Seonunsa
Encyclopedia
Seonunsa is a head temple of the Jogye Order
of Korean Buddhism
. It stands on the slopes of Dosolsan in Asan-myeon, Gochang County
, near the Yellow Sea
coast in western Jeollabuk-do
province. It was first built by Seon master Geomdan in the 6th century, when the area was ruled by the Baekje
kingdom. The temple was burned down by Japanese forces in 1597, during the Seven Year War, and subsequently rebuilt.
There is a camellia
forest behind the main hall (daeungjeon) of the temple. The trees are roughly 500 years old, and are designated by South Korea as a natural monument
.
The temple is known for its worship of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and for its annual camellia festival
Jogye Order
The Jogye Order, officially the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that date back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820...
of Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
. It stands on the slopes of Dosolsan in Asan-myeon, Gochang County
Gochang County
Gochang County is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is a rural area, and is home to only one institution of higher education: Gochang Polytechnic College.Famous people from Gochang include the 20th-century poet Midang....
, near the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
coast in western Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
province. It was first built by Seon master Geomdan in the 6th century, when the area was ruled by the Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
kingdom. The temple was burned down by Japanese forces in 1597, during the Seven Year War, and subsequently rebuilt.
There is a camellia
Camellia
Camellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
forest behind the main hall (daeungjeon) of the temple. The trees are roughly 500 years old, and are designated by South Korea as a natural monument
Natural monuments of South Korea
This is a partial list of natural monuments of South Korea. By 2009 a total of 576 animal, plants, landforms, geological formations, and nature reserves had been designated by the Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea as natural monuments...
.
The temple is known for its worship of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and for its annual camellia festival
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Religion in South KoreaReligion in South KoreaThe predominant religions in South Korea are the traditional Buddhist faith and a large and growing Christian population...
- Korean Buddhist templesKorean Buddhist templesBuddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in -sa , which means "temple", or ancient temple.-Introduction to Korean...