Climb the mountain and walk around to feel it
A small temple exploration story in search of unexpected surprises.

A temple where the rituals and culture of monks and Buddhist believers have taken root over many years, forming the unique emotions and aesthetics of Korean Buddhism.
The fragrant forest paths, seasonal flowers, tranquil scenery and atmosphere, and the intellectual and aesthetic inspiration of temples with historical and cultural value are all attractive elements that even non-religious visitors will find endearing.

"The Aesthetics of a Temple" is a book that helps anyone appreciate these elements 'easily, interestingly' and 'properly'.
The author, who has long been interested in Korean thought, culture, and arts, has captured the small yet precious beauties of temples, which he discovered while climbing the forest paths of Korean temples, strolling through the temple grounds, and observing the inside and outside of the buildings, along with abundant photos.
Before arriving at the temple, we first encountered the forest path, the lotus and tablets within the temple grounds, the dragon and Sumidan inside the main hall, and even the Yosa-chae and Haewoo-so, which are less known to the general public, and the charm of the dawn prayer were all thoroughly examined.
In addition, 『The Aesthetics of Temples』 provides intellectual pleasure by comparing the aesthetic differences between temples in China, Japan, and Korea.
Now is the time to set out to discover the unexpected surprises and delightful charms of Korean temples.

Sansa has many 'gates' such as Iljumun, Cheonwangmun, and Bul-ilmun, but none of them have door leaves.
The temple also has doors, but most of them are always open.
The mountain temple does not stop those who come, and does not catch those who leave.
It doesn't matter if you wander off alone and disappear, and if you want to talk to the monk, you can ask him out for a cup of tea.
Unless something special comes up, I'll respond to everything.
If it's mealtime and you want to eat, you can ask for a bowl.
You don't need a pass to enter the mountain temple, and you don't have to be a Buddhist to enter.
Since all the mental suffering and stress caused by human affairs are caused by a lack of proper control over the mind, talking to a monk who is an expert in mind study may provide a clue to a solution.
--- From "A Quiet Healing, A Walk in the Mountain Temple"

Why did monks and Buddhist practitioners plant plum trees? Perhaps it was because plum blossoms heralded the arrival of spring, and their flowers were beautiful and fragrant. But perhaps they also wanted to emulate the precedent of plum blossoms becoming a vehicle for achieving "enlightenment," the goal for which they risked their lives.
Anything can bring about the affinity for enlightenment, but the plum blossom is not just a fragrant flower that brings the early news of spring, but is also a representative flower that presents the miraculous affinity for enlightenment.
--- From "The Plum Blossom That Blooms in the Garden"

In particular, when looking at the Hall of Paradise, the turtle and crab carved on the largest stone of the pedestal on the right side catch the eye first.
It is engraved on the vertical band that is wider than the horizontal band among the intersections of the horizontal and vertical bands.
There is a small baby turtle in front of the mother turtle's head facing downwards.
The head is turned to the left.
It looks like he's out for a walk with his mom and playing around.
The crab is down there.
Walking upwards towards the turtle family.
It seems like the crab and turtle decided to meet on the embankment.
--- From "Turtles and Crabs Playing on the Platform"

If you pass the pagoda and go around the shrine with the signboard that reads ‘Gucheongam’, you can see the entire Gucheongam building at a glance.
There is a courtyard in front of the Cheonbulbojeon, and there are shrines on both sides in front of the Cheonbulbojeon.
There is a pillar in this temple that makes your eyes sparkle.
A pillar made from natural wood with the branches removed and only the bark peeled off, almost without any processing, is called a 'dorangju' or 'doryangju'. The most representative example of a dorangju is the toekan pillar of the Gucheongam Yosa.

--- From "The Impressive Apple Tree Pillars of the Yosachae"