Korean War. The temple is not only a reflection of the monk’s sincere hope for the reunification of the North and South, but is also the birthplace of the Korean Buddhist Nirvana Order.

KOREA BUDDHIST NIRVANA ORDER  Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order is a religious order established by the highest priest Bodeuk around A.D. 623~650 in the time of Kokuryo dynasty from now on approximately 1400 years ago. In the dynasty of Shilla, a great priest, Saint Wonhyo, Saint Uisang, Saint Kyungheung, and saint Daehyun also pursued knowledge in Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order are the initial religious order in our nation.  There were 5(five) orders in the dynasty of the United Shilla such as Nirvana order of the highest priest Bodeuk, Yul Order of Jajangyulsa, Bubseong order of Saint Wonhyo, Hwaeum Order of Saint Uisang, Bubsang Order of Jinpyoyulsa, etc. Since then, priests practiced Zen Meditation in temples of 9(nine) mountains which is called "a literature practiced Zen in hill and mountain" : and, being in a dynasty of Korea, the Most Reverend Priest attained a divine enlightenment created Cheonta Order ; Saint Bowoo created Chokye Order ; and, in the end of the Dynastry of Korea, there were 12(twelve) religious orders.  But coming into the dynastry of Chosun, the number of religious orders was reduced to 7(seven) orders by a King of Taejong and nirvana order as a representative one continued to exist. In the times of a King Seajong, the titles of religious orders were instructed to be eliminated, and Chosun Buddhist Missionary Yang Order without the names of religious order was instructed to be called. Therefore, religious orders without the title of order came into existence.  From then on, religious orders were forced to be disappeared through suppression and religious order were called : Zen Order and Kyo Order. In 1910, Japan invaded Korea and all the more they were suppressed. The era without religious orders continued on and on. After the Korean War June 25. due to the disputs in Buddhism on Feb. 14, 1962 the integrated religious order as Chokye Order was created. In 1970, Korea Buddhist Taego Order and since then various religious orders were created and in evidence of the greatest priest as a representative one in our nation on Sept. 1, 1970, Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order has been again restored since Chosun Dynasty by Haeam Haegok, TRI-PITAKA MASTER. Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order is the traditional buddhist order of learning the Scripture with the Scripture of a large dinner-table Nirvana Order preached the buddhist sermons finally when Sakyamuni, Buddha practiced nirvana and at buddhist sermons finally when Sakyamuni, Buddha practiced nirvana and at present there are a number of temples of Nirvana Order founded starting from the Dynasty of Korea across the country. Kyungpok temple, the general head temple of Buddhist of Nirvana Order founded in the dynasty of Paikjae is being restored of the buddhist temple, In 1970, the Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order founded the buddhist temple of Wawoo Temple of the general head temple of buddhist since its restoration. At present, preaching and accomplishments of the religious founder are being performed in purity in buddhist temple of Nirvana Order across the country. Like this Korea Buddhist Nirvana Order makes a great contribution to buddhistic development in the midst of difficulties of a long history which is a religious order with 1370 of history and tradition succeeded to in continuity. The Order has been ceaselessly developed as a representative order in our country in an exchange with religious orders in the nations all over the world. Nirvana Order is carrying out the education and pure mission of the founder for a number of priests. Namu Sukamuni bul.

There are over 3,000 Buddhist statues on the temple grounds, the most famous of which are the Buldu (Buddha heads) placed at the entrance and the Wabul (reclining Buddha statue) stationed in the middle of the mountain. The 8m-high Buldu is the largest of its kind and the Wabul, which is made from a juniper tree from Indonesia, is 3m in height and 12m in length. As the world’s biggest wooden Buddhist sculpture, the Buldu has been registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

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The temple is also home to a 5-Dhyani Buddha made of 30 tons of brass (taking decades to complete) as well as the 12-ton Bell of Unification (struck during the Seoul Olympics in 1988). Other attractions include a bronze statue of Buddha sitting with his legs half-crossed (the largest of its kind in the nation) and the nation’s only Sakyamuni Bulgohangsang statue.

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One of the other unique things about the temple is the Pagoda of Unification, located besides the stairs of the Hall of Nirvana. The pagoda is comprised of stones brought by visitors from various holy sites all over the world. Hence, the construction of the Pagoda is a never-ending progress. And in fact, several pagodas constructed from the stones from world holy sites have been erected, the first one in the line-up (pictured) is several meters in height and much wider in girth than the others.

As a symbol of the pervading hope for world peace, a wide range of Buddhist statues from many countries including India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and Thailand are on display around the temple, allowing visitors to glimpse Buddhist cultures from all over the world.

No expense has been spared in the construction of this relatively modern, eclectic temple of Buddhism. Artistic design and artists employed to render the collection of 3,000 Buddha images is quite impressive, as are the manicured inclines upon which they sit. And unlike other temples which have cheap "paper" lanterns strewn everywhere to celebrate the upcoming birthday of Buddha, the lanterns here are, for the most part, hung away from the edifices and Buddhas letting the blooming azaleas and other spring flowers decorate the holy relics and buildings.

Tourism is expected here. A very ancient monk in an unusual (Southeast Asian?) monk garb approached my friend and I and exchanged a few words, mostly telling us to post pictures and invite friends - LOL. Obviously, the temple caters to the foreign crowd and tourism as their website http://www.wawoo-temple.org provides information in not only Korean but also English, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Russian.

References:

Korean Buddhist Nirvana Order

Wawoojeongsa, Imagine your Korea 

RISE: Conserving Sacred Places of the World

Inaugural Address for R.I.S.E. by Martin Palmer

R.I.S.E. (Research Institute for Spiritual Environments) kicked off its beginnings with a trip to Dangun's Altar and a full-day conference with special guest Martin Palmer, Secretary General of ARC (Alliance of Religion and Conservation), who gave the inaugural address for the conference. Professor Emeritus of Korea University, Sim Woo-kyung is both Founder and President of RISE.

Martin Palmer, key note speaker, presenting the president of RISE, Sim Woo-kyung,
with memorial words scripted by a scholar in China.

CONSERVING SACRED PLACES OF THE WORLD

Keynote Speech by Martin Palmer

It is a great honour to be asked to present the opening keynote speech at the launch of what is I believe one of the most important new organizations in the world of religion and conservation. When Professor Sim first approached me about this new institute, I was surprised. Surprised that no one had thought of creating such an institute before and frankly surprised that the proposal should come from South Korea.

Then I researched the Chamseongdan Altar and realized that with such a profoundly sacred natural site as this, it was far from surprising that the idea of RISE should come from Korea. Our visit yesterday [to Chamseongdan] only strengthened my belief that any culture that can hold such a wonderful, spiritually and historically charged natural place at its heart would of course understand spiritual environments.

I have had the honour of working on sacred sites around the world for over thirty years in my role as Religious Advisor on Conservation to both HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and to WWF International. From 1995 I have also had the honour of heading the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), an international secular organization created to help broker partnerships and programmes between the major faiths and the conservation/environmental worlds.

When Prince Philip and I started this movement in 1985 which led to the first meeting between the world's major faiths and the main conservation and environmental organizations, no one was paying attention to the ecological significance of sacred sites. At best they were considered of archaeological or historical interest and for many secular organizations such as UNESCO or conservation bodies such as WWF or The Nature Conservancy, they were relics of a fading religious past. They were ignored at best and rejected at worst as irrelevant.

Today the situation has changed radically. Over the last thirty years we have been able to show the environmental significance of sacred sites as well as show that such sites are highlights of the change of mind, of attitudes and values which we need to make if we are to relate to the whole of our natural and human world in a different, a sustainable way.

In conserving the world's sacred places we are not just preserving fascinating, often beautiful and historically important places. We are asking people to look again at the whole world as sacred, as a living miracle of life and of our place within it. Sacred places are like the hubs of meaning which spin out a narrative of meaning throughout all that exists, challenging much of our contemporary modernity as well as drawing us back to older wisdom which we need to rediscover.

Ecologist Cambodian monks ordain trees to protect them and video in Khmer

PeacePower: Enraged Thai monks ordain trees for no one would intentionally kill the soul of a monk

Let me start with a horror story.

UNESCO's attitude towards religion in general and sacred sites in particular manifested the worst of the secular attitude to such places of power and meaning. Until very recently it forbad any action which would in any way support religious activities. For example, when communism fell in Mongolia in 1990, UENSCO was involved with the communist government in restoring for tourist reasons, Amarbayasgalant, the second most important Buddhist monastery in the country funded by UNESCO. In 1991 the monastery was handed over to the Buddhist Sangha which had been reconstituted by Sri Kushok Bakula. Immediately UNESCO ended both funding for and work on the site because it was now a functioning religious site and "UNESCO does not support religious activity". Literally they stopped halfway through restoring the marble path to the main shrine.

Amarbayasgalant monastery

In the late 1990s we at ARC in collaboration with WWF International and IUCN were able to persuade UNESCO to extend its definition of sites to cover the term sacred as a functioning place of spiritual activity. This had been hastened by the scandal of Tai Shan in China where UNESCO had approved this most sacred of all sites in China -- where emperors went to sacrifice to heaven from the time of the first emperor in the third century BC -- because the Chinese government had spoken about its religious significance in the past tense only. When UNESCO did its ten-year check-up visit, it found that the local government was planning to demolish a number of major temples to make way for the road to the top. When UNESCO challenged this, they were told that religious activity on the mountain had ceased and that this had been made clear when they spoke about religious activity in the past tense in their application. ARC was asked to undertake a religious activity survey of the mountain and we were able to get UNESCO to renegotiate with the Chinese government to put religious activity into the present tense. This stopped the roadway!

We had a similar problem with environmental groups. For example, IUCN -- the International Union for Conservation of Nature -- refused to speak of any sites as sacred or religious until we in partnership with WWF International published "Beyond Belief". The subtitle of this publication launched in 2005 is "linking faiths and protected areas to support biodiversity conservation" and it was the first scientific study of the conservation significance of sacred sites. In the endorsement of the Chair of the World Commission on Protected Area, he said the the links between sacred sites and conservation were now clear for all to see and offered a direct means of helping us all "to co-exist with the rest of nature." The research world undertaken for this publication revealed that 70% of all national parks exist because they are founded upon sacred landscapes. These sacred landscapes have survived to become national parks because the environment within sacred landscapes has been better preserved than anywhere else. As the report said, "Sacred areas are probably the oldest form of habitat protection on the planet."

In a similar way the World Bank programme between 2000 and 2005 on Faiths and the Environment created a number of case studies from across Asia -- from Cambodia through Mongolia to Indonesia as well as in Latin America and Africa -- which proved the environmental importance of sacred sites from sacred forests through sacred cities to sacred mountains and rivers.

In my own country, the United Kingdom, ARC in partnership with WWF UK launched the Sacred Land project in 1997 to "re-establish the long tradition of valuing the natural world as an expression of God's love." Its success in both restoring sacred sites such as holy wells,, pilgrimage paths and awareness of sacred cities such as Bristol and Canterbury was so great it sparked similar sacred land projects around the world, not least in China, where our long-term partnership with the Daoists has led to the protection of sacred mountains and landscapes across the country and has been instrumental in the historic stance taken by the Daoists against the illegal wildlife trade and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine ... and endangered animals - Journal of Chinese Medicine

One criticism of the interest in sacred sites has been that it was nostalgia and romantic rather than contemporary and challenging. That is a danger. There is a great deal of frankly superficial nonsense about sacred sties which owe more to projection of wishful thinking than to any serious understanding of their role. In my country the great neolithic site of Stonehenge which is over 4000 years old, is a classic example. It has become a playground for every crackpot idea around about who built it, from spacemen to giants, yet we know almost nothing about why it was built and for almost two thousand years it even ceased to be viewed as sacred.

What I hope the new institute will explore is how sacred sites can challenge the current mindset of the world which sees economics as the only criteria for success: beliefs that "progress" is the answer to all our problems and has elevated humanity to the position of the whole reason for evolution.

Let me take you on a journey through what I mean about the relevance of sacred sites to our whole world view.

Sacred sites remind us that we are not the centre of the universe. In contemporary environmental speak, what you and I might call Nature or, depending upon our religious/spiritual beliefs, Creation, is often now simply called 'eco-system deliverables'. What this dreadful term means is that the whole of evolution, the sole purpose of the creation and the justification for protecting elements of the natural world is that they are economically useful to us as a species. For example, in much of the discussion around the Copenhagen Climate Change meeting in 2009 and now around the Paris meeting in December this year, the role of the great forests of the Amazon and Central Africa is as "carbon sinks". In other words the key justification for protecting these great natural wonders, home to over 60% of all species, is that they absorb the CO2 we produce from our modern ways of living -- cars, planes, industry, air-conditioning, etc. Frankly as both a Christian and an ecologist I do not believe that God through evolution spent the last ten million years creating these great wonders just so we could continue to drive cars!

So a sacred site such as Chamseongdan, or Tai Shan in China, the Bogd Khan mountain in Mongolia, Mount Sinai in Egypt or Mt Ararat in Turkey links us to heaven and earth simultaneously. They remind us that we are special but that we are also just part of a much greater story of the whole of creation, of life both on earth and in heaven. They ask us to revere not ourselves but the creative forces of heaven and earth or as the Dao De Jing compiled around 400 BC puts it in chapter 24:

Humanity is schooled by the Earth;
Earth is taught by Heaven
And Heaven is guided by the Dao
And the Dao goes with what is absolutely natural.

Confucianism expresses this clearly. Wang Yangming (1472-1529) wrote in his Inquiry on the Great Learning:

The great man regards Heaven and Earth and the myriad things as one body. He regards the world as one family and the country as one person. As to those who make a cleavage between objects and distinguish between self and others, they are small men. That the great man can regard Heaven, Earth and the myriad things as one body is not because he deliberately wants to do so, but because it is natural to the humane nature of his mind that he do so.

In Judaism and thus also in Christianity, the temptation to place human beings at the centre of the universe is strongly rebutted by, for example, the Psalms but also in the powerful words in chapter 38 of the Book of Job written sometime in the 5th century BC:

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, since you are so well informed!
Who decided the dimensions of it, do you know?
Or who stretched the measuring line across it?
What supports its pillars at the base?
Who laid the cornerstone
When all the stars of the morning sang for joy?

Sacred sites which remind us that we are just parts of a much greater cosmic story help us to appreciate that the rest of life on earth is as important as us. This is something we urgently need to recover because our human centric world view is one of the powerful forces pushing us into abusing the rest of life on earth. Sacred sites are also about the value of other life forms. Sacred groves emphasize the vital and thus sacred role that trees pay for all life. The association in so many traditions with deities highlights this.

For example the sacred groves of Vrindavan in India where Krishna roamed and played with the gopis. These sacred groves had been almost wiped out twenty years ago through urbanization, soil erosion and population pressures. Then a sacred land tradition emerged within the Hare Krishna movement which of course holds Krishna at the centre of their devotions. This led to a restoration programme and that led to a waste disposal programme for the city of Vrindavan as a sacred city. From this the movement went on to tackle issues related to the Yumana river which flows through Delhi before reaching Vrindavan. Sacred legends about Krishna fighting an evil demon who polluted the river in mythology led to yet more efforts to force the state into protecting the water humans use but also for the use of all wildlife.

Help Sri Vrindavan Dham Become a Cultural Heritage

One problem we have in contemporary culture is that we have so shrunk the notion of the role and scale of the sacred and made it so private that we only think of the sacred as being a specific building -- a church or temple or mosque, for example. We forget that such buildings were just one part and often not the most important part of a sacred landscape which tells a vastly greater story and involves so much more than just a humanly constructed place of worship. We need therefore the emphasis implicit in RISE of exploring entire landscapes, complete environments, not just beautiful buildings which have become divorced from their wider context.

Even traditions, such as Islam which struggles with the notion of sacred as being too close to worship of nature itself, have traditions which tell us to look beyond what humans need. For example the Prophet Mohammad said in one of his Hadiths (teachings) that whoever plants a tree performs an act of zakat (charity) for it provides shelter and food for birds, insects and animals as well as human beings.

Sacred rivers are vital because they are spaces we cannot build upon. This might seem like a statement of the obvious but it is true. A broad river, a lake or a waterfall defy our desire to control, and even when we do try to control rivers, they often break beyond our control. In the Abrahamic traditions water is the only element of creation that rebels against even God's control. This is to be seen in Day Two of the Biblical creation story where God does not say at the end of the day that what has been created that day is good. The reason is that that day God separated the waters into those above and those below and a fight broke out between them and thus envy, pride, anger, etc entered the world.

Rivers also flow past us. Everything else in nature with the exception of the wind, is static and thus rivers challenge our sense of space and belonging because they never rest but flow on into the oceans and seas and then again up to heaven and back again as rain. They are the cycle of life and we have to acknowledge that we have no control ultimately over that cycle, try as we may.

Help Save India's Most Sacred River
The Ganges. One of the world's great rivers, mythical in stature and mighty in size,
flowing steadily past me in a rush, fresh from the Himalayas and full of vigor.

Once again this challenges our sense of control and to be frank a great deal of the angst around climate change is that the weather, but especially the waters, are beyond our control and will not do what we want or expect. And that threatens a technocratic, control obsessed, human centred world view.

Sacred fields are also of great importance. The relationship between use and abuse of the land is one of the critical issues of contemporary sustainable agriculture worldwide. Hence the rise of, for example, Farming God's Way -- a Christian based agricultural system now extensively used in Sub-Saharan Africa and moving into Latin America -- and Islamic Farming, also strong in Africa and now in Indonesia and Malaysia. This is based on the notion or the statement that God was the first farmer and that therefore agriculture, which in so many cultures today is seen as the bottom of the ladder, should now be seen as godly work, divinely created and honoured. The sacred fields for example of the Shinto -- especially the Ise shrine fields which produce the sacred rice for the ritual offerings -- remind us of the proper relationship between human activity and the gifts of nature itself, or in the case of many sacred fields, the deities.

In Christian Europe, the old agricultural system was based on one of the books of the Old Testament, the Book of Ruth, and on the laws laid down in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. These books taught that while landowners could take the bulk of the crops from their fields, the fields themselves needed to be laid out in a special way. There should be a wide boundary of crops which were left at the edge of the fields so that the poor and wildlife could share in the bounty of the field and of nature. The laws and the story of Ruth also spelt out the sacred duty to leave areas of woodland, tree cover, streams and rivers which were safe zones for all life to use. This is echoed in the hima and harim, legal codes which forbad any hunting near water sources to that animals could drink safely, because the waters were a gift from God and not just a human use.

In Europe this led to field systems which we mourn the passing of today because they supported a vast array of wildlife and protected biodiversity. They were gradually replaced by the enclosures which turned the matrix of fields, woods, grazing lands and open spaces -- the commons -- into regulated squares cut off by thorn bush hedges and devoid of much of the natural growth of woods and forests. This has been exacerbated by the rise of mega fields where even these somewhat barren hedges have gone removing all places for wildlife.

Sacred fields -- be these fields for growing food for the gods, fields dedicated to protecting and feeding not just human beings, sacred fields which are there to provide income and resources for the temple as for example the sacred fields and gardens associated with Hindu temples or the newly recreated sacred gardens and fields producing organic TCM crops run by the Daoists of China -- these are all vital reminders that we can only sustain the role of feeding the people, something the faiths do on a vast scale, if we respect and honor the original farmer gardener, God or the gods.

Sacred cities offer a very different set of values which are missing from most of contemporary discussion about the environment.

Once again they present a cosmic story within which humanity has a place but not the unique or dominate place. Sacred cities manifest belief in a central force, sacred object or deity from whom or around whom the city spreads out and which often symbolizes not just the earth but also the sun, moon and stars. As such, the human element is contained within a universal view of all creation and while human activity is of course honoured through this, what lies at the heart of such sacred cities is recognition of the greater picture.

Thus for example the Hindu sacred city of Varanasi is focused around the sacred tree site where Shiva once sat and around the sacred river Ganges which itself links heaven and earth, this life and the next. The city thus acts as a vehicle for relationship to divine power to reincarnation, and we must always remember that reincarnation is not just for human beings but for all forms of life, even the lesser deities.

Varanasi - the city of living and leaving

The classic Asian city design -- derived primarily but not exclusively from China -- is of the sacred directions and planets. North is the direction of danger while south is the direction of auspicious powers. Hills to the north to protect and rivers to the south to ensure a smooth flow of qi, the energy of life. The sun to the east and the moon to the west, the north honouring the earth and the south heaven. The central area reserved for the son of heaven, the earthly representative of the power of heaven and thus having the right to rule.

Today in much of Asia this original design has been swamped by the huge explosion of cities across Asia. But interestingly, the Confucians of China are working on designing Confucian sacred towns and cities which would return to this cosmic model and ensure that the cities were built to honour the real scale needed for people to feel at home rather than be overwhelmed by corporate manifestations such as high-rise offices or the dominant status given to the car at the expense of human beings.

In South Korea, the reopening of the river flowing through the centre of Seoul which involved removing the motorway over the river and opening up the walkways, where previously only cars drove overhead, is a clear sign of how a sacred site can be restored or even created to alter adverse development of an urban nature.

In Europe, the rediscovery of the cosmic plan of most old towns and cities based on Christian models involving auspicious directions (east and south) and cosmic symbols such as the circle of God's love or the cross at the centre of cities symbolizing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has led to radical new understandings of how scale, symbolism and narrative can shape a city to make it more human but also more open to co-existence with nature and with wildlife. This in particular relates to uncovering buried rivers and streams in the way that Seoul has done.

Sacred landscapes are of course also why pilgrimage takes place. The number of pilgrims per year world-wide is estimated at nearly 400 million and ARC along with the UN, R20 and other organizations have been working on greening pilgrimage. In particular we have been successful in greening the Hajj. In 2011 one hundred million plastic bottles were left behind after the Hajj. Our aim with the Saudi government and with sending countries such as Nigeria and Indonesia is to have pilgrim flasks which are refilled and to end the use of plastic by 2020. As interest in sacred sites grows, so does pilgrimage and the move to green pilgrimage cities and routes is one one which is growing, In November we will launch a major new network called Faithful Cities: Pilgrims for a Living Planet.

In this picture taken Thursday, Sept. 24, 2014, bodies of people crushed in Mina, Saudi Arabia during the annual hajj pilgrimage, are seen amongst belongings and empty water bottles. Hundreds were killed and injured, Saudi authorities said. The crush happened in Mina, a large valley about five kilometers (three miles) from the holy city of Mecca that has been the site of hajj stampedes in years past. SOURCE

I want to end with the definition that we in ARC and WWF came up with when we were asked in the late 1990s what we meant by a sacred site. We gave and, to this day, still give four answers and I think when we think about sacred landscapes these are powerful. The Sacred Sites project of Martin Gray provides wonderful illustrations of three of these types of places.

Firstly, there are places where the sheer power of nature makes us stop and stand in awed silence or mediation aware of how tiny we are and insignificant. That is the role of great sacred mountains, rivers, seas and panoramas.

Secondly, there are places which have become sacred because of some event in the past which has marked the land. This could be the adventures of a saint or guru such as Assisi in Italy associated with St. Frances; the Kaba in Makkah associated with Haggar and Abraham; Lumbini in Nepal associated with the birthplace of the Buddha or, as in Korea, Chamseongdan and the exploits of Dangun. These are charged places made sacred by history or legend and not always good actions. For example in Israel one of the most sacred places where new recruits to the Israeli army go to take their vows of obedience is Masada where in 70 AD 150 Jews committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of the Romans.

Thirdly, there are places that communities have decided will be sacred. Wherever a community decides to build a sacred building as part usually of a wider sacred landscape, they have decided to set aside that space for communal sacred acts and rites of passage. Thus the most ordinary plot of land can become a truly sacred place through such activities. It is beautifully captured in the poet T.S. Eliot's phrase when describing visiting an ancient church in his poem "Little Gidding":

If you came this way,
Taking any route, starting from anywhere,
At any time or at any season,
It would always be the same: you would have to put off
Sense and notion. You are not here to verify,
Instruct yourself, or inform curiosity
Or to carry report. You are here to kneel
Where prayer has been valid.

Nine Sacred Sites You Won't Believe Exist

Finally, there are the sacred places we each have that will probably never appear on any index of sacred sites. Sites of meaning for us or links with people we loved or events in our own life as well as places where we have personally been touched by the vastness of creation. These private sacred maps are what help us understand the three other kinds of sacred places.

So, as RISE sets off on its journey of exploration, discovery and transformation, let's keep these four in mind and, perhaps inspired by what we do to help revive the sacred in the first three, we can also bring that to bear on our own personal sacred journeys through this wonderful and complex world.

Launching the O’RISE Academy (2016 plan)
SUBJECTS		FACULTIES
1) Earth Environment I	Kim Myung-ja [Former Minister of Environments, Professor of Sookmyong Women’s University]
2) Presentation I	Na Hyun [Oxford University graduated artist]
3) Folk Cultures I	Choi Gwang-sik [Former Minister of Culture & Tourism, Professor of Korea University]
4) Religions and Environment I	Tucker, M.E. [Professor of Religious Studies, Yale University]
5) Conservation Strategy for Spiritual Environments I	Sim Woo-kyung [Founder and President of RISE, Professor Emeritus of Korea University]
6) Environmental Planning I	Zoh Kyung-jin [Professor Seoul National University, Graduate School of Environments]
7) Poongsujiri [Fenshui] I	Park Si-ik [Poongsu Master & Architect, PhD]
8) Landscape Planting II	Sim Woo-kyung [Founder and President of RISE, Professor Emeritus of Korea University]
9) Hard Landscape Design II	Niall Kirkwood [Professor of Landscape Architecture, GSD, Harvard University]
10) Globe Planning II	Kwaak YoungHoon [Founder/President, World Citizens Organization, WCO/Chairman, Silk Road Cities Forum-Urumqi]
11) Asian Cultures II	Emanuel Pastreich [Director of The Asia Institute, Professor of Kyunghee University]
12) Sacred Earth II	Martin Gray [Author of Sacred Earth]
13) Entrance & Commencement Ceremony [Welcome Speeches]	Choi Byung-ju [President, Go-un International Exchange Foundation]

The team / key participants in the inauguration celebration of RISE.