[Temple Adventures] Bulguk Temple and the 2 lives of Kim Daeseong

Cheongungyo (Blue Cloud Bridge) and Baegungyo (White Cloud Bridge), National Treasure No.23, at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

By Dale Quarrington

If ever there's a Korean Buddhist temple you could or would want to impress people with by showing them it, whether it's friends or family, it would be Bulguk Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Not only is Bulguk Temple home to seven National Treasures and six additional Korean Treasures, it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of this, the temple is often very crowded, especially on weekends or holidays. However, with all that being said, it's still possible to find a peaceful place on the temple grounds to look inward.

Bulguk Temple, according to the Samguk Yusa (or "Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms" in English), was originally built by Kim Daeseong (700-774), a chief minister to King Seongdeok of Silla (r. 702-737).

According to the Samguk Yusa, a child named Kim Daeseong overheard a monk from Heungnyun Temple asking a wealthy landowner for a donation to help the temple. The landowner gave 50 rolls of cotton cloth, and the grateful monk said, "You are loving and giving. The great Buddha is pleased with your donation, such that he will give you 10,000 times what you have donated, and bless you with a long life and happiness."

The young Kim Daeseong ran back to his home and told his mom, "Now we are poor, and if we do not give something to the temple, we will be poorer. Why not give our little rice field for the ceremony so that we may have a great reward in our afterlives?" His mother agreed, and they donated their rice field to Heungnyun Temple.

A few months later, the child passed away. On the night of his death, a voice was heard in the sky above the house of Kim Munryang, who was the chief minister. This voice told Kim Munryang, "Daeseong, the good boy of Moryang-ri, will be reborn in your family."

In disbelief, Kim Munryang sent his servants to Moryang-ri to confirm that Kim Daeseong had in fact died. Rather miraculously, Kim Munryang's wife conceived within the same hour of finding out this tragic news. When the child was born, he kept his left fist clenched tightly. After seven days, he finally opened his hand, revealing that the characters for Daeseong's name were written in gold on his palm. As a result, they gave this baby boy his former name of Daeseong, and Daeseong's mom from his previous life was allowed to take care of him.

And so, Seokguram Hermitage was built in honor of the parents of his former life, and Bulguk Temple was built in honor of the parents of his present life. This filial piety is noted in the Samguk Yusa. But sadly, Bulguk Temple would not be completed until after the passing of Kim Daeseong in 774. And it was at this time that the temple would be named Bulguk Temple, which means "Buddha Kingdom Temple" in English, a reference to Silla.

Architecturally, Bulguk Temple is meant to represent the Buddhist mandala that integrates the various worlds of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas that inhabit them. And when you first approach Bulguk Temple, you'll be greeted by the wonderful front facade. The elevated courtyard has two beautiful sets of bridges in front of it. The bridges to the right are known as Cheongungyo and Baegungyo, both of which have National Treasure status, and they lead through the Jahamun towards the Daeungjeon courtyard. The bridges are meant symbolically to connect the world of people with the world of the Buddha.

To the left of these two bridges, are two additional bridges known as Yeonhwagyo and Chilbogyo. These bridges are also classified as National Treasures. There is a lot of symbolism packed into these bridges. According to the Gwanmuryang-sugyeong sutra, when we are reborn in the next life, humans will be reborn in the nine levels of birth through a pond into the Western Pure Land. Coincidentally, it's believed that there once was a pond underneath the reinforced stone wall at Bulguk Temple. The pair of bridges leading into the Geungnakjeon reinforce this belief. These bridges are known as the Yeonghwagyo (Lotus Flower Bridge) and the Chilbogyo (Seven Treasures Bridge). It's believed that the Western Pure Land is decorated with seven treasures, and when someone is reborn into the Western Pure Land, they are reborn on a lotus flower. Finally, the name, "Anyang," from the Anyangmun that leads into the Geungnakjeon area of Bulguk Temple, is another name for the Western Pure Land.

Yeonhwagyo (Lotus Flower Bridge) and Chilbogyo (Seven Treasures Bridge), National Treasure No.22, at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

However, it's through neither of the sets of bridges that you can now gain entry into the main temple grounds. Instead, there's a forested pathway to the right of the Cheongungyo and Baegungyo that leads into the Daeungjeon courtyard from an eastern entranceway. Right away, you'll be welcomed by the amazing Dabotap and Seokgatap pagodas. The first of the two, and the one closer to you on the right, is Dabotap, or "The Pagoda of Many Treasures." Probably the most famous pagoda in all of Korea was first built in 751 during the construction of the temple, and it's wonderfully ornate.

Dabotap stone pagoda, National Treasure No.20, at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

To the left of Dabotap is Seokgatap, which also dates back to 751, and it means "Seokgamoni-bul [Historical Buddha] Pagoda." Seokgatap is the kind of pagoda we think about, with its long and austere lines, when we think about traditional Korean pagodas. The symbolism behind the two different styles of pagodas are meant to represent opposite concepts, like form vs. freedom and the abstract vs. the concrete. It is by juxtaposing these two pagodas that an attempt is being made to unify the contradictory nature of existence.

Seokgatap stone pagoda, National Treasure No.21, at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

In total, there are five areas at Bulguk Temple. They are the Daeungjeon, the Geungnakjeon, the Birojeon, the Gwaneumjeon, and the Nahanjeon. Each temple shrine hall is isolated in its own segregated part of the temple grounds either with walls or corridors. These barriers are meant to symbolize the separate worlds that each Buddha or bodhisattva inhabits. Other National Treasures to look for throughout the rest of the temple grounds are the Gilt-Bronze Seated Vairocana Buddha inside the Birojeon and the Gilt-Bronze Seated Amitabha Buddha inside the Geungnakjeon. If you have the time, the neighboring Seokguram Hermitage is an absolute must to help you pay respect to the sets of parents for which Kim Daeseong built both holy sites.

Stairway to Gwaneumjeon at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

View from Gwaneumjeon to Dabotap at Bulguk Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Dale Quarrington has visited over 500 temples throughout the Korean Peninsula and published three?books on Korean Buddhism. He runs the popular website, "Dale's Korean Temple Adventures."