Travel to South Korean 7： Beomeosa (Temple of the Nirvana Fish)

＜　main temples　＞

This Beomeosa temple belongs to Zen Buddhism and is a head temple of the greatest denomination of Korean Buddhism.

It stands at the foot of Geumjeongsan mountain in Busan, South Korea.

Although the foundation is old in the 7th century, it suffered a fire and abandonment.

Now the rebuilding is advancing.

Several stone towers were built at the time of the foundation, and the oldest buildings are 400 years ago.

この寺は禅宗で、韓国仏教最大の宗派に属しています。

釜山の金井山の麓に建っています。

創建は7世紀と古いが、火災や廃寺の憂き目にあい、再建が進んでいます。

古い建物は４００年前、石塔は創建当時のものがあります。

＜　A brook and a bridge　＞

＜　Iljumum:  one-pillar gate ＞

Firstly, we go across the bridge of the brook, and come to advance to the Buddhist world from this mundane world.

Then, we pass through Iljumum of the first gate that is meaning, "I meet face to face with Buddha single-mindedly."

By the same token, some gates and many temple halls that have the characteristic arrangement of Korean temple continued.

It is the reappearance of Buddhism world.

最初に小川の橋を渡り、俗世から仏の世界に進むことになる。

次いで「仏様に一心に向き合う」ことを意味している一柱門をくぐる。

以下同様に、韓国寺院の特徴ある配置―仏教世界の再現、門や楼、殿が続く。

＜　Buildings of the precinct　　＞

A. Cheonwangmun:  the second gate of the Four Heavenly Kings.

In Japan, Kongorikishi ( Nio ) stands in the first gate of Buddhist temple, and the Four Heavenly Kings stand to protect the principal image in the same temple hall.

B. Burimun:  the third gate.

C. One of main halls:  passing through this, we come out to an open space at front of Daeungjeon. 

D. Look down on the Burimun gate

E. Some buildings surrounding the open space.

F. Hall of the Ksitigarbha : This is on left-hand side toward the Daeungjeon. Hall of the Avalokiteshwara( Kannon) is on right-hand side toward it.

A. 天王門：　一柱門に続く門で、ここに四天王が4体立っている。

日本では、金剛力士（仁王）が山門で睨みをきかし、四天王は同じ堂内で本尊を護るように立っている。

B. 不二門：　天王門に続く門で、煩悩を捨てることを意味する。

C. 普済楼？ ：　ここをくぐると、大雄殿前の広場に出る。

D. 不二門を見下ろす。

E. 広場を囲む建物。

F. 地蔵殿：　これは大雄殿に向かって左側にあり、右側に観音殿がある。

＜　Daeungjeon: the main temple hall is dedicated to Shakyamuni (Shaka Nyorai)　＞

The stone tower that is behind a person taking a camera is a thing of the ninth century.

カメラを撮っている人の向こうにある石燈は９世紀のものです。

＜　a sideways view from front of the Daeungjeon ＞

＜　Buddha statues　＞

A. One of the Four Heavenly Kings

B. Avalokiteshwara( Kannon)

C. Shakyamuni triad

The looks of these Buddha statues differ from the thing of Japan greatly.

I will explain this reason in my series “Go around the world of Buddha statues”.

I easily explain the difference for a person who has a sense of incongruity to Korean Buddhism.

A. 天王門にある四天王の一体

B. 観音菩薩像

C. 釈迦如来三尊像

これら仏像の風貌は日本のものと大きく異なっています。

この理由を連載「仏像を巡って」で推理します。

韓国の仏教に違和感を抱いた方の為に、簡単に違いを説明します。

The feature and its background of Korean Buddhism

There are Buddha statues that have to be not placed in Japan and China in Korean Zen temple.

This was because Zen Buddhism united with denominations that considered the sacred book or a prayer to Buddha important.

There are many famous temples deep in the mountains, and reconstructed temples and new Buddha statues are found largely.

This is associated with the Korean history.

The Korean Buddhism often received thorough oppression of the nation out of the adversarial relationship with Confucianism.

Moreover, Buddhist monk had a weapon and battled with the foreign enemy frequently, therefore the temple often was war-torn.

In this way, many temples and Buddha statues were destroyed and fell into decay.

Especially the damage of temples of ancient city was serious.

Therefore many temples were in mountains or reconstructed in recent history.

I guess that the formation of a denomination unlike China and Japan was because of the countermeasure for the national regulation.

Now, Buddhist and Christian (Protestant, Catholic) in Korea are the same numbers almost.

韓国仏教の特徴とその背景

韓国の禅寺には日本や中国には無いはずの仏像があります。

これは禅宗と経典や念仏を重視する宗派が合体している為です。

有名な寺は山深い所に多く、また再建された建物や新しい仏像が多く見られます。

これは韓国の歴史に関わりがあります。

韓国の仏教は、儒教と対立する形で、度々国家により徹底的な弾圧を受けました。

また僧侶が武器を持ち、度々外敵と戦い、戦火に巻き込まれることもあった。

こうして多くの寺や仏像が破壊され朽ち果て、特に古都の寺の被害は甚大であった。

それが為、山寺や最近再建された寺が多いのです。

中国や日本と異なる宗派形成は国家の規制に対抗した為だと推察されます。

現在、仏教徒とキリスト教徒（プロテスタント、カソリック）はほぼ同数です。