Stone Lantern of the Four Heavenly Kings

[Traveler]
Let's go and look at the stone lantern standing in the yard in front of the main hall of Beopju Temple. This Stone Lantern of the Four Heavenly Kings is characterized by a roof with corners that curve gently upwards. As I said earlier, these four Buddhist deities are guardians of the Buddhist Law, and you can see them carved between the faces between the "light windows".

Please take one step closer to the lantern and look at each of the four guardians closely. The lions of the earlier lantern create a rather cheerful atmosphere, but this lantern is a fine piece of art work exhibiting a unique elegance and dignity. Time has worn the carved images quite significantly, but you can’t miss the artistic value of the elaborate carvings.

A stone lantern is an essential architectural element of a Korean Buddhist temple. It stands in front of the major prayer halls of a temple, shedding light on the world with the Buddhist truths. As in many other religions across the world including Christianity, giving light is a very important symbolic religious act in Korean Buddhism. In particular, lighting a temple with a large lantern is regarded as a great offering to Buddha.