| Eastern Worak-san Shilleuk-sa Great Temple of the Baekdu-daegan Region in Jecheon County of North Chungcheong Province |
| Still Under Construction San-shin Site Contents Page |
| 19th-century Dragon-boat painting, mural on the Western Paradise Hall, Mt. Worak-san Shilleuk-sa -- about as "middle of nowhere" as you can get in South Korea! Featuring a lively yellow dragon (representing West) and an unusually high number of figures, including Amita Buddha, four Bodhisattvas. Also a 2nd smaller boat with souls being transported to the Western Heaven, with no deities, being towed on a rope -- who is THAT..??? Maybe some Neo-Confucianists who were not "saved" Buddhists like those in the big ship, but were good people in their lives and so are being brought-along out of Compassion....? with the legs sticking out I know this building quite well and the mural. It seems like you missed the earlier potion of this mural where there is a depiction of Venerable Samyong's mission to rescue Korean captives after the Imjin War. The people depicted in the second boat, therefore, are all the Korean captives who returned back to Joseon from Japan. If you think more about it, these people came back through a sea voyage from East (Japan) to West(Korea), which coincides with the Dragon boat motive. Attached here is the first section of the mural, depicting Samyong's arrival to Japan. BTW, the mural is dated around 1806 - 1814. There is a small piece of writing which records the date of its creation; "Painted in the 1Xth year of Jiaqing 嘉慶 Emperor" - the second letter of the year is missing; but Jiaqing 10 was 1806, and Jiaquing Emperor died in 1814, so the date should fit within these 8 years. Wow thanks for that info and theory JiHoon, I do have a photo of that Samyeong mural that you show here -- but just did not realize that they were connected!! I just assumed they were unrelated, or at most that the dragon- boat was carrying the good Korean souls who died in the Imjin War. That the small boat is carrying the redeemed prisoners westward, in a separate towed boat so that they can be "dropped off" at Korea, makes perfect sense! 1806-14 makes sense too...... Very precious old paintings at that un-repainted temple! David A Mason Now that I recall, all the outside wall paintings around the Hall are of Samyeong Daesa, right? But inside it's a typical Paradise Hall..? Why is Samyeong so honored at this Shilleuk-sa? I know he is at Haein- sa, Gap-sa and Jikji-sa, etc, but why at this obscure, remote, little site...? Did he fight a battle here? Edit or delete this Like · Reply · 1h JiHoon Suk JiHoon Suk I am a bit worried though, that the CHA is currently dismantling the entire building for "restoration" since November and I hope they would not mess with the murals. At least they designated the murals as a separate registered cultural property so they will at least stabilize them? 1 Delete or hide this Wow · Reply · 1h JiHoon Suk JiHoon Suk David A Mason According to the temple records, Samyong was briefly a patron of this particular temple in 1602-1603 and spent his own money to restore the temple - the Juji of this temple apparently was one of his disciples. |
