Myeongbujeon and the Bodhi Tree of Doseonsa


“Myeong, Bu, Jeon! Honey, this is Myeongbujeon of Doseonsa Temple!”

“The dharma hall enshrines Ksitigarbha, who will save all the beings in hell, and the Ten Kings, who judge the good and evil of humans, along with thirty-three honored statues which remind us to have pure minds. Can you understand what all these mean?”

“I suppose these meanings are good? But, what does Myeongbujeon mean?”

“Myeongbujeon is the Hall of Ten Kings or the Hall of Ksitigarbha. You can say that the hall was built as a symbolic expression of the Nether World. I’ve heard that it is primarily built to the right of Daeungjeon. Look, I am correct! Haha...”


“Honey, is this a Bodhi tree? This tree was originally from Bodh Gaya in India. The fruits of this tree are used to make strings of beads, so it is also called a bead tree.”

“Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree after ascetic practices so this is called the ‘enlightenment’ or ‘holy’ tree in Buddhism. This type of tree has been planted throughout the temple, and the trees are attended with great care to remind us of Buddha’s awakening. Do you understand?”