Geumsansa Temple: Daejeokgwangjeon Hall

[Narration]
Daejeokgwangjeon Hall is located to the west of Mireukjeon Hall, in the centre of Geumsansa Temple.

Daejeokgwangjeon Hall is an ideal site for experiencing Buddhism: it’s a building that enshrines the principle icon and owner of the lotus sanctuary world, Vairocana.

In temples following the legacy of the Hwaeomjong tradition, inner temples were mainly constructed to enshrine this principle icon. And Daejeokgwangjeon Hall is also referred to as Birojeon Hall and Hwaeomjeon Hall, as it is said to have been the origin of Hwaeomgyeong Sutra and because it enshrines Vairocana.

Hanging underneath the roof eaves is a sign that reads: Daejeokgwangjeon, in the handwriting of Hwang-wook of Jeon-buk, written here in 1991. Hwang-wook is the originator of the writing style known as ‘Akpilpop’, where instead of gripping the pen with his fingers, he gripped the pen in the palm of his hand and pressed down on his thumb in order to write: you can see examples of the font that he created at Hwaeomsa Temple.

Generally in the Daejeokgwangjeon Hall of a temple, the Buddhas: Bopshin, Boshin, Hwashin amongst others are enshrined around the Vairocana, symbolizing the lotus sanctuary world. However in Geumgangsa Temple’s Daejeokgwangjeon Hall, there are five Buddha’s and six Bosal (Buddhist saints) enshrined there. The prevailing meaning here is that, in order to be awakened to Buddha’s truth, the representing Buddha and Bosal of Mahayana Buddhism must be evenly accommodated, with no bias in denomination, and no division of goodness and faith.

The grand scale of Daejeokgwangjeon Hall took root in Buddhist Master Su-moon’s rebuilding of the temple in 1635, following it being burned down in the 2nd War of Jeongyu.

The enshrining of the Buddhas: Vairocana, Nosanabul, Sakyamunibul, Amitabul, and Yeoksayeoraebul, together with the six Bosal’s, shows that Daejeokgwangjeon Hall is a place of combination and unity. In 1986 the temple was destroyed by fire again, only to be restored in 1994.

Next, let’s visit the Hexagonal Multi-story Stone Pagoda, located to the right of Daejeokgwangjeon Hall’s front courtyard.