Saturday, August 16, 2008

across the water

반야용선도, 般若龍船圖, Banya-yong-sun-do means a painting of dragon vessel of wisdom. Prajna in sanskrit or Banya means wisdom of enlightenment, yong dragon, sun vessel and do painting. So, this painting depicts the scene that a group of enlightened people sail across the suffering world toward the paradise by vessel of wisdom. Dragon-shaped vessel means wisdom to free from suffering. Two people on the prow and stern of the vessel symbolizes Bodhisattvas steering it and guiding the passengers that imply enlightened ones.
Sometimes Buddhist temples in Korea or their main halls symbolize Banyayongsun itself. When visitors look around the main gates of Buddhist temples or stylobate of the main halls, dragon, turtle or crab-shaped carving in wood and stone can be seen. The above one shows the Tongdosa version of Banyayongsundo, which was painted in 1896 on the backside of a building in Tondosa. The below one is a stone bridge near one of the main gates of the monastery.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

temple & village

This marker is designed for the visitors to the main hall of a traditional Buddhist temple established in 824 during Shilla Kingdom, 석남사 Seoknamsa well known for a monastery for Bikkhuni in sanskrit, Buddhist nuns.
Seoknamsa is one of the branch temples of Tongdosa. The mountain range with Mt. Gaji in the background contains a connected series of mountain peaks including Mt. Unmun on which Unmunsa, a major historical Buddhist monastery for Bikkhuni is located somewhere.
Summer views of traditional village near Hwawon in the eastern Daegu.