Dosoram Hermitage of Seonunsa Temple in Gochang

Repentance Practice amidst

the Clouds of the Wisdom Realm

Lee Yun-su

Broadcast Writer

Three Bodhisattvas Reside on Mt. Seonunsan

Dosoram Hermitage is often cited as one of South Korea’s iconic holy sites dedicated to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. However, its true vitality as a “Ksitigarbha sanctuary” is only fully realized when combined with two other temples on the same mountain: Seonunsa Temple and Chamdangam Hermitage. It is because Mt. Seonunsan is home to three Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statues. Ancient Korean society believed in three centers of activity from which all things come into being: heaven, earth and people. Thus, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on Mt. Seonunsa is embodied in three figures. The Naewongung (Inner Court) of Dosoram Hermitage enshrines Cheonjang Bosal (Heaven-treasury Bodhisattva; general treasure 280) who controls the heavenly realm. Jijangam Hermitage of Chamdangam enshrines Jiji Bosal (Earth-holding Bodhisattva; general treasure 2031) who controls the earthly realm. And Jijang Bogung of Seonunsa Temple enshrines Jijang Bosal (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; general treasure 279) who controls the realm of hell.

The Naewongung (Inner Court) of Dosoram Hermitage enshrines Cheonjang Bosal (Heaven-treasury Bodhisattva; general treasure 280) who controls the heavenly realm.

Jijang Bogung of Seonunsa Temple enshrines Jijang Bosal (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; general treasure 279) who controls the realm of hell.

Jijangam Hermitage of Chamdangam enshrines Jiji Bosal (Earth-holding Bodhisattva; general treasure 2031) who controls the earthly realm.

Both Seonunsa Temple and Dosoram Hermitage are known to have been established by Ven. Geomdan in 577 during the Baekje era. On Mt. Seonunsan, Ven. Geomdan subdued bands of thieves who had been inflicting severe harm on the local populace, and he taught them how to produce salt for the first time in Korea. These rehabilitated thieves then lived as commoners, produced salt, and offered salt annually to Seonunsa to express their gratitude. Chamdangam was established in 581 as a place to enshrine the buddha statues and scriptures sent by an Indian King who wanted them enshrined on Mt. Seonunsan. Seonunsa was once a massive temple where 3,000 resident monks immersed themselves in practice in its 89 hermitages, 189 dormitories, and 24 grottoes.

Jijangjeon (Ksitigarbha Hall) at Naewongung

Seonunsa’s Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue Visits Japan

A Japanese man once illegally bought a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue and smuggled it from Korea to Japan. But afterward, the Bodhisattva frequently appeared in his dreams and yelled at him, “Let me go back to my home immediately on Mt. Seonunsan in Gochang.” Disregarding his dreams, the man experienced more disasters, eventually giving the statue to another person, who eventually gave it to another. And while the Bodhisattva passed through diverse owners, without fail all of them had dreams of the Bodhisattva while facing various difficulties. Finally, in 1938, someone called Seonunsa Temple and begged them to come get the Bodhisattva and take it home. Some monks then hurried to Hiroshima and retrieved it. So, two years after leaving Mt. Seonunsan, the Gilt-Bronze Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was returned to Seonunsa Temple. With a virtuous face and wearing a headband, the Bodhisattva radiates benevolence. Unlike other Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statues, this one holds no symbolic objects, and delicate lines are visible in his two palms.

Edifying Sentient Beings in Heaven and Hell

Sutras describe Tusita Heaven as a utopia of abundance, purity, and diverse blessings. It is where Maitreya Bodhisattva resides along with all other buddhas and bodhisattvas. Let us first learn about the massive 15m-tall rock-carved Maitreya Buddha (general treasure 1200) on Mt. Seonunsan at Dosoram (lit. “Tusita Hermitage”). It is said this Maitreya Buddha was carved by Ven. Geomdan himself. There is also a legend that the statue is actually an image of Ven. Geomdan. Several holes were drilled above the statue’s head, which once supported a canopy to protect the statue from the elements.

Mountain Spirit Shrine which enshries Ven. Geomdan and Ven. Uiun

The statue’s face has slanted eyes and thick lips. And his short, almost-invisible neck seems to indicate he is lowering his head to look down at sentient beings paying their respects to him. His conspicuously big hands are suitable for consoling sentient beings. On his wide chest is a hole in which various offerings were placed. During the Donghak Peasant Revolt this rock-carved buddha was called Maitreya Buddha. It had been long rumored that there were “secret predictions” about the future hidden within the solar plexus of this Maitreya Buddha, and that when they were taken out, a new world would begin. And they had actually been removed. To the oppressed commoners, this Maitreya Buddha was a “beacon of hope” that enabled them to dream of a better world.

Passing the Hall of Arhats and climbing the stairs, one finds a buddha hall (called Naewongung) built on a foundation of rocks. One would expect to see Maitreya Buddha enshrined here, but interestingly enough, it is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Because Maitreya Buddha is on the cliff below Naewongung, the monks enshrined Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva instead, who edifies all sentient beings in both heaven and hell. He wears a headband, and his gentle smile is genuinely beautiful. He is the bodhisattva who has inspired countless miraculous stories of prayers being answered. From the intricately detailed objects in his hands, to his accessories, and to the folds in his robe, it is a masterpiece crafted by one of the best artists of the day.

At Dosoram Hermitage one must pay respect to the Mountain Spirit Shrine without fail. It is because inside are enshrined images of Ven. Ui-un—founder of Chamdangam Hermitage—and Ven. Geomdan, who left a will saying he would become a mountain spirit and guard Mt. Seonunsan after death. Both monks practiced edification and generosity during their lives, and now reside as mountain spirits of Mt. Seonunsan, responding to the sincere prayers of sentient beings.

Repenting and Making Vows to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

at the Divination Dharma Assembly

Walking along the hiking trail cut under the rock-carved buddha, one finds Chamdangam Hermitage. The character “cham” means “repent,” which may suggest that Chamdangam is dedicated to Ksitigarbha. Once called “Daechamsa,” meaning “Temple of Great Repentance,” it was once a massive temple representing Mt. Seonunsan. For 52 years, from the late Goryeo era until the early Joseon era, Chamdangam was the site of divination dharma assemblies in which people reflected on their wrongs and repented.

Traditionally, Buddhist practitioners participated in “precept meetings (uposatha)” in which they confessed their own violations of the precepts and repented. In addition, at the end of the biannual meditation retreats, they held repentance rituals (pavāraṇā) to candidly criticize themselves and repent. For a long time, beginning in the Silla era, repentance prayers based on faith in Ksitigarbha were hugely popular. Beginning in the Joseon era, the concept of guiding the deceased and improving their afterlife was more accentuated, but the focal point of faith in Ksitigarbha was still “repentance.”

No one can live without making mistakes or doing wrong. At those times one should bolster their resolve with “repentance,” not with “regret.” One should visit Mt. Seonunsan where three Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas reside, and visit Seonunsa Temple, Chamdangam, and Dosoram Hermitage to pay one’s respects and repent. That is why our ancestors transformed Mt. Seonunsan from an ordinary mountain to a “sacred site for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

Lee Yun-su is a broadcast writer who holds a PhD in literature, specializing in cultural content. Currently he works as a researcher at the Korean Studies Institute of Korea University. His Korean writings include The History of Yeondeunghoe and Cultural Content.

Photography by Ha Ji-kwon