Tongdosa - One of the Jewel Temples of South Korea

There are three Jewel temples in Korea, and Tongdosa (crossing-over temple, may be meaning walking over a safe bridge over dangerous waters) is one of them representing Buddha himself. It is one of the largest and and most important monasteries in South Korea. This temple is located in Yangsan city close to Busan, the second largest city after the capital city Seoul.

I chose to visit the temple in early November to enjoy the seasonal color change as the temple is located in the southern hillside of Yeongchuksan mountain, which is 1050 meters high. The temple was founded in AD646 by Master Jajang (608~686) during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632~647) of the Silla Dynasty upon his return from Tang China. He had brought back a collection of post cremation relics and other personal relics of Sakyamuni Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) from China. He enshrined the most important relics in a budo (funerary reliquary stupa) on a stone platform which is called Geumgang Gyedan (Diamond precepts platform). He issued a directive that every monk in the nation should have their ordination ceremony in front of this sacred monument. This custom is still followed by Jogye order: the largest Buddhist sect in Korea!  Other temples where Buddha's relics are enshrined are Beopheungsa, Bongjeongam, Jeongamsa and Sangwonsa.

Yeongchuksan mountain

Tongdosa remains one of the most sacred temples. Many of the old buildings were destroyed during the Imjin war (1592~98), when the Japanese invaded the Korean Peninsula. The unique main hall survived the flames and was last repaired in the early 17th century: this remains today as the most authentic and treasured of wooden buildings.

Geumganggyedan (Diamond Precepts Platform) where Buddha's relics are enshrined

The temple layout is unique, and not seen in other Korean Buddhist temples. There are three main areas where various Buddhist halls are situated. They are: Sangrojeon (halls in the upper area), Jungrojeon (halls in the middle area), and Harojeon (halls in the lower area). Daeunjeon hall (the main hall), which is made of wood, was rebuilt by Monk Uun in 1645. To the right of Daeungjeon Hall is the Geumganggyedan, which is the center of the temple. Because a real part of Buddha's ashes, bones, and the shoulder strap are buried here, there is no statue of Buddha inside the Daeungjeon Hall. A luxurious altar solemnly dignifies the empty space.

Tongdosa Temple Layout

After paying homage to Sakyamuni Buddha's relics and visiting various Buddhist halls, I decided to walk by the side of the stream, enjoying the autumn foliage. After a small hike, I decided to go back to visit the museum in front of the temple. This is one of the largest museums of Buddhist treasures in Korea. The rooms were indeed an extension of worship space. I was told that the museum holds classes to teach Buddhist painting, Dancheong, which is painting wooden buildings with traditional colors, calligraphy, and carving based on traditional methods.

It was getting late, and I decided to drive back to my home in Geoje island, about two hours away. On the way my mind reflected on the empty altar - Emptiness! Empty mind! I read a maxim somewhere about the empty mind - that we should be prepared to accept life's realities through an empty mind to facilitate a clear, calm conscience. But some modern schools of thought do not agree with this: the true mind is an active one, and is key to making it possible for everyone to enjoy the freedom of the whole society as well as one's individual freedom on the ground of mutual benefits and equality.