Haeinsa Temple (해인사)

  The Haeinsa Temple is one of the three main temples in South-Korea. Its name means "Reflection on a calm sea". Haeinsa, on Mount Gayasan, was originally built in AD 802 by the monks, Sunung and Ijong, during the reign of King Aejang of the Silla Kingdom.

When the queen of King Aejang (r. 800-809) became ill with a tumor, the king asked Master Sunung and Master Ichong to help her. They tied one end of a string to the tumor, the other to a tree and chanted special verses. Miraculously, as the tumor withered, the tree died. Out of gratitude for the monks' services, the king built Haeinsa Temple.

The temple has become known for housing Iljumun, Daejeokgwangjeon and the Tripitaka Koreana which are recognized as famous national treasures. Iljumun Gate was the first gate that every sattva must pass to become a Buddha and considered as a representative work of ancient architecture. Daejeokgwangjeon, the grand sanctuary, and the three-story stone pagoda in the yard possess the majestic appearance of the one thousand-year-old temple.

The Tripitaka Koreana -81,258 wooden printing blocks carved during the Goryo Dynasty (AD 918-1392), that make up the oldest, most complete, and best-preserved collection of Buddhist scriptures in the world.

The Tripitaka Koreana was carved in the 13th century in a temple on Kanghwado Island. It was believed that the possession of these wood-blocks would protect the country against invasion. The original set of printing blocks, carved in the 11th century, were burnt by the Mongols and, in the 13th century, a new set was undertaken at the orders of King Kojong. These were transported from Kanghwado Island on the heads of nuns to Haeinsa for safekeeping.

To prepare the white birch woodblocks, they were submerged in seawater for three years, boiled in seawater for three years and then dried in the shade for three years. It took about 16 years to carve the 81,258 blocks. The style and uniformity of the carving makes it appear that it was carved by one person, although it was the work of many. When printed, there are about 6,791 volumes. In 1995, the Haeinsa Temple Changgyong P'ango, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks were named to World Heritage List.

At present, an average 220 monks and novices live within the temple compound. Around Haeinsa there are 15 hermitages where about 200 women live. There are also a few men's hermitages. The temple is the largest in Korea in terms of residents and has the largest monks' university.

Source:

www.buddhapia.com

www.tour2korea.com

www.media.graniteschools.org

Back to Sight List