Samseonggak of Bubheungsa


“Located in front of Geuknakjeon, or the Hall of Utmost Bliss, Samseonggak, the Three Sages Shrine, is a simple hall with three columns in front and two on the sides. Samseonggak houses the Buddhist paintings ‘The Spirit of the Big Dipper,’ ‘The Solitary Sage,’ and ‘The Dragon King’.”

“The seven stars which make up the Big Dipper have been regarded as the god of the sky since ancient times, and this belief was adapted by Buddhism. The seven stars were known to govern natural disasters, misfortunes and disease as well as for being influential over births.”

“The Solitary Sage refers to the Pretyeka-buddha, who attained enlightenment all by himself. Even after Buddha entered nirvana, the Pretyeka-buddha is known to lead sentient beings.”


“The Dragon King of Water has always been with the people of Korea as the country is surrounded by water on three sides. The Dragon King is the object of the wishes and wills of all those who depend on fishing for living. This illustrates the tendency for Korean Buddhism to adapt itself to the land by embracing local beliefs.”

“The Samseong, or three sages’ beliefs, expressed in Samseonggak of Bubheungsa, divide all the ways of the world into three fields from a Buddhist perceptive. This has implications for how closely our daily lives are related with Buddhism.”