Holiday Journal

• Start
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• WolJeong Temple
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• Yangtte Farm
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• Finish

Woljeongsa Temple on Odaesan Mountain has a beautiful view as well as visitors who seek for healing from its 1,000 years old fir tree woodland path. I also wanted to visit this place the most if I ever go to Daegwallyeong. Because I know how hard it is to keep the way it has been for a thousand years, I admire the old things that must've been through numerous obstacles and difficulties.

Not only that, if you enter the left side from the entrance to Woljeongsa, there is Sangwonsa Temple which is one of 5 Shrines for Sakyamuni Buddha's Sarira in Korea, in other words, one of 5 temples where relic of Buddha are being kept. The other 4 temples are Tongdosa in Yangsan, Inje Bongjeongam, Yeongwol Buepheungsa and Jeongamsa Temple of Taebaksan Mountain.

“Shrine for Sakamuni Buddha's Sarira is a royal palace where Buddha's bones are being kept and where Sakamuni Buddha gets away from the confused (迷惑) world and attains Nirvana. For relic is being kept, statue of the Buddha is not necessarily enshrined to have a Buddhist service, and only a Buddhist alter is to be built. There is no need for a sacred image of Buddha nor alter portrait of Buddha, only the tower with relic is enshrined or Mandala (戒壇) outside the Buddhist sanctuary is to be built." – Doosan Encyclopedia

The first welcoming gate before we went to Daeungjeon is the temple gate dedicated to the Four Devas. This place is like a guard post of patron saints that the Four Devas protect the Bodhi-mandala from evil spirit. It's entertaining to look for the differences in Four Devas from every temple.

Please take a closer look at Image of Four Devas. Does it remind you of hurtful things you said to your family a few days ago, not being able to give warm comments to your parents a few weeks ago and stuff? He seems to know everything I've done wrong. So when I see his face, I feel like I've done something wrong. Forget about everything and move on. Because we know that what's important is what we do from now.

'Odaesan Woljeongsa' is written in Haengseo style font. Signboard that makes us feel the pace reflects the world where we struggle to live. lol This mountain is named for its shape that the 5 buds of a lotus comprising flat earth without any projecting part.

The letters 'Woljeongsa Jongmuso(temple office)' reminded me of the handwriting of one famous calligrapher, Iljung Kim Chung-hyeon.

The lingering imagery from ferry Sewol still remains on the branches of the tree in the front yard of Daeungjeon. I wish they would go some place nice and live happier than they did in this world.

While I was watching the 4^th Short-term Buddhist Priesthood banner, something moved me.I guess it's because the old saying that you could cut your hair and be a monk if you don't like the world sounds attractive but unrealistic at the same time. Giving up on endless desires in the mundane world, waking up 3 in the morning and having a Buddhist service & cultivating themselves religiously could be much more difficult and not everybody can do it I'm sure. Jeok(寂; 적) of Jeokgwangjeon means both stillness and nirvana. Handwriting on the signboard which makes you feel the traces of the brush passing through incisively is written by Monk Tanheo, the chief priest at the time of reconstruction of this building in 1968.

Sometimes I feel like the women in their 50s enjoy the life much more than teenage girls. I also understand that the fifty year olds who learned to let it go and enjoy what they have could be happier than teens who are suffering from pressures to study.

Woljeongsa Temple of Mt. Odae is repository of Korean culture where it has four National Treasures including Sangwonsa Dongjong (bronze bell) at Sangwonsa Temple, the Woljeongsa palgakgucheung seoktap (Octagonal Nine-Story Stone Pagoda of Woljeongsa), Sangwonsa Munsudongja Jwasang (seated statue of child monk), and Sangwonsa Jungchang-gwonseonmun. This Octagonal Nine-story Stone Pagoda is a famous tourist attraction where they hold special events such as Tapdori event on Buddha's Birthday. This tower is appraised as the best structure built in Goryeo era, and the shape of the tower rending the sky makes me convinced that there's going to be a hot line that connects me and Buddha if I start praying. lol

Jonggoru is a tower which has a bell, a drum, a sandfish and temple bell built to guide people so it acts as a studio or an audio room of Woljeongsa Temple. In other words, this is like an audible device to awaken for monks and people to awaken their spirits all the time. The sandfish touched me somehow because I felt like it tells us to devote ourselves steadily without stopping like fish sleeps with eyes open.

Photos taken by photo exhibition winners with a theme of Woljeongsa Temple are displayed. Every picture has its characteristics and they look like they have high standards.

After you pass by the Four Devas, there comes Geumgangru, and you should walk that way until you meet Yunjangdae.

I was told that you would get lucky when you turn the Yunjangdae so everybody turns it a few times while they pray before they go down.

There is a shape of Four Devas drawn right below Geumgangru. It probably is used to guard against the evil spirit passing under Geumgangru and protect the Buddhist temple.

With the 3-d pieces attached to it, Four Devas looks more real. It was supposed to be scary but the beautiful colors and balanced body shape would make you feel somehow better. lol

I couldn't stop smiling in front of solemn Four Devas because I thought I saw that pose somewhere in bodybuilding contest.

If you pass the Four Devas and leave Woljeongsa Temple, you'll find a fir tree woodland path that has a history of 1,000 years.

Walking on this road with your bare feet, you will get rid of stress, lose your headaches and your head will be clear.

Fir trees grew so strongly which seem like they are producing so much phytoncide. Breathe in as long as you like and get healthy, how does that sound?

Walking along this road and watching people walking makes me think about life. It also makes me look at myself just like I look in the mirror.

Suddenly there came a solemn walk of truth-seeker coming from the opposite direction. I had to switch the lens to 35mm, cautiously waited until the people are gone and chased after them while I kept pressing the camera shutter. I did my best not to cause restlessness of mind and tried to capture the moment as quiet as I could. I think they were students of 41^st Short-Term Buddhist Priesthood who had been educated for the whole month in July.

Daegwallyeong Salvatore Pension 대관령 살바토레 펜션

Just like the 23^rd phrase of Doctrine of the Golden Mean from the movie 'Yeokrin (The Fatal Encounter' that says 'if you do your utmost in small things, you can attain sincerity, this sincerity becomes apparent, from being manifest it becomes brilliant, brilliant, it affects others', the owner of Salvatore makes people moved with his upmost efforts in small things like a truth-seeker.

. The only pension that I could not find any dust on the refrigerator in the room
. Pension that has a small audio installed in the room for customers to listen to music
. Pension that makes us happy with different kinds of flowers
. Pension where everywhere including blanket is clean and clear
. Pension where you are offered the best quality coffee
. Pension where you could listen to the best quality music with a vintage audio at a cafe

The room on the second floor has a big window to veranda where you could look down the beautiful garden. The beds are all of Ace brand and that shows us that they care about things that are not even exposed to guests right away. Probably that's why the mattress is strong and makes you sleep comfy.
There's a simple sofa next to the bed where you could watch TV comfortably.
The clean, dry and smooth blanket is one of the best advantages of this place.

In the bathroom, it was possible to keep the floor dried which makes it cleaner and more comfortable to come in and out of the room often. The shower booth had enough shampoo and body washer liquids of good brand.

It's not recommended to make a meal in the room but it has simple appliances including a single electric heat, and the furniture look simple but the best quality since they are from Hanssem.

The flowers look so beautiful with green grass in the front yard of the pension. The owner said that if there's anything he was into lately besides music was planting and growing flowers.

We did not expect there would be a small audio in the corner of the room. When you travel, it's sad that you can't listen to music properly even in a five-star hotel but I was so happy to listen to Beethoven's piano sonata as soon as I finished the unpacking in the room.

Address : 266-7, Yongsan-ri, Daegwanryeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gwangwon-do (강원도 평창군 대관령면 용산리 266-7)