Magoksa
| Korean spelling | |
|---|---|
| Korean alphabet : | 마곡사 |
| Hanja : | 麻 谷 寺 |
| Revised Romanization : | Magoksa |
| McCune-Reischauer : | Magoksa |
Magoksa ( 마곡사 ) is a Buddhist temple in Chungcheongnam-do Province in South Korea .
geography
The temple complex is located around 15 km northwest of Gongju and 4.5 km east of the Yugucheon River ( 유구천 ). Surrounded by mountains, with the Taehwasan ( 대화 산 ) as the highest submission and divided by a small river called Taegeukcheon ( 대극 천 ), the complex has a resemblance to the yin and yang signs when viewed from above .
Origin of name
The origin of the name of the temple complex is disputed. One source says that the Vinaya master Chajang (590–658 AD) ( 차장 ) founded the temple at the time of the Silla Empire in 643 AD. Another source assumes that the monastery was founded in 845 AD by Muju Muyeom (799–888) ( 무주 무염 ), founder of the Seongjusan School. He is said to have named the monastery in honor of his Chinese Chan master Magu Baoche (720–?) ( 麻 谷 寶 徹 ). Another source finds a simpler reason for the name of the monastery. Since hemp is said to have been grown in the valley before the construction of the monastery and hemp is called " 마 " in Korean , it was named after the previous use of the site.
history
It is therefore unclear when and by whom the monastery was founded. One can assume, however, that this happened between the 7th century and 9th century AD. At the time of the Goryeo dynasty, the monastery was expanded by Pojo Chinul (1158–1210) ( 버요 치눌 ) in 1172 and destroyed during the Japanese invasion between 1592 and 1598. In 1651 it was rebuilt in the form that still exists today.
investment
The monastery complex is spatially divided into three sections. There are eight buildings on the northern part, which is on the western side of the small river and divides the monastery complex. The middle part east of the river, on which the pagoda is also located, comprises 14 buildings and the southern part on the other side of the river, from which the monastery is also accessible, comprises 10 buildings, including the entrance portal.
The temple complex houses six nationally culturally significant treasures, one of which is the stone pagoda in the middle of the main square. This five-story pagoda is also something special within the temple complex. It is based on a two-story base and the top is made of bronze, suggesting a Tibetan influence that may have come from the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty . The pagoda is one of three similar stupas in the world.
The Yeonsan Cheon Hall is decorated with paintings of eight stereotypical episodes of the Buddha's life . Because of the large number of Buddhas standing in the room, it is also called the " Thousand Buddhas Hall ". The monastery is also the only one that has issued calligraphy by King Sejo (1417–1468) ( 세조 ).
literature
- Robert E. Buswell Jr., Donald S. Lopez Jr .: Magoksa . In: The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism . Princeton University Press , Princeton, New Jersey 2013, ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3 , pp. 492 (English).
Web links
- Homepage . 마곡사,Retrieved September 20, 2015(Korean).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Magoksa . Gongju City , accessed September 20, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c Buswell, Lopez : Magoksa . In: The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism . 2013, p. 492 .
- ↑ Gongju - Intersection of the Past and Present, Mountains and Rivers . In: Koreana . Vol.22 No.3 . The Korea Foundation , Seoul August 2008, On the Road , p. 70/71 (English).
Coordinates: 36 ° 33 '32 " N , 127 ° 0' 44" E