Buddha-Rock at Bullamsan

The Royal Asiatic Society offered an interesting walking tour to Bulam-san, "Buddha-Rock Mountain", guided by Professor David Mason. Bulam-san is a prominent pyramid-shaped mountain on the eastern border of Seoul and is situated beyond Taeneung royal tomb site and beyond and behind Sahmyook University. The peak of the mountain divides Seoul and Kyunggi-do and its eastern slopes flow energy down (pungsujiri) to the cities of Guri and Namyangju. With some imagination the mountain supposedly resembles a gigantic Buddha sitting in meditation. 

Cheonbo-sa, "Heavenly Treasure Temple"

Immediately to the west of Bulam-san is another mountain with rounded peak and settled slightly lower than Bulam-san. This mountain known colloquially as Cheonbo-san, or "Heavenly Treasure Mountain", is where the tour started. On the higher slope of the mountain is Cheonbo-sa, "Heavenly Treasure Temple", which has been completely rebuilt since the Korean War as this area harbored many guerrillas and numerous battles between the North and South Koreans took place here. The main building both internally with bright and rather gaudy Buddhas and boddhisatvas and externally with two tacky white elephants on the roof spine of the main hall showcase modern decor. The white elephants, in earlier times not frequently borrowed into Korean Buddhism, are regarded as spiritual creatures as the night before the birth of "lord buddha" his mother had a vision of a white elephant presenting her with a lotus, the symbol of purity, and so white elephants have become a symbol of Mahayana Buddhism, which Korean Buddhism falls under.

The backdrop of the main buddha hall is a huge rock, which comprises the massive peak of the mountain, and a female monk who welcomed us and followed us around a bit told us that when you look carefully, you can see the elephant in the mountain. It's easier seen in the calendar shot she presented to us (see below). Even if you can't see the "elephant", there are two Buddhas carved into the face of the granite rock wall, one easily visible above the treetops and the other obscured by the trees but much more obvious on the trail immediately at the base of the massive rock. The higher buddha is etched and loses much visibility when at the base but the other buddha carved in bas relief with modern power tools is large and very obvious.  

The "elephant" in the rock. Once the elephant's eyes were pointed out the outline and shape of the trunk was very obvious. It was much harder to see the elephant when looking at the rock itself, but that might be an affect of different light angle.

the main Buddha hall of Cheonbo-sa

Two Buddhas carved into the rock above the main Buddha hall. The lower Buddha is in obvious and very pronounced bas relief but the higher one (not easily visible from this angle with the afternoon light) is only etched and is much harder to see. This etched Buddha, however, can quite easily be seen from a distance and is just visible over the treetops.

Bulam-sa, "Buddha Rock Temple"

From Cheonbo-sa we hiked along a mountain trail for 20 or so minutes to Bulam-sa on the pyramid-shaped mountain. Bulam-sa has a very long history and is said to have been a Seon meditation temple founded in the mid-800s in the late Silla Dynasty and undergoing restoration and rebuilding over the centuries. In the Korean War it was almost totally destroyed but has been rebuilt by the Jogye Order. Many rock carvings are also in this rather large temple ground, but of rather recent and curious interest is the addition of the tall Chinese zodiak pillars, obvious incorporation of Daoist symbolism in a Buddhist temple that has sanshin, "mountain god", stonework and of course the sanshin-gak, the small building almost universally present in Korean Buddhist temple grounds. 

Great lighting with Professor David Mason.
Obviously this picture was shot just prior to Buddha's birthday.

The Chinese Daoist zodiac icons on Buddhist temple grounds that respect and have spiritual provisions and dedicated building for the sanshin, the mountain spirit.

Shaman Festival, Gyeryongsan

Hippie Korea tour group organized a trip to the "princess festival" (as translated online ) at Gyeryongsan, Gyeryongsan has been regarded as a sacred mountain since ancient times, and documented as such since the Silla Dynasty. During the Joseon Dynasty XX temple on Gyeryongsan positioned strategically and geomantically-speaking between Mt. Myohyang to the north and Jiri Mts to the south was dedicated to the mountain, which thus became its national guardian. The mountain also created a unique aspect of Korean Buddhism, the "sanshin prayer" which is making hopes and expressing wishes to the mountain god. For civilians, the mountain god was the object of praying for fertility and the birth of a son, and for shamans the mountain god is an objective source of energy. Shamanic practices have been central to this mountain culture and, until the Japanese colonial period when many traditional Korean cultural expressions were prohibited, were conducted annually here. 

After the colonial period, shamanic practices were quickly reinstated and Gyeryongsan is arguably one of the strongholds of Korean shamanism. However, with the influences of modernism and on-going dynamic culture changes the people of Gyeryongsan Jarak Village have changed their ceremony and incorporated it into a festival that invites tourism. That said, it is still a type of national ceremony.

So a busload of international people descended on the festival, and the locals were delighted. Several special farmers' dances had been prepared, but the best dancing was done by a group of elderly villagers, mostly men over 60, who pounded out the beat with great enthusiasm, although always in sync. They had real character! I've heard a lot of farmers' drum groups but these guys far excelled all others because they played like they felt the music, and they danced raucously while playing like the act of sharing music was a wild and enervating experience. Well, I'm convinced it was for them, and by extension to all the viewers as well! And like in all Korean traditional performances, there is no barrier between the performers and the audience, and so the audience was naturally expected to participate in the dancing, and yes the drinking of makgeolli too ... which large numbers did!

The festival performance included role play between historical characters, had a reenactment of a gut (exorcism), included a women's dance representing the dignity and properness of the upperclass, and between performances the audience was fed ddeok for comensal eating and plied with makgeolli for the same purpose.

The entrance to the festival site with jangseung appropriately standing to fend off evil. In traditional times the jangseung, the yin-yang couple, were positioned along the roads the led into villages. They were the sentinels of the village and thought to ward off evilness with their ugly faces.

best drumming group ... really warming the audience up!

By popular request at the end of this particular day at the festival, the elderly-men (mostly) drummers were requested to pound out their invigorating beats again!

A beautiful display of real food for this country festival!  Of late, I've been seeing plastic foods and sweets because of food expense and the subsequent waste of ceremonial food so this display is quite impressive.

The pig, especially a smiling pig, brings good luck to shamanic festivals.

The large basin in front of the pig is filled with makgeolli, and people with petitions come up and dip a bill of money, typically W10,000, into the makgeolli and paste it onto the pig. Unfortunately the wind was blowing and the bills kept flying off the pig ..... does this mean that luck or one's wishes fly away? Hmm, didn't ask.

A very rich display of wealth for the ceremony presented here! Plus, displaying the lucky smiling pig!
Fortune will shine on this village!

Yong-wang, King of the Dragons

King of the Dragons
The Yong-wang and other Dragons in Korean Shrines

Both pictures as posted via RASKB email transmission of the event, Nov 2017

Professor David Mason has a fascination with Yong-wang, the Dragon King, an ancient mythological spirit here in Korea. For years David has sleuthed around Korea watching ceremonies related to the Dragon King, intensively studied the shrines dedicated to the Dragon King in the back regions of Buddhist temple compounds, and trailed images of dragons and other iconography that, for those in the know, depict the Dragon King. When I heard that David gave a lecture at the Dongguk University Seon Center on Nov 19, 2016 on the topic, I asked if he would change his upcoming lecture for the Royal Asiatic Society on 

Solitary Sage: Korea's “Go-un” Choi Chi-won Book By Professor David to this unique lecture on the Dragon King. Obviously he did! Thank you, Professor!

A summary of his Yong-wang lecture:

Dragons have always played a key role in Oriental traditions, especially in religious and governmental artworks. They are plentifully employed in Korean royal palaces, Shamanic and Confucian shrines, and Buddhist temples as uplifting and protective spiritual guardians of the heavens. They are found depicted on furniture and on many artifacts, believed to bring good fortune to the owners. 

“Dragon” is one of the 12 auspicious figures of the oriental zodiac — as the leader of them all. The word itself is heavily employed in all eastern languages, and appears within an extremely high percentage of place names and other names, in comparison with other words. Looking deeper, in Korea they are presented much less as motifs of heaven-granted authority as in China, but more as symbols of the vital energies of water and its life-sustaining cycles as it moves through transformations – and the depictions have subtle characteristic differences.

Most Korean Buddhist temples have at least a small shrine for Yong-wang the dragon-king, and he also appears in Guardian Assembly Icons and some paintings of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. There are many interesting myths about appearances and behavior of this royal figure within Korean Daoist, Buddhist and folklore traditions. This lecture, well depicted through many colorful photos of the artworks and shrine, will explain about dragons and their monarch, and the role they play in eastern spirituality.

______________________________________________

The video link to this unique lecture is on the Royal Asiatic Society blog site titled Lecture Video: King of the Dragons, or on YouTube: King of the Dragons: The Yong-wang and other Dragons in Korean Shrines (1:12:19).

Korean Story-telling: Ancestral Memorial Rite for General Kim Bang Gyeong

Story-teller Seung Ah Kim and her extended family hosted a very unique trip to the Andong Kim family ancestor memorial rite ceremony for the Andong-Kim branch founder, General Kim Bang Gyeong. Ancestor General Kim dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century. The Andong Kim family gathers annually for the sije rite and this year opened the rite to the public.

Sije is the seasonal rites held for ancestors up to five generations past and is typically performed annually on the tenth lunar month, the best month of the year's harvest. To run smoothly, it needs financial support so the family prepares for three things: wito (money for the food and setting the table), seonsan (mountain for ancestral tombs), and jaesil (place for food preparation and rest). These three components do vary from family to family.

Sije for General Kim Bang Gyeong is held every October 9 (lunar calendar) in front of the tomb in Andong. If its rains it is held at Eumsujae, the main building, in Neungdongjaesa established only for General Kim. The day before sije the ritual team gets together to discuss the important agendas and select three eldest males for offering rice wine three times one after another with rituals assistants. 

Kangshinrye - greeting rituals to call the spirit down. Choheongwan (the first host) burns incense and pours rice wine over the burial mound three times and then bows twice.
Chamshinrye - all the participants bow twice 

Choheon - Choheongwan (the first host) offers the first rice wine and bows twice
Dokchuk - Chukgwan (reciter) recites an eulogy 

Aheon - Aheongwan (the second host) offers the second rice wine and bows twice 

Jongheon - Jeongheongwan (the final host) offers the final rice wine and bows twice 

Yusik - food offering rituals to the spirit. An assistant sticks a spoon into the center of the rice bowl facing eastward and puts a pair of chopsticks on top of the bowl also facing eastward 

Sashin - farewell ritual, bowing twice 

Eumbok (drink blessings) - participants share the ritual food and drinks as it symbolizes the receiving of the blessings bestowed upon the family 

Bunchuk - burn out all chukmun (eulogy)

I was very curious why such a private family ceremony would be opened to the public, and the answer is that "History needs to be shared!" Great answer! 

In particular, three of the elderly men of the clan have done extensive research on the family and published articles and books on the family history, specifically that of General Kim Bang Gyeong and his descendants. I commented that almost the entire clan that had gathered was over the age of 50 and was probably 80% male. Yes, I had identified a problem! But the elderly male who guided the tour in conjunction with Seung Ah Kim, the lead story-teller, said that when he was young he hadn't been interested in the family history but now he is, and so he believes that the younger generation will get interested later. He also added that his generation of people doing research have made it easy for subsequent generations. They just have to read the books published. The young generation now doesn't have much knowledge of complicated Chinese characters, the format used to write in older generations, so the published books not only compile the ancient family history, but translate it to modern Korean.

Sachon Village

Located in Sachon, Jeomgok-myeong, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsannamdo, Sachon is the ancestral village of General Kim Bang Gyeong, and is named after the Sachon village near China, "Sajinchon". The village is surrounded by beautiful nature and the people have inherited the spirit of seonbi (virtuous scholars) of the Joseon Dynasty and led uibyeong (army raised in the cause of justice) against Japan. One of the most famous scholar-officials of the Joseon Dynasty, Ryu Seong-ryong, was born in Sachon in 1542; his mother was an Andong Kim.

Historic Sites in Andong

Manchuidang (Treasure No. 1825) is one of the oldest wooden buildings of a Joseon Dynasty private house. It is used as a living space for the head family and a gathering space for the Andong Kim family members. Manchidang was a pen name of Kim Sa-won, the old student of the prominent Korean Confucian scholar, Han Seok-bong, who composed calligraphy for the royal court. 

Seorim (West Forest) was planted by the Kim clan to fill an empty space to the west of the village. Originally 10 different species of trees were planted, and now it is a dense flourishing forest with 300-600 year-old trees. Seorim is the oldest forest of its kind in Korea. 

Jidang Pond is an artificial pond in the middle of the village. In olden days people believed in geomancy / feng shui, and according to it, with the character of "fire" in written Sachon, it was believed that by building a pond, the "fire" of Sachon would be neutralized.

The Andong Kim family clan village is located in Sachon, Andong, Gyeongsangnamdo.

the white spirit papers with ancestors names propitiously waving in the wind

the main gate to the ancestor's home, Manchuidang

story-teller Seung Ah Kim in her representative Goryeo Dynasty attire

representatives of the Andong Kim clan (note that most are men and over 50)

the main building strung with the ancestor's papers to the right;
the walkway up to the gi-filled tombsites seen between the buildings

climbing to the tomb site(s)

last-minute preparations for the ritual: arranging the spirit food correctly

during the ceremony everyone was to bow (but because it was so crowded, only the representative members in ritual white were obligated to bow; everyone else could from necessity remain standing)

as soon as the ceremony was over everyone descended on the ritually arranged food to eat (Eumbok)

Removing the food from the ancestor's altar.
It's now possible to see the multi-grave arrangements that extend up the hill.
NOTE: the picture in the lower left corner was actually off to the right of the tomb and is the food set out for the Sanshin (the mountain god), a practice that is rarely seen anymore!

A few representative families with the foreigners (15-20) who had accepted the invitation to attend the ceremony.

The tomb arrangement after the place cleared of people and ritual materials.

It's hard to believe that one hour earlier this place was crammed with people, 

ground sheets, photographers, tons of food, and a large speaker system!

a view from this highest tomb ... very propitious gi-filled site!

Other famous places related to the Andong Kim family heritage:

3 of the Most Famous Historical Descendants of Kim Bang Gyeong

Kim Sa-hyeong (1341-1407)

One of the founders of the Joseon Dynasty. In 1336, Korean official Kim Sa-hyeong led a campaign into Tsushima.

Sim Si-min (1554-1592)

Most famous for having defended Jinju Castle with untrained fighters against the Japanese invaders during the Seven Years' War. Since he was one of the greatest generals of Joseon Dynasty, he received the title "Chungmygong", Duke of Loyalty and Warfare like Naval Commander Yi Sun-shin.

Kim Gu (1876-1949)

Better known by his pen name "Baekbom", Kim Gu's autobiography "Baekbeomilji" has inspired many Korean people. He was a Korean nationalist politician, the sixth and later the last Premier of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, a leader of the Korean independence movement against the Japanese Empire, and a reunification activist after 1945.

"My Desire" 

At the end of his autobiography, Kim expressed his desire which he carried throughout his lifetime: 

"If God asked me what was my wish, I would reply unhesitatingly, "Korean independence." If He asked me what my second wish was, I would again answer, "My country's independence." If He asked me what was my third wish, I would reply in an even louder voice, "My wish is the complete independence of my country, Korea". 

"... I want our nation to be the most beautiful in the world. By this I do not mean the most powerful nation. Because I have felt the pain of being invaded by another nation, I do not want my nation to invade others. It is sufficient that our wealth makes our lives abundant; it is sufficient that our strength is able to prevent foreign invasions. The only thing that I desire in infinite quantity is the power of a noble culture. This is because the power of culture both makes us all happy and gives happiness to others."

Haenyeo Museum, Jeju

The English version of the travel booklet Jeju Haenyeo published November 2015 by Haenyeo Museum explains about the traditional diving women of Jeju Island, the haenyeo, or literally the "sea women". Excerpts from the booklet follow:

Haenyeo Museum

Haenyeo, also called jamnyeo, the women divers, only exist in Jeju Island and Japan. The terms refers to them as women who gather seaweed, abalone, or other shellfish from the sea. Because of the very uniqueness of this diving profession, they have been the focus of much attention from around the world.

Haenyeo are the symbol of Jeju women as they were the bulwark of Jeju's economy, going on long expeditions to Japan as well as other parts of Korea. As strong tenacious hold on life and pioneering spirit is characteristic of the haenyeo. 

It is believed that fishermen harvested abalone during the Joseon Dynasty. In a Jeju Topography written by Lee Gun in 1629, it is recorded that haenyeo harvested abalone. Records of haenyeo are also found in bibliographic data such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Jiyoungrok, written by Lee Ik Tae, and Jonjaejeonseo by We Baek Gue.

Jeju's hanyeo also had a significant role in leading the anti-Japanese movement, fighting for their rights against the Japanese exploitation as one of the largest such movements nationwide.

It is our sincerest hope to build a museum on this historic site and develop a 21st century cultural arts mecca so that we can pass on and preserve Jeju's haenyeo culture, which has been acknowledged as a world heritage asset.

Jeju Haenyeo

Jeju haenyeo make their living by harvesting abalone, conch, sea cucumber, and hijiki from the ocean. The women are called jamsu, jamnyeo and jamsu [sic] in Jeju. Their lives are an integral part of the history of Jeju. The job they do in the sea is call muljil.

Diving seems to have begun before the period of the Three States, judging from the fact that Jeju had a record of contributing pearls to the king. It is believed that fishermen harvested abalone and presented them during Joseon Dynasty. Jeju Topography written by Lee Gun in 1629 recorded that haenyeo harvested abalones. The records of haenyeo are recorded on bibliographic data such as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Jiyoungrok written by Lee Ik Tae, and Jonjaejeonseo by We Baek Gue.

Jeju women are as diligent as men and learn early how to swim. They begin swimming at age 7-8 and were very skillful in muljil by age 18, and superior haenyeo by age 35. They are considered rare women and attract a lot of attention from around the world.

Muljil (Diving) Skill

Muljil skill is acquired by lengthy training and experience. Haenyeo near the ocean learned how to swim and dive in the shallow area by age 15. Physical conditions such as lung capacity, ability to withstand pressure, and capacity to adjust to cold water are needed. Cool nerves are also necessary when swimming near and encountering big fish. Jeju haenyeo have extended their skill and wisdom by learning the effective use of physical strength and knowledge of the ocean from the seniors at the Bulteok.

Sumbisori

Sumbisori is the whistling sound haenyeo make when they surface. It sounds like a "hoowi hoowi" sound when they inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide created when submerged for 1-2 minutes. Sumbisori provides fresh air to haenyeo and enables them to work extended periods of time with only short rest periods.

Knowledge about Nature

Knowledge of nature encompasses knowledge of the ocean and tides, wind, harvested things and experience. Haenyeo are able to recognize sea geography, changing tidal currents, and habitats of marine life. They can estimate growing process of seasonal marine life and harvest them accordingly. For example, the best time to harvest agar-agar is different year by year. They don't harvest abalone and conches during spawning season. The haenyeo's vast experience and accumulated knowledge of the marine ecosystem have been handed down from generation to generation.

Traditional Outfits

Traditional outfits (mulot) are composed of three pieces: mulsojungi (pants), muljeoksam (jacket) and mulsugun (typing hair). Mulsojungi, which is made of cotton, is designed for minimizing the water resistance to work well under the sea. It has a side opening for haenyeo to change clothes without showing their bodies. The distribution of rubber diving suits has greatly increased haenyeo's income since being used in the early part of 1970.

Diving Equipment

Diving equipment includes swimming googles, tewak mangsari, bitchang and kakuri. The non-traditional swimming goggles have been used since the 19th century, while the other pieces of equipment were modified with modern development. 

• the tewak can be clasped to the chest as a floating devise while swimming
• the mangsari can be hung on the tewak for storing harvested sea products
• the bitchang, a metal tool, is used to pick up abalones attached to rocks
• the kakuri, considered the most useful to divers, is for picking up sea products between rocks, turn rocks over, pull their bodies by attaching the tool to a rock and pulling

Jeju designated 15 items comprising the swimming suits and diving apparatus as Folk Material, No. 10.

Bulteok

Bulteok is a place where hanyeo change clothes and prepare for diving or rest between dives. The bulteok surrounded with stones arranged in a circle has a bonfire in the center for warming the haenyeo, and is a place where haenyeo can exchange information and skills on diving, fishing grounds and consolidate their ideas. There used to be 3-4 bulteok in each village, depending on the size of the village. Currently only 70 bulteok exist throughout Jeju as the bulteok have been replaced by modern dressing rooms equipped with hot and cold water facilities since 1985.

Chulga Haenyeo

Haenyeo who have left Jeju for foreign countries or moved to the mainland to areas like  Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeolla-do and Chungcheong-do are called chulga haenyeo. The songs which haenyeo used to sing, pulling oars while moving to the islands or distant sea are in general called haenyeo songs. The songs expressed the emotions and cognition of the haenyeo community which still exists today and were designated as Intangible Cultural Asset No. 1 by Jeju-do in 1971.

Faith

Haesindang (shrine) situated beside the sea is a ritual place for haenyeo to pray for their safety and abundance. Jamsugut and yowanggut are dances performed for safety and abundance. Jamsugut is performed on the 8th of March (lunar calendar) in Dongkimnyongri and is a symbolic ritual and festival for the haenyeo community. The cost of the dance is shared by the haenyeo. The dance, illustrates unity of life and work while the ritual (yowangmaji) calls the Dragon King and prays for abundance and safety. Similarly, sidream is a homeopathic magical ritual to plant seeds into the sea symbolic of harvesting an abundance of abalone, conch, agar-agar and hijiki.

Contribution to and Participation in the Common Good for the Community

Jeju haenyeo helped to pave the main road and build a school by donating part of their income. All proceeds from the fixed area of "ljangbadang" [sic] went to the head of the village who worked for the village official. There used to be "school badang" which supplied school support fees for elementary school.

When the school in Onpyeong, Sungsaneup burnt down in 1950, haenyeo contributed funds raised by selling seaweed from "school badang" and rebuilt the school from 1951 - 1958. The school's supporting association erected a commemorative monument in 1961 to pay tribute to haenyeo's charitable deeds.

Legend of the Haenyeo

There used to be a haenyeo living in Mosulpo, a haenyeo who didn't suffer from smallpox. She encountered a sea turtle on dry land along the road in Geumropo. Feeling pity for it, she took it to the sea. As it swam farther and farther into the sea, it conveyed its thankfulness.

Picking up abalones in Yongduam, she ran into an old man while jewels were shining. He said, "I'm very grateful for your kindness. You have saved my son." Handing a piece of flower to her, he said, "This flower will protect you from smallpox." She later found out the flower was from the black huckleberry plant. And her whole life she never suffered from smallpox.

"Tamnajichobon" written by Lee Won Cho 1843.

Other comments/points of interest from the museum brochure:

The Jeju Haenyeo Festival (September - October sometime) is the nation's only women-centered maritime festival, which is intended to hand down haenyeo traditional culture. All women divers on Jeju participate, and in the festival are event like:

• a haenyeo muljil (diving) competition
• tewak swimming competition
• tourist programs for experiencing muljil (diving) and bareutjabi (the traditional way of fishing to collect seafood using a torch)

Performance for Tourists (April - November) are arranged. Haenyeo songs which have been designed as Provincial Intangible Cultural Property No.1 are sung sturdily expressing Jeju women's spirit. These songs sung by haenyeo all over the island are in danger of disappearing due to the reduction in the numbers of haenyeo and changes in their work environment. These performances aim to increase awareness at home and abroad of cultural excellence of Jeju women divers and the cultural value of haenyeo tewak dance, haenyeo songs (such as leodosana or myeolchi hurineunsori songs sung when myeolchi are caught) and others. Jeju Haenyeo Museum hosts the Haenyeo Song Festival every year.