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Chukseosa Temple in Munsusan Mountain |
2009-10-20 |
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Gaedan-ri Mulya-myeon Bonghwa-gun Gyeongsangbuk-do Province
Triple joy of autumn with colorful leaves, fallen leaves and apples
Bonghwa-gun in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is placed just below the southern part of Gangwon-do Province and, as the great Baekdudaegan Mountains stretch to the northern part of this area, the area has many high mountains and deep valleys. Therefore, Bonghwa has many attractive spots and many temples. Among the many temples there, Chukseosa Temple is a very impressive temple.
At Gapyeong-ri, I exit from the paved road that connects Bonghwa and Buseoksa Temple and drive toward Chuseosa Temple. The dirt road rises higher and higher, meandering along the slopes of mountain. How long does it continue? The lonely and rough road on the mountain continues for a long while and Chuseosa Temple appears at last. This ancient temple is located on a high slope that is about 800 meters above sea level. Upon seeing the scenic temple, my heartbeat speeds up. The peaks of Sobaeksan Mountain look very near at hand. The valley is covered with white clouds, and I am enchanted like a hermit floating above the clouds.
Chukseosa Temple stands peacefully in the middle of Munsusan Mountain, which is 1,206 meters above sea level. The great monk Euisangdaesa, the founder of Hwaeomjong Division, built this temple in the 13th year of the reign of the King Munmu (AD673) three years before he founded Buseoksa Temple during the Silla Kingdom. It is said that food was supplied from this temple when Buseoksa Temple was under construction. The Chinese character Chuk of Chukseosa (鷲棲寺) is "Chwi," meaning "an eagle," but it is pronounced "Chuk" in Buddhist circles. It is the same with the case of Yeongchwisan Mountain, where Tongdonsa Temple is located. Yeongchwisan Mountain is called Yeongchuksan Mountain.
Cultural property Seokbuljwasangbugwangbae (sitting stone Buddha statue Bugwangbae)
Chukseosa Temple is a little temple today but it used to be a large scale temple in the old days. According to the founding document written in the 31st year of the reign of the King Sukjong (AD1705) during the Yi Dynasty, the temple had fifteen halls and houses with a large pavilion called Gwangmyeongru (光明樓: bright light pavilion) in front of the temple. Near the summit of Munsusan Mountain used to be little temples called Dosolam and Cheonsusam, but they have been demolished long before and only the remains of foundation stones and roof tiles are left there nowadays.
Chukseosa Temple houses Seokbuljwasangbugwangbae (石佛坐像附光背: sitting stone Buddha statue), which was nominated as Treasure No. 995 on April 10, 1989. This Buddha statue is one of many Birojanabul statues that were popular around the latter part of the Silla Kingdom. The statue features a humanoid figure with a sense of safety and security. It is 108 centimeters high with 55 centimeter-wide shoulders, a 31 centimeter-high head and a 96 centimeter-high seat. The large seat is composed of three parts: an upper part, middle part and lower part in an octagonal shape that was popular around the end of the Silla Kingdom. On the surface of the octagonal seat are inscribed beautiful figures such as flowers, lions and food servers.
In the precinct of the temple are Samcheungseoktap (three storied stone pagoda, Cultural Material of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province No. 157) and Seokdeung (stone lantern holder, Cultural Material of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province No. 158). Judging from the contents of Seoktapjoseongmyeonggi (石塔造成銘記: founding document of the stone pagoda) discovered in the stone pagoda, the stone pagoda was built in AD 867. And the stone lantern holder is assumed to have been built in the late Silla Kingdom or early Goryeo Kingdom.
Dark dense forest
If you come to the entrance to Chukseosa Temple from Bonghwa, you will encounter Bukjiri Maaeyeoraejwasang (sitting stone Buddha statue) enshrined in a preservation structure in the forest on the left side of the mountain road. This huge stone Buddha statue was built on the old site of Jirimsa Temple that is said to have been built during the reign of Queen Jindeok of the Silla Dynasty. This statue is 4.9 meters high, 3.7 meters wide and was nominated as National Treasure No. 201 in September, 1980. The great monk Eusang stayed overnight at Jirimsa Temple before he founded Chukseosa Temple, and currently Suwolsam Temple is placed there.
Chukseosa Temple boasts a scenic vista around the temple. The dense forest along the mountain road to the temple provides dark shade even during the daytime, and when autumn comes, the forest trees form a colorful tunnel along the road. In the deep valley covered with the thick forest flows the clear valley stream that is cool even on hot and sultry summer days. The deserted lonely mountain road covered with colorful autumn leaves gives rise to a poetic mood in late autumn.
In addition to the charms of colorful autumnal leaves and the fallen leaves, Chukseosa Temple road has another attraction. There are many apple trees near the entranceway to the temple. The quality and sweetness of Bonghwa apples are very well-known in the nation. You will be pleased to see the red apples hanging abundantly on the apple trees. One autumn day, I was fascinated at the sight of red apples and dropped by the orchard. The owner of the orchard said he does not sell small amounts of apples at a time, but he presented an armful of apples for free on the spot.
He said extremely red and pretty apples are less sweet than normal apples, as they were grown in paper packs without receiving the sunlight directly. He said apples that are less red, grown without paper covers, are cheaper and sweeter. Revealing this truth to us, the orchard keeper gave us more apples as a farewell gift. We were deeply moved with the pure and generous heart of the orchard keeper in the remote mountain valley.
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