Hapcheon Haeinsa Temple (해인사)

Welcome to the Haeinsa Temple. There is a 1.5 kilometer-long walk from the parking lot to the One Pillar Gate, the temple’s outermost entrance. While walking, take in the stunning view of Gayasan National Park. Can you hear the melodious sound of water? It flows along the exquisite rocky valley on the left. The valley captivates visitors with its colorful scenery each season. Its beauty and the surroundings has earned it two nicknames. One is Ongnyudongcheon Stream, or Jade Brook Valley, inspired by the famous valley in Geumgangsan Mountain, often regarded as the most beautiful mountain in the Korean Peninsula. The other is Hongnyudonggyegok Valley, or Vermillion Brook Valley, derived from the autumnal colors of the trees reflected in the running water. Gayasan National Park boasts breathtakingly beautiful peaks and valleys, symbolizing human spiritual growth in perfect harmony with nature. Deep inside the park lies Haeinsa Temple, established about twelve centuries ago. Since then, it has evolved into one of the three most significant Buddhist sanctuaries in Korea, alongside Tongdosa Temple and Songgwangsa Temple. Each of them represents one of the Three Jewels of Korean Buddhism. The First Jewel of Korean Buddhism comprises the true relics of the historical Buddha, or Shakyamuni, housed in Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan. The Second Jewel is the community of Buddhist monks symbolized by Songgwangsa Temple, which has produced sixteen eminent monks representing the spiritual maturity of Korean Buddhism. The Third Jewel is the dharma, or the Buddhist law, represented by the immense scriptural collection known as the Tripitaka Koreana. The collection comprises over eighty thousand scriptural woodblocks currently housed in two special depositaries in Haeinsa Temple. Some argue that Haesina Temple encapsulates the history of Korean Buddhism itself due to this treasure.

The short section of the road between the two gate buildings, One Pillar Gate and Cheonwangmun Gate, is lined with tall, and aged trees. The particular tree on the right side of the road near Cheonwangmun Gate might catch your attention. This old zelkova tree died decades ago. It is believed to have been planted to mark the foundation of Haeinsa Temple in 802. The tree’s demise in 1945 marked the end of its millennium-long duty as a guardian of the temple. The thick and bulky trunk suggests that in its heyday, it had a majestic appearance. The tree’s connection to the establishment of the temple is intertwined with an amazing story of two monks. They are known to have cured the ailing queen of Silla with the power of their prayers. Legend says they built a temple at the site of their prayers for her health. The king also planted a tree as a sign of gratitude. This dead zelkova before you is believed to be that tree. There is a rectangular stone topped with a mound of gravel. The stone block is called yeomjuseok, or stone salt storage. While resembling a prayer cairn due to the gravel, it’s actually more related to traditional Korean feng shui theory. Do you see the peaks to the south of the temple? Fengshui experts believed that the peaks contained fire energy. The belief could explain why the temple suffered at least seven disastrous fires, as recorded in old history books. With wooden structures housing treasures like Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, fire has always been a major concern among the Haeinsa Temple community. Consequently, they decided to counteract the fire’s malevolent energy by utilizing the power of the ocean, storing salt in the stone blocks. The tradition of this symbolic ritual is still maintained by the temple community, with the ritual held once every year.

You have now arrived at the Cheonwangmun Gate, or the Gate of Four Heavenly Kings. It is the second of the gates. It is also called Geumgangmun Gate and has been repaired a number of times. As the name suggests, the gate houses murals depicting iconic images of the Four Heavenly Kings. These Buddhist deities typically appear as sculptural images in most other Buddhist temples in Korea, but here, they are painted on the walls. The Four Heavenly Kings are the guardians of the center of the Buddhist universe called Sumeru in Sanskrit, and Sumisan in Korean. These fierce-looking warriors protect the holy place from evil forces invading from all four directions. Each warrior king watches over one cardinal direction with his own weapon: a sword for the East, lute for the West, a dragon for the South and a pagoda for the North. Observe the evil creatures groaning under their feet. These embody all evil forces captured by the warriors while covertly infringing on the sanctity of the holy mountain.