7. Pyochungsa Temple of Daeheungsa Temple
[Woman]
Pyochungsa Temple of Daeheungsa Temple was built in 1669 by the disciples of Buddhist monk Seosan Daesa to honor his loyalty and true heart, and to commemorate his virtue that allowed his tradition of Seon to take root in Daeheungsa Temple. The Japanese Invasion of Korea took place in the 25th year of King Seonjo.
[King Seonjo]
"Listen! The situation is very urgent. Find Seosan Daesa and order him to urgently come to the court!"
[Vassal]
“Yes, your highness.”
[Woman]
When the situation became urgent, King Seonjo rushed to find Seosan Daesa.
[Eunuch]
"Your Highness, Seosan Daesa has arrived."
[King Seonjo]
“Let him in!”
[Seosan Daesa]
"Your Highness, it is a great honor to be here.”
[King Seonjo]
“Let's skip the formalities. Have a seat.”
[Seosan Daesa]
"Why have you summoned me, your highness?”
[King Seonjo]
"The nation's situation is very urgent. Please come forward for the sake of the country and the people.”
[Seosan Daesa]
"I will make sure that old and ill Buddhist monks who are unable to go to the battlefield pray for the mercy of Bodhisattva at their temples, and I will lead the monks who can fight to the battlefield to prove my unwavering loyalty! Your Highness!”
[King Seonjo]
“I will give you the position of general commissioner for eight provinces with the authority to command all monk's militia in this country!”
[Seosan Daesa]
"With all my heart and soul, I will make sure to save our country from this crisis! Your Highness!”
[Woman]
Subsequently, Seosan Daesa sent a declaration to his disciples across the country and appealed to them to rise up to save the country. The Buddhist monks, trying to save the nation and their people from the crisis, volunteered to fight all over the country. With some 1,500 fellow practitioners, Seosan Daesa made a great contribution to recapturing Pyongyang Castle with the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. After that, once the country had escaped the danger, Seosan Daesa returned to the mountain.
In the 37th year of King Seonjo, Seosan Daesa quietly entered Nirvana in Wonjeokam Hermitage. On his deathbed, Seosan Daesa asked his disciples to send his robe and bowl to Daedunsa Temple in Duryunsan Mountain, today's Daeheungsa Temple, to preserve them.
Later, in 1788 during the 12th year of King Jeongjo, the Buddhist monks at Daedunsa Temple, Gyehong and Cheonmuk, wrote a petition to the king. It was to request the building of a shrine in Daedunsa Temple where the relics of Seosan Daesa would be preserved to honor his loyalty. In response, King Jeongjo royally bestowed the name Pyochungsa Temple, and Pyochungsa Temple was built by Cheonmuk, the seventh-generation descendant of Seosan Daesa.
Pyochungsa Temple of Daeheungsa Temple sets Cheongheodang Seosan Daesa as the main wall, and canonizes Noemukdang Cheoyeong Daesa, who rendered distinguished military service by raising a voluntary militia in Jeolla-do along with Samyeong Daesa, the disciple of Seosan Daesa. Having a Confucian shrine in the temple compound was a unique case rarely found in Korea. This is a space that embodies the teachings of Buddha, which respects and serves Sangha, one of the triple gems of the Buddha.
Pyochungsa Temple of Daeheungsa Temple
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