Silsangsa Temple () is a temple of the
Jogye Order
The Jogye Order, officially the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (대한불교조계종, 大韓佛敎 曹溪宗), is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that date back 1200 years to the Later Silla National Master D ...
located in
Namwon
Namwon (; ''Namwon-si'') is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 50 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is almost three hours away from Seoul. The official city flower is Royal Azalea () while the city tr ...
,
North Jeolla Province
North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a population of 1,869,711 (2015) and has a geographic area of 8,067 km2 (3,115 sq mi) located in the Honam region in the southwest ...
, South Korea. The temple is a branch temple of the Geumsan Temple in Iksan. Although the temple is legally situated in Namwon, it is also quite near the Hamyang county of South Gyeongsang Province. It is exceptional since this temple is in a field, as opposed to most Korean temples, which are located in mountainous areas.
It is said that the temple was constructed in the era of
Heungdeok of Silla
Heungdeok of Silla (777–836) (r. 826–836) was the 42nd ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the younger brother of King Heondeok. He was married to Queen Jeongmok, the daughter of King Soseong.
Upon rising to the throne, Heungde ...
by the great monk Hongcheok (, fl. 830), a student of
Zhiyi
Zhiyi (; 538–597 CE) also Chen De'an (陳德安), is the fourth patriarch of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi i ...
, after he returned from
Tang China
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...
. Since the king himself showed deep faith and devoted himself with the Crown Prince in this temple, the place became highly celebrated, eventually becoming the founding location of the Silsang school of
Chan Buddhism
Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and So ...
. Silsangsa is the oldest temple among the
Nine mountain schools
The nine mountain schools (九山; or ''gusan'') were the initial monasteries of the Korean branch of Buddhism called Seon, founded in the Unified Silla period in the 8th or 9th century.
The initial transmission of Seon into Korea is usually a ...
.
The temple faced a period of decline during the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
era when the structures were destroyed by fire. From this point on, the temple was shut down, although it was later restored three times during the eras of
Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong of Joseon (7 October 1661 – 12 July 1720) was the 19th King of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, ruling from 1674 until 1720. A skilled legislator, he caused multiple changes in political power throughout his reign, by switching among the ...
,
Sunjo of Joseon
Sunjo of Joseon (29 July 1790 – 13 December 1834, reigned 1800–1834) was the 23rd king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. Sunjo was the 2nd son of King Jeongjo with Royal Noble Consort Su, one of King Jeongjo's concubines.
Biography
He w ...
and
Gojong of Korea
Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...
. However, the temple never returned to its previous grand scale.
The
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
harmed parts of the temple, as fighting forces often passed through the area, but most of the cultural relics remained intact.
Cultural relics
The three-tier stone pagoda in the temple is registered as
National Treasures of South Korea
A National Treasure () is a tangible treasure, artifact, site, or building which is recognized by the South Korean government as having exceptional artistic, cultural and historical value to the country. The title is one of the eight State-designa ...
10. Also designated as treasures are relics from the
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...
era. A Buddha statue on site is tall, the largest stele in the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. The turtle stele for Monk Jeunggak is also registered.
Gallery
Seated Iron Buddha statue at Silsangsa temple in Namwon, Korea.jpg, Seated iron Buddha
References
Notes
실상사의 역사실상사 철불에 녹이 스는 까닭? - <몸따라 마음따라 112>보물 제41호 '실상사 철제여래좌상'
External links
{{commonscat, Silsangsa, position=left
Silasangsa temple-실상사
Religious organizations established in the 9th century
Silla
Namwon
National Treasures of South Korea
Tourist attractions in North Jeolla Province
Historic Sites of South Korea
Buddhist temples in South Korea
9th-century establishments in Korea
Religious buildings and structures completed in 828