The Entrance of Sangwonsa

[Curator]

Although this is a small temple, it houses two national treasures, which are both connected with the 7th King Sejo of the Joseon Dynasty. When he became the king, after killing his nephew, King Danjong, he had a nightmare one day that Queen Hyeondeok, Dangjong’s mother, showed up in his dream spitting on him. Afterwards, every spot that her spittle had touched grew tumors. People gossiped that it was a punishment sent from heaven.

Despite trying every medicine and consulting every doctor, nothing worked. So as his last hope, King Sejo came to Woljeongsa and offered his prayer to the Buddha. After paying homage to him, on his way to Sangwonsa, he was impressed by the majestic mountain terrain and the crystal clear water of Odaecheon Stream in the valley, so he took a bath there. Then, Manjusri Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva of Great Wisdom, appeared to him in the form of a boy, and helped him wash his back. It is said that since then, all of his tumors were completely gone. Even today, the rack that held his royal garment can still be seen, next to the stream. Afterwards, he commanded the creation of a statue of child Manjusri Bodhisattva and offered it to the temple. Now, it has become one of the treasures there.