Beopjusa
Encyclopedia
Beopjusa is a head temple of the Jogye Order
of Korean Buddhism
. It is situated on the slopes of Songnisan
in Naesongni-myeon, Boeun County
, in the province of Chungcheongbuk-do
, South Korea
. It was initially constructed in 653
by the Silla
monk Uisin. It has been historically associated with Beopsang thought and the worship of the Maitreya Buddha.
The founder, Uisin, named the temple Beopju (‘Residence of Dharma
’) because a number of he brought back with him from India sutra
s (scriptures about Dharma) were housed there.
In the Goryeo
dynasty, this temple is said to have been home to as many as 3,000 monks. A few facilities from this period still remain on the temple grounds, including a cistern and iron pot for serving food and water to thousands of monks. It continued to play an important role in subsequent centuries, but shrank as the state's support for Buddhism disappeared under the Joseon Dynasty
.
The temple is particularly known for Palsangjeon
, a wooden pagoda. Like most of the other buildings, this burned to the ground in the Imjin Invasion. The pagoda was reconstructed in 1624.
Joseon Dynasty founder Taejo
is said to have retired to a spot near Beopjusa after tiring of his sons' fighting.
Beopjusa was chosen by Bruce Lee
as the original setting for the movie Game of Death
, with the five floors of Palsangjeon pagoda representing five different martial arts. Since Bruce Lee died before the movie was completed, the screenplay was changed, and Beopjusa was edited out.
Jogye Order
The Jogye Order, officially the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that date back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820...
of Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
. It is situated on the slopes of Songnisan
Songnisan
Songnisan is a mountain and National Park in South Korea. It lies in the Sobaek mountains along the border between Gyeongsangbuk-do and Chungcheongbuk-do. Its main attractions are the temple Beopjusa and an especially picturesque peak, Munjangdae...
in Naesongni-myeon, Boeun County
Boeun County
Boeun County is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.-History:Boeun, literally "offering gratitude" or "thanksgiving", was named in 1406 by a remorseful King Taejong, who felt relieved that he had cleared his conscience after having participated at a ceremonial ritual at the local...
, in the province of Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do
Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It was initially constructed in 653
653
Year 653 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 653 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Sigeberht II the Good succeeds Sigeberht I...
by the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
monk Uisin. It has been historically associated with Beopsang thought and the worship of the Maitreya Buddha.
The founder, Uisin, named the temple Beopju (‘Residence of Dharma
Dharma (Buddhism)
Dhamma or Dharma in Buddhism can have the following meanings:* The state of Nature as it is * The Laws of Nature considered collectively....
’) because a number of he brought back with him from India sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s (scriptures about Dharma) were housed there.
In the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
dynasty, this temple is said to have been home to as many as 3,000 monks. A few facilities from this period still remain on the temple grounds, including a cistern and iron pot for serving food and water to thousands of monks. It continued to play an important role in subsequent centuries, but shrank as the state's support for Buddhism disappeared under the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
.
The temple is particularly known for Palsangjeon
Palsangjeon
Palsangjeon is a worship hall found on a Korean Buddhist temple complex that contains the "Palsang", the series of painted murals depicting the eight stages in the life of the historic Buddha, Sakyamuni....
, a wooden pagoda. Like most of the other buildings, this burned to the ground in the Imjin Invasion. The pagoda was reconstructed in 1624.
Joseon Dynasty founder Taejo
Taejo of Joseon
Taejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty...
is said to have retired to a spot near Beopjusa after tiring of his sons' fighting.
Beopjusa was chosen by Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
as the original setting for the movie Game of Death
Game of Death
The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
, with the five floors of Palsangjeon pagoda representing five different martial arts. Since Bruce Lee died before the movie was completed, the screenplay was changed, and Beopjusa was edited out.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean Buddhist templesKorean Buddhist templesBuddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in -sa , which means "temple", or ancient temple.-Introduction to Korean...
- Korean BuddhismKorean BuddhismKorean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
- Religion in South KoreaReligion in South KoreaThe predominant religions in South Korea are the traditional Buddhist faith and a large and growing Christian population...
- Korean architectureKorean architectureKorean architecture refers to the built environment of Korea from c. 30,000 BC to the present.-Introduction:From a technical point of view, buildings are structured vertically and horizontally...
- PalsangjeonPalsangjeonPalsangjeon is a worship hall found on a Korean Buddhist temple complex that contains the "Palsang", the series of painted murals depicting the eight stages in the life of the historic Buddha, Sakyamuni....