| Changwon City Bongrim-san Bongrim-saji Site of one of the "Nine Mountain Zen-Gates": Bong-lim-sa "Phoenix-Forest" Seon Monastery and the newly-built Bongrim-sa South Gyeongsang Province, Naknam-Jeongmak Range |
| Seonjong-Gusan Mountains and Gusan-Seonmun Temples Nearby: Bulmo-san Seongju-sa Sacred Mountains Index San-shin Site Contents Page |
The still-under-construction "Bongrim-sa" at the foot of Mt. Bongrim-san at the top of Bongrim-dong
neighborhood in northern Changwon City. It is the trailhead for the Bong-lim-saji [Phoenix-Forest
Temple-site] near the top of the mountain, which is where one of the historic Gusan-Seonmun or
"Nine Mountain Zen-Gates" Seon Monasteries was located from the 8th Cen CE until the Korean war.
Bongrim-san (about 300m) is just SW of Jeongbyeong-san 567m and also on the Naknam-Jeongmaek
Range; the Changwon Country-Club Golf Course is between this modern temple and the old site.
neighborhood in northern Changwon City. It is the trailhead for the Bong-lim-saji [Phoenix-Forest
Temple-site] near the top of the mountain, which is where one of the historic Gusan-Seonmun or
"Nine Mountain Zen-Gates" Seon Monasteries was located from the 8th Cen CE until the Korean war.
Bongrim-san (about 300m) is just SW of Jeongbyeong-san 567m and also on the Naknam-Jeongmaek
Range; the Changwon Country-Club Golf Course is between this modern temple and the old site.
| signs on the local street point the way |
| 1500-m trail leading up from the modern temple to Bongrim-saji; unfortunately there's nothing left there but a clearing in the forest |
Late-20th-Cen monument at the trailhead for Bongrim-saji Site in a stand of bamboo, and a photo in
the modern temple's office of the Late-Shilla Three-Story Pagoda -- the only major relic of Bongrim-sa
left after heavy shelling during the Korean War devastated the ancient site, now kept at a local college
campus. The Bongnim-san Seon School 봉림산문 (鳳林山門), at 봉림사 was established by Seon-
Master Weongam (圓鑑; 787-869) and his student Simhui (審希; fl. 9c). Weongam was a student of Chan
Master Zhangjing Huaihui (章敬懷暉; 748-835), in the transmission-lineage from Sixth Patriarch Huineng.
the modern temple's office of the Late-Shilla Three-Story Pagoda -- the only major relic of Bongrim-sa
left after heavy shelling during the Korean War devastated the ancient site, now kept at a local college
campus. The Bongnim-san Seon School 봉림산문 (鳳林山門), at 봉림사 was established by Seon-
Master Weongam (圓鑑; 787-869) and his student Simhui (審希; fl. 9c). Weongam was a student of Chan
Master Zhangjing Huaihui (章敬懷暉; 748-835), in the transmission-lineage from Sixth Patriarch Huineng.
| construction-plan for the modern temple, showing a future Sanshin-gak at upper-right near the trail-head |
| becoming-typical display of folk-Buddhist votive-offerings at the base of that monument |
| old tombs of local VIPs on the way up to the clearing (my photo of the clearing itself failed, sorry) |
| the newly-built Dae-ung-jeon Main Hall |
| Shinjung-taenghwa in that Main Hall |
| San-shin (above), Yong-wang (below) and the Dharma-King of the West (right) in that Shinjung-do |
| the temporary Sanshin-gak |
| San-shin and Yong-wang statues decorated with yeomju chant-bead-necklaces |
