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Arts & Living

05-01-2008 16:11 Eunhae Temple: Buddhist Land of Paradise

The foreground of the main hall. The name of the hall indicates it is a hall of Sakyamuni, but strangely enough, an Amitabha Buddha is enshrined. An aromatic centuries-old tree boasts its neat and tidy figure on the right side of the picture. / Courtesy of Eunhae Temple By Jang Eun-hwa Contributing writer Upon entering the One Pillar Gate, the first gate of the temple, the aroma of pine trees prevails all over the body. A gentle brook from Mount Palgong murmurs beside a paved trail through tall, slender pine trees. I listen carefully to the sound of spring ― trickling streams, twittering birds, a refreshing breeze, and singing insects ― while gradually distancing myself from secular affairs. ``Nicholas, how do you feel?'' I asked, looking at a westerner who, joining us, had been gradually attracted to Korea. Nicholas is a doctoral candidate in anthropology from the University of Chicago who is especially interested in sounds and voices emanating from Korean temples. ``It looks so natural and comfortable,'' he said, looking around. Eunhae Temple is surrounded by mountains and has a stream running in front of it. From the peaceful surroundings, one clearly felt snug and comfortable. It seemed as if our party was alone in a new world. In the middle of the pine tree trail, we noticed a ``yeonnimok,'' or ``combined'' tree. According to historical documents, the yeonnimok generally symbolizes propitious national affairs, filial duty and romantic love. The signboard beside it described it as a ``love tree.'' It is believed that if you turn around it to the left, you will get a son, and to the right, a daughter. It can also make amends between quarreling couples. A single woman in our party seemed sorry the tree didn't also pair up single people. From Seoul it took about four hours for our party of five Buddhism enthusiasts to get to Eunhae Temple in North Gyeongsang Province. We arrived by van around noon with our hearts beating in anticipation. Kim Gi-nam, the temple's director of general affairs, welcomed us to the main Buddha hall. After paying respect to the Amitabha Buddha (Lord of Buddhist Paradise), we took a close look at the hall. The hall, renovated in the late Joseon Kingdom (A.D. 1392-1910), had a beautiful ``datjib'' (a small wooden canopy installed over a Buddha statue), in which a dragon wrapped in clouds is splendidly engraved. Outside the two girders lying at both sides of the datjib, a pair of phoenixes is flying. An unobstructed view from the main hall aroused warmth and tranquility along with the mountains at the back, various halls on both sides and a stream beyond the spacious front yard. We enjoyed a special lunch already set for us in the temple's dining hall. Comprised of more than 15 vegetarian dishes such as mushroom, spinach, and boiled chestnuts, the lunch itself made a deep impression on our party. Kim offered us a kind of high-protein vegetable, ``goso,'' which tasted bitter and strong-flavored to me but seemed okay for Nicholas. According to Kim, Eunhae Temple serves free lunches to more than 200 visitors a day. We really appreciated the hospitality of the temple people who prepare meals for visitors. Buddha's Birthday, the greatest festival in Buddhism, falls on May 12 this year, so everybody in the temple, though seeming silent and still, seemed busier than ever arranging various Buddhist events. Eunhae Temple, the head temple for the 10th district Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is located at the eastern foot of Mount Palgong in Yeongcheon. It was established in the 16th century during the mid-Joseon Kingdom and was well known as the fourth wealthiest temple at that time. How was the temple able to gain strong influence despite harsh persecution from the Confucian Joseon Kingdom? The temple, designated as the guardian temple of King Injo's umbilical cord, came to prosper under the patronage of the royal family which, even during such an anti-Buddhist period, favored and supported Buddhism, though not openly. During the Joseon period, the practice of storing the royal family's umbilical cords seemed prevalent. The cord was considered a source of life and an object constantly responding to one's fortune. According to temple records, its history dates back to the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). In the early 9th century, 13 year-old King Aejang was dethroned and killed by his uncle and successor, King Heondeok. After the revolt, he built a temple to soothe the grudge-bearing unfairly killed, to repent his sins and to pray for the well-being of the country. His temple, originally named Haean Temple, was relocated and renamed Eunhae Temple at its current site in the mid-16th century. ``A silver-colored world of Buddha is unfolded like an ocean in many folds,'' Master Jinpyeo of the Silla Kingdom once said about this temple. The name Eunhae, literally ``silvery ocean,'' was derived from the magnificent sight of numerous Buddhas and Bodhisattvas residing in the Buddhist Paradise, spreading like a silver ocean. Hanging at the front of the main hall is a calligraphic tablet written by the most famed calligrapher in Korean history, Chusa Kim Jeong-hee. What makes today's Eunhae Temple famous is that it has so much of his calligraphy. As such, the temple is regarded as a treasury of Chusa calligraphy. A well-known connoisseur once commented on the calligraphy of the main hall: ``Even though it looks so carelessly written, nowhere can I find any weak point as it reached its utmost maturity. Though it is written with round and satisfactory strokes, I can feel a certain power of iron rods bent with no deviation from fundamental rules.'' Though it was a Saturday afternoon and the temple museum was closed, we asked Kim if we could see it. At this, he willingly agreed and led us there, carrying a heavy set of keys to open it for us. We could feel the history of the temple. Through his vivid explanation we came to realize that the ineffaceable damage caused during the Korean War (A.D. 1950-1953) was not limited to visible assets; precious written history of the temple also disappeared and became wastepaper and fire-kindling for occupying soldiers. He also told us that the retired soldiers, who would visit the temple at times, repented their wrongdoing, but no one can deny that they, though blamed for creating a historical vacuum, are also victims of war. In today's Eunhae Temple, hospitable people reside in a cozy and tranquil atmosphere of the pure Buddhism. We left the temple with a hearty send-off from Kim. It is likely that real Buddhist paradise lies in doing wholehearted good for others. ehj001@kr.yahoo.com