BUDDHIST TEMPLES AROUND JOLLANAMDO PROVINCE, KOREA
DECEMBER 2002

Here are some of the places I visited on my trip to Jollanamdo Province in South Korea. My highlights and delightful memories include having tea and memorable conversations with Korean Buddhist monks. In particular, meeting Zen Master Jung-In was very enlightening. He had once lived alone in a stone cave in Mount Jiri (Jirisan) for seven years, practicing Zen. Having recognized to have attained the truth by the highest monks at Haeinsa Temple, one of the three most important Buddhist temples in Korea (Songgwangsa and Tongdosa being the others), he now resides with three Jindo dogs in an abandoned shelter in Damyang County.

When in Jolla Province (jollado) you have to sample the food! Once you've eaten Korean food in Jollado, you're certain to have a hard time enjoying Korean food anywhere else. Some other memorable foods I ate on this trip were galchi-jjim (a fish stew) at a restaurant frequented by President Kim Daejung; rice cooked in a bamboo stalk near Mount Jiri; and pit-roasted free-range duck in Damyang County.

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See below for related links.
Sosewon is a garden created for poets and artiists in the Josun period. It is located near Gwangju in Damyang County. Sosewon A resting pavillion A bamboo grove at the entrance to Sosewon Road into Songgwangsa Temple The main court of Songgwangsa
The building in the background is the Zen house at Songgwangsa. The view of Jogae Mountain from Burilam. A wooden chair made by Bupjung sunim. The famous "Haewooso" or restroom at Songgwangsa. You have to use it when you're there! The beautifully rhythmic beating of the giant drum begins each "yeabul" or service. The entrance to Unjusa Temple, which is famous for stone statues
Most of the sculpting work is believed to be done by common folk, as the features are very simple and native. The legend has it that one thousand stone sculptures were to have appeared overnight. Unjusa Temple, probably built by Master Toson in 827 CE, is an unusual place. According to the traditional theory of geomancy, the Korean Peninsula was thought to be unbalanced and in danger of capsizing because there were fewer mountains in the southwest. To prevent this disaster, Unjunsa, with its "thousand Buddhas and thousand pagodas," was built in Southern Cholla-do Province. Unjusa Unjusa The main hall of Sunryunsa Temple, where Chunghwa sunim resides. For a period of 40 years, Chunghwa sunim remained in an upright position, never lying down even to sleep.
The view from Josundang at Sungryunsa. Baekyangsa Temple Colorful carps in the stream at Baekyangsa Another visit to Songgwangsa, my favorite temple. On this visit, I met the American monk, HyunGak sunim. When I told him in Korean that I was from Seattle, he replied, "Ah... Shi-ah-teul" in perfect Korean. More of Songgwangsa Meditation trails in Songgwangsa
         

Related links:
Jollanamdo Province
Songgwangsa Temple
Unjusa Temple
Sungryunsa Temple
Baekyangsa Temple
Hwaeomsa Temple
BupJung sunim