Sudosa Temple Visit
My friend Amanda, who lives a few floors down from me, asked if I wanted to go on an expedition today. It can be tough for me to get out and explore, since driving is not as easy what with Korea's love of strobe lights making it not super epilepsy-friendly, so I'm always happy to have a friend who wants to see what's beyond the gates of our post!
We decided to check out Sudosa Temple, a Buddhist temple nearby that is famous for being near the site where Great Monk Wonhyo had an experience that led to his enlightenment and decision to bring the teachings of Buddha to the masses 1400 years ago.
The temple itself was small, but beautiful. We explored a couple of buildings that were full of lovely statues and lanterns, and since it's still a functioning temple where people come to worship we could see incense and candles and other things the priests/monks might use.
Wonhyo, while taking refuge in a cave from a storm, drank water from a bowl he found. When he woke in the morning he found the bowl was in fact a skull. This made him realize that truth can only be found in one's mind and not through outside circumstances.
I like to imagine these were kids being taught by an advisor to a king. But who knows.
I absolutely love Korean dragons. Temples here are so bright and colorful and the dragons always have such cool, fierce expressions.
Gold Buddha surrounded by an explosion of color.
We decided to check out Sudosa Temple, a Buddhist temple nearby that is famous for being near the site where Great Monk Wonhyo had an experience that led to his enlightenment and decision to bring the teachings of Buddha to the masses 1400 years ago.
The temple itself was small, but beautiful. We explored a couple of buildings that were full of lovely statues and lanterns, and since it's still a functioning temple where people come to worship we could see incense and candles and other things the priests/monks might use.
I absolutely love Korean dragons. Temples here are so bright and colorful and the dragons always have such cool, fierce expressions.
Gold Buddha surrounded by an explosion of color.
As we wandered a bit a man came down a path to chat with us, and he answered some questions I had about this statue
Apparently this is a goddess of compassion over the sea that local people can pray to for calm seas and good fishing. From what he said, it sounded like the statues around her were similar to Catholic saints in that they represented different things - the sea, certain diseases, particular pain - and people can pray to them for relief.
In front of the statue there were three little men who were doing "See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil." Please forgive the terrible photography - the sun was starting to stab my eyeballs.
I wish I knew the story this wall was telling. Nonetheless, it looks really cool.
Thanks again for leading this expedition, Amanda. We'll miss you guys.
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