Tongdosa, Bongjeongsa and Buseoksa, which were established in the yeongnam area during the middle period of Silla dynasty, have maintained the position of large Buddhist temple. They recently obtained Unesco World Heritage status, and were recognized officially for the value and the importance of the preservation of original states.
In this vein, this study noticed three temples, which were established in the yeongnam area during the middle period of Silla dynasty, and which Feng-shui apply to the site selection and spatial composition of them. And this study analyzed the location characteristics of the three temples from the feng-shui''s perspective. This will allow it to analyze the location characteristics of the temples in the yeongnam area during the middle period of Silla dynasty.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows. Tongdosa, which was built by monk Jajang, have kept Buddha’s sarira in the Geumgang stairs(金剛戒壇). This temple can be divided three areas as Sangrojeon(上爐殿), Jungrojeon(中爐殿), and Harojeon(下爐殿), in spite of a lot of change depending on the needs of the times after its foundation. The mountain range(龍脈), which started from Mt.Youngchuk, stopped at the Geumgang stairs. This say the Jusan(主山) of this temple is Mt.Youngchuk, and the hyul(穴) of this temple is the Geumgang stairs.
The blue dragon(靑龍) and The white tiger(白虎) of this temple wrap around the entire temple’s area softly. The feng-shui’s main water stream of this temple is Yangsan river. The river shape is geum(金型). the sugu(水口) of this temple is narrow, can preserve the feng-shui’s auspicious energy(生氣) of this temple. Entirely, the feng-shui location of this temple have ideal conditions for feng-shui’s Gilji(吉地).
Bongjeongsa, which was built by monk Reongin, is the representative old temple of Hua-en School(華嚴宗), and has been noted for Gukrakjeon(極樂殿), which is the oldest wooden building in Korea. The mountain range(龍脈), which started from Mt.Cheondeong, stopped at the buddhist Statues area between the Daewoongjeon(大雄殿) and Gukrakjeon. This say the Jusan(主山) of this temple is Mt.Cheondeong, and the hyul(穴) of this temple is the buddhist Statues area.
The feng-shui’s condition of the mountain range from Mt.Cheondeong(jusan) to the buddhist Statues area(hyul) is very good, showing the vertical(起伏) and horizontal(之玄) change. The blue dragon and The white tiger of this temple wrap around the entire temple’s area softly, form the typical feng-shui’s Jangpoonguk(藏風局). The sugu(水口) of this temple is narrow, can preserve the feng-shui’s auspicious energy(生氣) of this temple. Entirely, the feng-shui location of this temple have ideal conditions for feng-shui’s Gilji(吉地).
Buseoksa was built by monk Uisang(義湘) under Silla king Munmu orders, who had tried the expansion for the Koguryo area. The mountain range, which started from Mt.Bongwhang(鳳凰山), stopped at Murangsujeon(無量壽殿). This say the Jusan(主山) of this temple is Mt.Bongwhang, and the hyul(穴) of this temple is Murangsujeon. The feng-shui’s condition of the mountain range from Mt.Bongwhang(jusan) to Murangsujeon(hyul) is very good, showing the vertical and horizontal change.
The hyunmu(玄武) behind Murangsujeon(hyul) has the finely-chiseled shape and opens its arms softly. The feng-shui’s ansan(案山) and josan(朝山) also show their finely-chiseled faces. The blue dragon and The white tiger of this temple wrap around the entire temple’s area softly, form the typical feng-shui’s Jangpoonguk(藏風局). The sugu(水口) of this temple is not narrow perfectly. But the artificial pond near parking area can complement the defection of the sugu. Entirely, the feng-shui location of this temple have ideal conditions for feng-shui’s Gilji.
This study results show the feng-shui’s common characteristics of the temples in the yeongnam area during the middle period of Silla dynasty. Firstly, the jusans(Mt.Youngchuk of Tongdosa, Mt.Cheondeong of Bongjeongsa, Mt.Bongwhang of Buseoksa) of the three temples have magnificent shapes and feng-shui’s auspicious energies. Secondly, the feng-shui’s condition of the mountain ranges from each jusans to hyuls are very good, showing the vertical and horizontal change and gaejang-cheonsim(開帳穿心) and so on. Thirdly, the feng-shui location of the temples have ideal conditions for feng-shui’s Gilji from the perspective of the sasinsa(四神砂), water streams(水), directions(坐向).