Today, I want to tell you a bit about and show you a Buddhist temple with over a thousand years of history. Recently, I talked with @silversaver888 about how wonderful it would be if some things could tell us what they have seen or heard. When you visit historical places, you begin to wonder how many thousands, or maybe even millions, of people have been there before you. And the reason why they were there and what they did remains a mystery, something we can only guess at.
I ended up at this temple quite by chance. I had a business meeting nearby, but I arrived much earlier than my scheduled time. An interesting fact is that I was certain I would be late when I was on my way, based on what my navigator was showing. Was it a bit of mysticism?
So, I didn't feel like having coffee, even though I'm a coffee lover and rarely turn down a good cup. Then, after looking up what was nearby, I found this temple and decided to visit it.
The temple's name is Hwagyesa. It is located at the foot of a mountain, which makes it even more attractive. Also, there was a lot of snow in and around the temple, even though the last snowfall had been a week ago.
The temple is small, and temple stay experiences are often held here for those who want to learn more about its history and Buddhist culture.
The temple's history dates back to 949! The temple's name means "a place where flowers are beautiful, streams are beautiful, mountains are beautiful," "pure stones," and "filled with the fragrance of flowers."
Like in any other Buddhist temple, there is a prayer hall, a statue of the Buddha, and a place to light candles. At the entrance, there's an information desk where you can ask any questions. The temple also has a Buddhist school.
What caught my attention were the paintings. Many of these paintings are hundreds of years old. They tell us about Buddhism and some legends.
For example, in one painting, a monk has very long eyebrows. In Buddhism, there is a belief that long eyebrows are a symbol of wisdom and inner light. The longer the eyebrows, the deeper the spiritual insight.
Also, look at that architecture. Isn't it fascinating?
I would love to get to know each painting more closely and learn what each means.
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to explore the entire temple, but I will return here again.
Thank you.
Iris.
