Tag Archives: Buddhism

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Zen Legends- Part 1: Why the Bodhidharma (달마) Came From the West

02/21/2011 – 16:35
Portrait of the Bodhidharma (from atlantica.hangame.com)

Portrait of the Bodhidharma (from atlantica.hangame.com)

In Korean Seon (선) Buddhism (Ch. “Chan”, Jap. “Zen”) practitioners often meditate on paradoxical or nonsensical riddles known as koans (공안 or “ kong-an” in Korean) to gain insight into the nature of thought, perception and reality.  One of the most famous of these riddles is “Why did the Bodhidharma (Kr. “Dalma” or달마) come from the west?”  The Zen master Zhaozhou answered, “The cypress tree in front of the hall.”  I‘m not sure about that myself, but thankfully the mundane answer is a bit more simple.  read more »

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Buddhist culture Gyeongju history Statues & carvings tips for tourists

Ancient Buddhas of the Shilla Dynasty: Part 2

12/26/2010 – 10:40

Continued from Part 1…

Avalokitesvara Relief, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Avalokitesvara Relief, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Avalokitesvara: The Bodhisattva of Mercy

One of the key differences that evolved between Mahayana (Northern School) and Theravada (Southern School) Buddhism is the former’s belief in Bodhisattvas, or “Bosal” (보살) in Korean.  These are highly enlightened beings who have vowed to postpone their final enlightenment until all sentient beings on earth have been awakened.  Most Bodhisattvas are simply humans who’ve taken the Bodhisattva vow.  However, some are considered to be god-like spiritual beings with great compassion and power, who Buddhists can petition for aid and refuge in times of suffering. read more »

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Buddhist culture Gyeongju history Statues & carvings tips for tourists

Ancient Buddhas of the Shilla Dynasty: Part 1

12/16/2010 – 17:11

Sakyamuni Buddha, Golgulsa Temple, Gyeongju

Sakyamuni Buddha, Golgulsa Temple, Gyeongju

Looking at the history of Gyeongju, it’s hard to underestimate the importance of Buddhism to the ancient Shilla Dynasty.  The acceptance of Buddhism by the Shilla in the 5th century C.E. brought an increased cultural exchange with China.  This coincided with the military rise of the Shilla Empire which ushered in the “Golden Age” of the Shilla Dynasty.  This cultural renaissance saw the construction of many architectural marvels, like Bulguksa Temple (불국사) and the nine-story Golden Dragon Pagoda of Hwannyeongsa Temple (황룡사), and creation of great artistic masterpieces, such as Seokkuram Grotto (석굴암). read more »

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Buddhist culture Gyeongju hiking history Statues & carvings Temples & shrines tips for tourists

Hiking Namsan (남산): The Secrets of Samneung Valley (삼릉골)

10/12/2010 – 11:25

Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

20 ft. Maitreya Buddha, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Gyeongju’s Mt. Namsan (남산), or literally “South Mountain”, may not be among the tallest or most beautiful mountains in Korea, but to me it’s one of the most magical.  It might look gentle from the side, but up close Namsan’s got enough steep valleys, twisting peaks and craggy boulders to give any hiker a run for their money.  Not to mention, it’s a treasure trove of ancient Shilla (신라) Dynasty ruins and carvings.  Its peaks and valleys are scattered with over a hundred pagodas, hermitages, and stone Buddhas dating back 1,300 years. read more »

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Buddhist culture history Shamanism Stories, legends & people Temples & shrines

San-shin (산신): The Korean Mountain Spirit

09/28/2010 – 23:40
Sanshin Painting, Sambulam Hermitage, Gyeongju

San-shin Painting, Sambulam Hermitage, Gyeongju

If you’ve been to a Buddhist temple in Korea before, you might‘ve noticed a little shrine to the back of the temple that’s home to the image of a bearded old man with an odd-looking tiger laying at his feet.  This wise and aged being is not some kind of Buddha or Bodhisattva, but rather the San-shin (산신), or Korean Mountain Spirit.  He is a key deity in indigenous Korean Shamanism (무교) and he happens to be one of my favorite figures in Korean mythology. read more »

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Arts & crafts Buddhist culture Festivals Gyeongju Korean culture videos websites

Video: Zen Action Painting (초대선묵전)

09/24/2010 – 12:18

I was sorting through my video archives a while back and discovered some great footage from one of my first visits to Gyeongju back in the Spring of 2003.   I had stumbled into a Korea-Japan Buddhist Culture Festival in Tumuli Park and was lucky enough to catch the performance of the famed Korean Zen Master Beomju Sunim (법주스님), painting a spontaneous portrait of the Dalma (달마), or Bodhidharma, on a 10′ by 15’ sheet on the ground.  The video’s a bit shaky as I was shooting over people’s heads, so I’ve edited from 10 minutes video down to a more watchable 3 and 1/2.  I hope you enjoy it and if you’d like to check out more of the work of Beomju Sunim, you can visit the art and video galleries on his website.  He’s also got an English page with his biography and philosophy of Zen painting. read more »

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Buddhist culture Outside Gyeongju Statues & carvings Temples & shrines tips for tourists

Manbulsa (만불사): Temple of Ten-thousand Buddhas

09/01/2010 – 09:42
Buddha Labyrith, Manbulsa Temple, Yeongcheon

Buddha Labyrinth, Manbulsa Temple, Yeongcheon

If you’ve ever taken the bus from Gyeongju to Daegu, you might’ve caught a fleeting glimpse of a giant golden Buddha off in the mountains to the north.  No, this isn’t some apparition induced by sleep deprivation or soju poisoning.  This huge Buddha actually overlooks Manbulsa (만불사), or literally “Temple of Ten-thousand Buddhas,” nestled at the foot of  Mt. Gwansan (관산) on the way to Yeongcheon (영쳔). read more »

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Video: Seonmudo (선무도) Demonstration

08/23/2010 – 10:43

Last month my University asked me to help guide a tour of Korean-American students around Gyeongju for a day.  That afternoon we stopped by Golgulsa (골굴사) Temple for a short lesson in Seonmudo (선무도), or Korean Zen martial arts.  In all the times I’d been to Golgulsa, I’d never actually seen what Seonmudo actually is.  Luckily for us the monks gave a demonstration after the lesson and got to show off some of their top moves.  I had my handycam with me, so here’s a short 3 minute video of some of the highlights I’ve edited together. read more »

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Buddhist culture Festivals Gyeongju holidays

Dongguk University Lantern Lighting: 2010 Highlights

05/18/2010 – 10:07
Samulnori Dancers, Dongguk University Gyeongju

Samulnori Dancers, Dongguk University Gyeongju

I mentioned a few weeks ago Dongguk University held it’s lantern-lighting ceremony in honor of Buddha’s Birthday on April 29th.  As it turned out, the 29th was also declared a National Day or Mourning in honor of the 46 sailors who died in the sinking of the “Cheonan” on March 26th. Unfortunately this meant all celebrations had to be canceled or seriously toned down out of respect for the solemnity of the occasion.   The ceremony still went on, but without the usual festive barrage of balloons, lanterns and fireworks. read more »

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Pear Flowers (배 꽃) & Bokwonsa Temple (복원사)

05/15/2010 – 09:51
Pear Flowers of Nae Tae Village, Gyeongju

Pear Flowers of Nae Tae Village, Gyeongju

The other Sunday the sun was finally shining after a solid week of rain.  My wife and I hopped in the car and took off to explore the countryside determined to enjoy some of the hard-earned Spring weather.   As luck would have it, we drifted back some country roads going west out of town, and found ourselves in a remote farming valley in the shadow of Mt. Eorimsan (어림산). read more »

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