Yongjusa is the result of a son's longing for his dead father and a
tribute to filial piety. When the father of King Chongjo (r. 1776-1800)
died, the king could not forget him. Some time passed and then, one day,
he heard a lecture on the Parental Benevolence Sutra, a text which explains
the debt that children have to their parents. He decided to rebuild Kalyangsa
on memory of his father and move his father's tomb there.
Originally the temple had been constructed by Master Yomgu in 854 CE
and then greatly enlargedin 952. Even though the temple is not in the mountains,
it bestows a sense of peace and well-being on those who enter its gates.
The name of the temple, as is so often the case, comes from a legend.
On the night before the day of the completion of the building activities,
King Chongjo dreamed of a dragon soaring up into the sky
and there receiving the Pearl of Truth, the Wish-Fulfilling Gem. (This
is the ball that most dragons carry in their mouths.) Therefore the temple
came to be called Dragon's Pearl of Truth Temple.Ħħ
Dragons are auspicious animals with divine properties. Considered a
symbol of regal authority, the dragon was also thought to dispel evil spirits.
Dragons are usually related to heaven and water and are used in rituals
involving rain. Considered protectors, they have always been seen as important
in protecting Korea from invasion and so there are many legends about sea
dragons who defend the peninsula.
King Munmu wished to be reborn as a great dragon to protect his country
and so he was buried under a large rock in the sea off the east coast.
The kings of the family who founded the Koryo Dynasty were all reputed
to be descendants of the Divine Sea Dragon and each one of the family had
a dragon scale in his or her armpit.
In 1911 the temple was made one of the 24 main temples of the Korean
Buddhist Chogye Order.
Western-style picture in a temple in Korea
It is painted in very unusual perspective. The canopy over the statues
is very delicately and finely carved. Below it are five dragons in the
clouds with the sun and a phoenix. On either side there are celestial beings
as well.
The copper bell of Yongjusa is very special. It is presumed to have
been cast in the early 10th century, during the Koryo Dynasty, because
of the style of the dragon. Shilla bells have a dragon holding the bell
with two legs. In Yongjusa, the dragon is holding the bell up with just
one leg.
Behind the hall, there is an unusual five-story stupa dedicated to Ksitigarbha,
the Bodhisattva who helps those in trouble. It has a small wooden sign
with the names of the donors on it. This stupa was also built for King
Chongjo's father.
Yongjusa Temple TEL : (0331)34-0040
| Mode |
Departure | Arrival | Duration |
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| intercity Bus |
Nambu Terminal Seoul | Suwon | 0:50 |
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| Subway(line 1) | City Hail | Suwon | 1:00 |
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| Home | Korean Buddhism | next |
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