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Finding Harmony at one of Korea's Three Jewels:
Songgwangsa Seunim Beop Jeong spent much of his life at Songgwangsa, a temple which has been home to several high-profile monks through the ages. Located in Haenam County, in Jeollanam-do, the temple is easily accessible from Gwangju.
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t would seem only appropriate that, while kneedeep in reading Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums, I should travel to the Buddhist temple at Songgwangsa. Resting southeast of Gwangju, Songgwangsa offers a quiet respite outside of the city limits. The voyage to this wholesome site is cleansing – if not for the soul, then certainly for the lungs – as the impressive temple, nestled in the lower range of Jogye Mountain, reminds the body what it is like to breathe fresh air once again. Easily accessible by public transportation, the trip to Songgwangsa is a manageable jaunt for a Sunday afternoon. Buses run from the Gwangju Bus Terminal (U-Square) directly to the base of the temple grounds, taking around one and a half hours. A short ramble up the mountain path positions you in front of Jogye Gate, also known as Iljumun (or “One Pillar Gate”), the first threshold to Songgwangsa. Passing through this gate signifies that “one has
deserted their carnal and worldly desires, as well as their distracted souls, to enter the world of truth, and thus, one should act and think in a pious manner.” Truthfully, entering through this gateway seems to quiet the mind – whether consciously or not – as you are suddenly in the midst of an archipelago of brilliantly adorned temples. Songgwangsa, translated as “Spreading Pine Temple,” is the third of the Three Jewel Temples in Korea. Songgwangsa represents sangha, the Buddhist community. The sister temples, Tongdosa and Haeinsa, both located in the southern part of Gyeongsang province, represent the Buddha and the dharma, the Buddhist teachings. It is traditional in the Buddhist faith for practitioners to initiate their journey to enlightenment by visiting the Three Jewels in succession: the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha. As such, all Buddhist temples are created as a collection of three.
Cascading rooves at Songgwangsa
Gwangju News April 2010
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