Seokbulsa Temple, a Hidden Jewel (Busan)

Seokbulsa is a hidden gem of a temple. It's a bit remote and the climb can be taxing, but the view is positively spectacular and worth every drop of sweat. From the temple a view of Gwanggali Bridge and an expanse of the city of Busan can be seen beyond richly rolling green hills. The East Sea lays in a contrasting flat reflecting expanse beyond the forested rolling Geumjeongsan mountain. Quite breathtaking to see. As for the temple itself, surprisingly in this "modern" era with cultural tourism to most temples, there is no English sign anywhere around. Neither is there a templestay program! Hurray! I really appreciated this distance from commercialism, and this remoteness was reflected in the devote behavior of the people who were there to bow, meditate and pay respects to the mountain spirits.

According to Dale's Korean Temple Adventures, this temple was formerly known as Byeongpungam Hermitage, or "Folding Screen Hermitage", based on the way the rock faces formed a screen between the folds of the mountain. The name was changed to Seokbuksa Temple, "Rock Buddha Temple", probably after the faces of the rock screens were carved with 10-meter tall Bhuddhas, Boddhisattvas, and guardians. 

Central in the folds of the screen and the figure that everyone is praying to is Gwanseeum-bosal, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. On each rock face to the left and right are two Heavenly King Guardians, with the left wall also having an image of Birojana-bul, the Buddha of Cosmic Energy, and the right wall also having another Buddha image. Numerous recessed shrines are below the Gwanseeum-bosal, and on the climb up the stone staircase are 16 smaller stone bas reliefs of the 16 Nahan. Ascending onwards is the highest and remotest building containing the Sanshin, "the Mountain Spirit", and Dokseong, "Recluse", of course in their typical most remote position ... vestigial figures of shamanism incorporated in Korean Buddhism.

Several intwined dragons holding pearls in their mouths are fashioned in the walled perimeter around the Dharma Bell.

Passing the buildings to the recessed folds of the mountain to see the great carved guardians and the multiple recessed shrines. The tranquility of this temple provokes reflection and lends an atmosphere of respectful sacredness.

Not a place for tourism, but a quiet spot for meditation and prayfulness.
The woman prays to Gwanseeum-bosal, Bodhisattva of Compassion. 

And yet in the middle of 108 bows, the cell phone rang and (lady on the left) answered and proceeded to have an intense conversation. Then the 108 bowing continued.

Two of the Heavenly Guardians watch.

To my right are a line of 16 Nahan carved into the face of the rock wall, above, hidden, but still there lending their celestial support.

This little boy was learning to do his bows as well.

Again, two Heavenly Guardians to the right and a Buddha figure to the left.

Gopanhwa (Ancient Asian Woodblock Print) Templestay

The Gopanhwa Museum (aka Museum of Ancient Asian Woodblock Print) was started in 1999 as the brainchild of the Taego Order monk who operates the entire grounds. Director Han, with a PhD in Museum Education, is passionate about his private collection of about 4,300 ancient woodblocks and prints which represent five Asian countries: Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia and Tibet. In days prior to the conveniences of Internet and Ebay-like services, he would travel extensively to Asian countries sleuthing down Asian woodblocks and old prints to add to his collection. 

23 years ago Director Han, as a monk (he still is a monk but allows his hair to grow out as he works with people of everyday society), visited China and saw woodblocks. He felt a connection and wanted to learn more about woodblock making. And that was his beginning with his passion concerning woodblocks. In those days he was always going to China to continue his learning of woodblock craft. Now his focus has changed from doing and learning to collecting and preserving, and thus, the creation of his woodblock temple and museum. He says there are few original books and woodblocks remaining -- the Tripitaka preserved at Haeinsa is a primary and well-preserved example -- but China doesn't have these. He is madly running around trying to collect the few remaining woodblocks and prints so they can be preserved and appreciated.

The unusual-shaped temple, one of the first buildings constructed on the grounds, was designed by Director Han. The inside is truly spectacular--you'll have to visit to believe me! Also unusual is the Buddha image in the foreground here; it had been decapitated, but Director Han erected the Buddha in his temple garden and commissioned another stone head to be carved. The Hawaiian lei covers the seam and hides the discoloration between the old and the new stone.

Director Han has intense knowledge and his hands are about as expressive as his words. A special thanks to Sonja Glaeson who hosts the travel experience group in Suwon, Hippie Korea. Sonja was our phenomenal translator; otherwise, we would have missed the deeper meaning of all the symbolism and deep history wrapped up in the temple and the woodblocks. 

Director Han carved the Buddha in the temple himself. It was carved from a 300-year-old well-aged pine trunk, and it was completely carved in 3 weeks. Director Han praises Buddha for the quick carving of the temple's central image. 

Director Han commissioned this painting in the temple. The characters in the painting are a combined representation of all the mythic gods in Asia: the chilsung which is Taoist and gradually changed into a Confucian spirit-concept, Chinese spirits, the mountain god, Indian spirits especially as Hinduism transitioned into Buddhism, the dragon king represented by 매기 (a fish), and of course the Four Heavenly Kings. 

Buddhist food, and Buddhist manners for giving thanks

Before eating the Buddhist temple food, everyone was given a prayer-chant to recite along
with Director Han to express thanks for the food.

Buddhist monk style meal! Director Han was educating us on the order of eating and the command of Buddha to eat everything and not waste; everything means eating even the last grain of rice and the last speck of pepper powder. We were to swish water around in our bowl after eating and drink it all so as to "eat everything".

We were a little reserved about diving into the food the first meal ... not sure of the manners.

Meal 2. Oh never mind! If you're hungry, just eat. Worry about manners when you're full!

Gopanwha Museum: Ancient Asian Woodblock Print Museum

This whole museum was amazing! It has recently received an award for being one of the best museums in Korea! Also recently, Director Han had a woodblock display at Kyoungbokgung Folk Museum which ran for 2 months!

A brief history of ancient printing:

• Printing was best during the Goryeo Dynasty, but then the best moved to Japan during the Edo period.
• First color prints were made about 400 years ago in China. Then Edo embraced this style and greatly expanded on color printing. 
• Korea didn't do much with color printing. Instead, they inked woodblocks with the typical black and after stamping colored the paper by hand.  
• Korea did like embossing paper, which was a mark of high aesthetics and therefore highly valued in Korea. To emboss, they dampened hanji paper, pressed it on a patterned wood mold to emboss the pattern onto the paper.
• Bamboo-style (mid Joseon) - printed for writing and making accordion style

In short, the development of woodblock printing shifted each century 

• 17th C - China
• 18th C - Japan
• 19th C - Korea
• Now - Africa and artists like Picasso get a lot of attention with woodblock forming

Woods that have traditionally or preferentially been used by the three NE Asian countries are:

• 돌배나무 (wild pear, which doesn't have knots) - China
• "sakura" - Japan
• pear and cherry - Korea 

The museum is filled with treasures and each treasure has a story. The display in the picture above attracted a lot of our attention. In the display is an original Ming Dynasty art book; it is 400 years old and is the oldest art textbook known! Next to it is a 17th century Japanese copy of a famous art book from the 1600s. People who search for these books come here!

Another treasure is a late-17th century Ching Dynasty print that is a recreation of an art book from the Ming Dynasty. The book is totally made from multiple woodblock prints with different inks and without the use of any brush. 

Director Han greatly values these books and says "Since these woodblocks and prints are now recognized and valued as art, they can be protected and preserved for posterity as important art forms." 

The oldest book in this collection is represented by a single printed page of a sutra printed in the 9th century! The oldest woodblock here was created 500 years ago!

Three (3) special hands-on woodblock activities:

Stamping a t-shirt:

We each were given a white t-shirt, the choice of several stamps to ink, and instructions on how to stamp cloth to get the best results. After we stamped our t-shirts and allowed them to dry, Director Han wanted us to put them on so he could get pictures of his "pupils" showing off their scholarly endeavor.

Carving a fish, the symbol of eternal wakefulness in Buddhism:

Other than the tour of the absolutely phenomenal museum, carving the silly fish was my favorite part of the weekend. One of our group had been on this templestay program two or three years ago, so she had told us about the carving process, and I got all excited and came with pictures of tigers to carve. Director Han was absolutely firm about me not carving a powerful tiger but instead just making a cloned fish like everyone else. I was not amused ... but I have to say, in the long run, I think I benefited more by carving the fish because I could see my carving results and everyone else's and then we could see which style reproduced better. My style, even though carved very neatly, didn't reproduce as nicely as the others. It lacked character. This was very important information to gain!

Embossing a book cover with a woodblock stamp

The large patterned woodblock we used for embossing was, once upon a time, an "ironing board" for the old-fashioned method of ironing by striking wooden sticks on a flat surface. I had never heard of one of the old ironing boards as having a carved motif for leaving impressions in "ironed" clothing. Amazing!

The steps in making embossed book covers was is to traditionally use bees wax, but we used the more accessible candle wax, to rub in one direction on the construction paper. Rubbing back and forth rips fragile paper fibers and makes the cover rough and uneven textured. After laying a layer of wax on the whole page, we folded the paper around a stiff cardboard shape and glued the two together. Then we took the paper to the embossing board and laid the paper on the wood, wax-side up to rub a piece of wood over the entire book cover, leaving a pattern behind. 

After the cover had been embossed, the thick cover was hole-punched so with needle and thick thread we could sew the book covers and inside pages together.

Various inks, various patterns, gorgeous outcomes!

This whole weekend templestay was very unusual. While the temple is the central part of the grounds, the central focus is to experience the proper ancient usage of ancient woodblocks and to appreciate them as central elements to ancient scholarship. 

Just before we left, Director Han's wife, the curator and phenomenal cook for the visitors of the templestay program, introduced us to a special Monkey King woodblock. She even brought out the orange ink for inking the block--orange being the typical ink used for that particular carving. This was very special, especially as one of our group has a collection of monkey king objects and stories.

Woodblock carving competition:

As we were bidding our talented director goodbye and leaving, Director Han suddenly informed us that there was a woodblock carving competition currently taking place. He pointed to a wall-announcement and then to me and said, "You, tiger!" Haha, I hadn't wanted to carve the fish, but kept insisting on carving a tiger. He wouldn't let me, saying I needed methodology. I got a bit of that in his two-hour woodblock carving session, so here was my chance to carve my tiger. Yeah, I decided that I really wanted to enter this contest! The downside of the event, however, was that I had less than two weeks to design, carve and submit. Well, I gave it my best effort. You can read about my carving process here.

[If anyone is looking for woodblock carving materials, Hangaram Mungo has two branches at the Express Bus Terminal, Seoul. One Hangaram is a well-stocked stationery store, while the other Hangaram store around a couple of corners is for the serious art student: paints of all kinds, easels, papers and hanji, tools for various kinds of art, and yes, tools and smallish woodblocks for the carver. Very useful store! Leave your cash and your credit card at home before going, though!]

Templestay information:

One-day experience: People can come on tour (by arrangement) and either spend a day from 10:00-18:00 being introduced to the temple, the spectacular museum, and make a woodblock carving. W5,000/adult. Not sure of the minimum number of participants - perhaps 10. 

Templestay weekend experience: People can alternatively come for a weekend templestay experiential program like we did, from just before lunch on Saturday and leaving at 11:00 Sunday. W60,000/person but a preferred minimum of 20 participants is needed. Make reservations and send payment in full a few days prior to arrival.

Templestay in Gangjin, Jeollabukdo

Hendrik Hamel (1630 - 1692)

Gangjin has a bit of unusual cultural history — in the 17th century it was the town where Hendrick Hamel, the Dutchman who famously became shipwrecked, spent years of his life before being transferred to Hanyang (present-day Seoul). In 1653 Hamel and 35 fellow shipmates were shipwrecked and stranded in Korea. And as the story goes, two years after being shipwrecked a Manchu envoy came to Seoul whereupon a senior navigator and a sailor from Hamel's crew members approached the Manchu envoy about returning to the Netherlands via China. However, their escape attempt was quickly discovered resulting in them being imprisoned and the remaining 33 Dutch sailors being spirited away to Gangjin, where they lived for seven years. Eleven of them died during this period. In three consecutive years (1660, 1661 and 1662) famine stuck the Gangjin area and due to the inability to feed the men, the dwindling crew were divided into three groups and sent to Saesong (12 men), Suncheon (5 men) and Namwon (5 men). Finally after 13 years of being detained in Korea, Hamel and seven other crew members were finally able to make their escape.

Gangjin Celadon Festival

Gangjin is also famous for the Gangjin Celadon Festival, listed by many as one of the top festivals of South Korea. According to the website Festival Walker:

"Pottery has been one of the famous industries of the old Korea that has continued to amaze not only the local citizens but people from other countries as well. Because of this, Gangjin, still retains over 200 traditional kilns which are still functional. The town produces celadon earthenware which has top quality; thus they are considered masterpieces. During the festival, visitors can observe how high quality pottery is made. An exhibit on of celadon relics which were brought up from the bottom of the sea is open to the public. This festival is celebrated from late July to early August in the city of Gangjin, Jeolla-do."

Templestay at Baekryun-sa, near Dasan Chodang

Gangjin is also where Dongguk University Seon Center arranged for participants to have a templestay and detoxify from city life in the remote beauty of Baekryun-sa.

The temple is next to a camellia forest with meandering trails that ultimately lead to the famous Dasan Chodang, the tea hermitage of Jeong Yak Yong, more commonly known by his pen name Dasan, meaning "mountain of tea".

Dongam, also called Songpungnu, was the house where Dasan received guests and kept his private library of the 2000-odd books he needed as references for writing his works. Dasan spent most of his time in exile at Dasan-chodang immersed in writing. It was here he completed Admonition on Governing the People (Mongmin simseo), the most famous of all his writings. Time work his house down, so this house was rebuilt in 1976 along with Seoam.

Dasan was a great intellect of the Joseon Dynasty and lived for many years in exile here on Mandeoksan (mountain) surrounded by camellias. He taught many students at the hermitage where, in the seclusion from court life, he did his most profound scholarly work. It was on the trails overhung by camellias that he would meet with Hyejang of Baekryunsa to discuss Confucianism, Buddhism, have discussions of the world, and drink tea. The area nearby is still known for its tea cultivation.

Playing in a green tea field about 20 min drive from Baekryun-sa.
The head monk (pictured) showed us this hidden beautiful jewel.
The field had just been clipped! What fun!

[An aside on the camellias — Although there is no medicinal value for camellias, they have their traditional purpose in society. During the Joseon Dynasty the groom (limited to this region as the trees grow only in the south in the Namhae-do region) would carry a branch of a camellia tree in front of the bride as she was being transported to his house. Camellia trees as prodigious fruit-bearing trees were used a propitious symbol for fertility. Camellias were and still are used in hair treatments. Can't remember if they are believed to darken or soften the hair, but people want hair treatments with camellia listed on the packaging!)]

The first name of Beakryun-sa was Mandeok-sa (Many Virtues Temple) and its name was taken from the mountain on which it was situated. The temple is said to have been built by Master Mu Yeom in 839 during the Unified Silla Dynasty. Ven Mu Yeom was a high monk who opened famous the Sungju Meditation center in Boryung, Chooncheongnam-do, one of the first 9 Seon (Zen) centers in old Korea.

Time flowed, and the original temple buildings crumbled with only one site remaining. The temple was rebuilt by Ven Yo Se in Goryeo Dynasty and became a large temple complex when a group of practicing Buddhist monks and lay people gathered to make a Buddhist reform movement, the historical Baekryunsa (association) Movement which is compared to the Samadi-Wisdom Practice Movement (called Suseonsa) at Songgwang-sa, Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. Since the reform movement was very successful and drew many monks and practitioners from across the country, the temple came to produce 8 national masters in the Goryeo Dynasty.

As for the Baekryun reform movement, it was more focused on repentance in one's life and belief in rebirth into Buddhist Pure Land through mantra recitation practice. The religious reforms were more popular among low-educated people rather than middle- and high-class people.

Baekryun-sa was damaged and destroyed by invading Japanese pirates in the late Goryeo Dynasty. Ven Hang Ho with the royal assistance from the third brother of King Sejong in 15 century started to the reconstruction of the temple. In 1760 it was demolished in a big fire, but afterwards rebuilt into its present shape.

Baekryunsa is quite well-known:

• opened by National Master Mu Yeom in the 9th century during Unified Silla Dynasty
• birthplace of Baekryun Pureland Movement led by National Master Won Myo in 13th century in Goryeo Dynasty
• produced 8 national masters in Goryeo Dynasty and 8 highest monks in the Joseon Dynasty 
• famous nationwide for tea plantation, camellia flowers, and a good view of the sea
• main Buddha hall, 3 wooden Buddha statues, and a temple chronology epitaph recognized as important artwork

The Paintings of the Main Hall at Baekryunsa

• 21 dragons are painted inside the Main Hall!

• Why so many? People dream of nirvana and when they die they believe a boat will come to transport them to the Pure Land and because dragons protect from air, land and sea, the dragons are seen as protectors. The boat is called something like banyayongseon and comes from Sanscrit.

• 21 dragons. Two of them have their heads outside (the left one is always white, the right is always blue). The two dragons bodies penetrate the walls of temple and their scales are painted on the beams spanning the airy space above — this symbolizes the dragons wrapping their bodies around the building and therefore the people within, which symbolizes a promise of protection.

• Buddha sits on a maeru (name of a mountain) and when Buddha preached, flowers in the ceiling fell from heaven. Meanwhile, music is played and since angels play music, the idea of support from the heaven is portrayed. Cloud motif is heavily used in temples and is particular apparent in this temple; the clouds are representative of the heavens.

• Lotus are throughout all temples in Korea, and again, obviously so in this temple. The lotus plant has many seeds — the tops are blooms and as the plant matures it gives a pod, and the cycle of life repeats.

• Painted on the wall beams also is a pair of frogs, a very unlikely depiction to be found in almost all other temples, but the symbolism again is clear: from have many eggs and so frogs symbolize fertility.

• Lions, the imagery originally brought from India, are also found — saja, the word for lion, is a play on word for a Buddhist term, thus the creatures presence in Buddhist temples. 

• The phoenix, also a motif for kings, has winged its way into the paintings. This phoenix has the celestial wings, but also features like a deer, and the head of a chicken — the combination of which is for bringing good fortune, thus, the reason for kings also using the imagery.

• Fish with an axe-head in its mouth ... a visionary reminder of what Buddha said, to be careful of one's words because they can cut and damage.

• 18 arahans (like small buddhas, Sanscrit) — their presence means that Buddha told them not to go to heaven but to stay in the mundane life and teach practitioners the truth; they study, recite, meditate, pray ...

This building, far from Seoul and the more developed regions, is surprisingly well funded as is obvious by its great paintings and well-kept roofs and outer buildings. Probably because of the 8 Grand Masters and 8 high monks who are famed in Korean Buddhism, this building gets funding from the Jogye Order countrywide administration. They certainly need funding to commission the woodwork and paintings and maintain the compound and roof especially. Every 30 years the whole ceiling (and all the artwork and scroll-cut wood) needs to be removed and totally redone, which takes about 40 billion won!

This temple has been carefully maintained and is in its original form since ???? (many many) years, except for the roof that needs continual repair and for 2 large very valuable paintings that were stolen in 1994 when the Jogye Order had a major fracturing and turnover caused by the head of the order (very powerful) trying to extend his term of leadership into a fourth term when by religious decision, a monk could only serve up to a maximum of three terms.

In designing Baekryunsa, the Bophwakyeong lotus sutra or Dharma flower sutra was themed in all of the paintings.

Having tea with the head monk.
The view from behind him is absolutely breath-taking

--> — a panoramic view of water liberally speckled with islands. An amusing fact shared by the monk: Hundreds of islands dot the waterways below the temple, many of them quite small and without water sources. In fact, of the 2,000 or so islands in South Korea, only about 400 of them are populated. 

Enjoying Buddhist fare (vegan food and without the 5 foods that excite the body:
garlic, onion, leek, chive and a related cousin). Lots of vegetables, oh yes, my kind of food!

Meditating in the main temple hall -- this is where the artwork inside is so unusual, and with 21 dragons!

Communal hall where the community can gather, relax, hear Dharma talks and Buddhist teachings, and have activities. At present, a display of fish (symbol of Buddhism as fish never close their eyes and sleep - spirituality never sleeps either) made by children in a temple program are on display. At night the fish-shaped paper lanterns are a delight to see!

Muwisa Temple, known for its beautiful paintings

We stopped by the very famous Muwisa Temple for a couple of hours and for our Buddhist fare lunch. This temple, unlike Baekryunsa, is packed with people and has a food hall for visitors who are lined up, quickly passed a bowl of rice and veggies, encouraged to hurry so that more visitors can fill the seats. The visitor's lunch hall was very large and there were many people cycling through. Near the exit of the visitor's dining hall is a large area to wash one's bowl and eating utensils. This is standard in almost all temples, but much more strictly organized here. Assembly line dining.

The temple was lovely ... and very old. Many treasures are located on its grounds, but some quick simple notes are:

• temple was founded by Great Master Wonhyo in 617 of the Silla Dynasty
• Keuknak Jeon (Hall of Utmost Bliss) built in 1430 houses 3 Amitabha Buddhas (national treasures)
• 29 paintings in Keuknak Jeon—known as the oldest and most creative Buddhist wall paintings in South Korea