Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
RAS KOREA Visiting Haein Temple over the decades
A view of the valley and mountains around Haein Temple / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
By Jon Dunbar
By Steven L. Shields
Established around the start of the ninth century, Haein Temple is remarkable for many reasons. The temple is tucked away high up on the slope in Gayasan National Park, not far from Daegu. While accessible by modern paved roads, the temple is somewhat out of the way, lacking convenient public transport. My first trip there was more than 30 years ago with Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea. I've been back several times.
The temple's name begins with “hae” (ocean) but is far inland. The sea is not visible from the temple precincts. The second word in the temple's name is “in” (stamp, imprint or seal). Curious, I wondered how the name fit together. A well-versed docent at the temple office was able to help me to understand. She explained “mudra,” or hand signs used in meditation in the Buddhist tradition. So the “stamp” is a “mudra.” She cautioned me against taking it too literally and suggested a deeper meaning comes through metaphorical references. When one visits the temple, the hope is that the peacefulness there would help one move more deeply into the heart or spiritual realm of existence and “feel” the broadness of the calm ocean as it sways and rocks in waves, almost in silence.
Though the temple was established around 800, visitors must be mindful that although the first buildings may have been built at that time, wooden buildings rarely survive the ravages of time and weather. Constant repairs, replacements and new construction is part of the life of every temple in Korea. “Temple” refers to the place, not a specific building.
Indeed, there are numerous buildings throughout the temple, each of which has an important meaning or function. One proceeds through several gates to approach the main hall, the various pavilions, each with a specific purpose, several halls and the three-story stone pagoda one often sees in temples. One of Haein Temple's stone pagodas dates to Silla times (57 B.C.E. to 935 C.E.) but has been repaired over the centuries.
Prayer wishes are displayed at Haein Temple. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
Many temples feature large trees somewhere in the primary courts. Haein Temple's Hakkadae fir tree had special significance for it is where Choe Chi-won, the noted Silla scholar and poet, spent much of his later life in meditation and writing. Memorials to Choi and his remarkable literary treasures remind visitors of his important history. Sadly, the tree was lost to a typhoon in 2019.
A monument to the noted Silla scholar Choe Chi-won stands at Haein Temple. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
The Tripitaka Koreana is among Korea's most important historical, cultural and spiritual treasures. Besides its picturesque location and the spiritual peace at the temple, nothing is more important than the 80,000-plus wooden printing blocks. These wood blocks, carved in Classical Chinese ― in reverse for printing ― are remarkable for many reasons.
Part of the 80,000-plus printing tablets of the Tripitana Korea are stored at Haein Temple. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
For 16 years during the reign of King Gojong of Goryeo (from his 23rd year, 1236, to his 38th year, 1257), the blocks were carved during a national crisis, hoping to make merit for resolution. They record the teachings of Buddha and much more, making it possibly the world's largest, most complete Buddhist scripture text. The statistics are mind-boggling. There are 52,330,152 individual Hanja characters, organized in almost 1,500 titles and 6,568 volumes. If the blocks were lined up end to end, they would measure 60 kilometers long. The total weight of all the blocks combined is 280 tons. The printing blocks are a massive collection. It was a phenomenal project that required the work of hundreds of people. Incredibly, there is no warping and no damage, and if used for printing today, they provide as clear an imprint as they did 800 years ago. The entire collection has been digitized and is available for scholarly examination.
A sample of a printing block is on display for visitors. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields
The storage buildings are designed so that temperature and humidity are controlled naturally. A modern facility was built in the 1970s, which was hoped would be more secure and fireproof, but the technology failed on many counts as it couldn't prevent sample woodblocks from mildewing. So the project was scrapped, and the printing blocks remain as they have for the past 800 years. Fire is the biggest worry, and pumper trucks are on site, full-time.
The entire temple and the printing blocks were almost destroyed in the early months of the 1950-53 Korean War. Not long after the Inchon landing, which cut off all North Korean troops in the south of the peninsula, several hundred retreated to Haein Temple and engaged in guerilla warfare in the region. Bombers were ordered to attack the site and surrounding forest to eradicate the enemy. Four bombers headed out to attack. ROK Air Force Colonel Kim Younghwan knew Korea's important cultural heritage could be damaged or destroyed. He disobeyed the orders, dropping the bombs at a safe distance from the temple. He was recognized by the Republic posthumously in 2010 for preserving the temple.
Haein Temple offers templestays to visitors and occasionally allows guests to make prints from one of the wooden blocks of the Tripitaka. A small village nearby offers eateries, coffee shops and small hotels.
Rev. Steven L. Shields is president of Royal Asiatic Society Korea and columnist for The Korea Times. Visit
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Jon Dunbar