Bongeunsa Temple

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A Korean woman in traditional dress with the traditional drum used to play for a special performance to honor Buddha.


Latterns were purchased and then prayers were written and attached to the bottom. At night they are lit so that Buddha can see the wishes of his followers. He may bless you if you put a lantern up.



The altar of Yeonggak. There are wall paintings of the Kshitigrabha Bodhisattva Triad placed on the alter where the golden Buddha also sits. There are also portraits of the great sunims of Bongeunsa on the walls. People come to offer their thanks and to pray.


Hello!
I'm so sorry that I haven't written anything in a long time.
So here is a blog for Buddha's Birthday! Me and my friend Jessica decided to go to a Bongeunsa Temple on Friday and this is what we saw. It was beautiful to see the different lanterns. Everyone buys a present for Buddha and leaves it in the Temple. This is very common, anything from candles to incense is available. The smell of incense is so intense and carries through the whole Temple.

Some history on the Bongeunsa Temple itself. The temple was founded in 794 by Ven. Yeonhue Sunim(National Master Monk of the Unified Shilla dynasty). However, it was destroyed by a fire in 1939, and re-build to look like it does today. It's located in today's day near Samsung station(line 2) exit 6. But originally described location is at the slope of "Sudo" mountain in Samsung-dong.


The paintings of the ceiling in the picture are murals. They originally were used to protect the wooden building, but now they hold significant religious symbols. The patterns consisting of 5 fundamental colors represents the many wolds of sentient beings in heaven.