Naewonam Hermitage
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Location42, Naewonam-gil Wido-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryTour/ Temple ∙ Local Confucian school
- Korean내원암
- Chinese內院庵
- FieldReligion / Buddhism
- Contents TypeOrganization / Buddhist Temple
- Established Location42, Naewonam-gil Wido-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Current Location42, Naewonam-gil Wido-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A temple that belongs to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, located in Chido-ri, Wido-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- Naewonam Hermitage is a branch temple of Seonunsa Temple, which serves as both the 24th district main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and that of a Buddhist nunnery.
- Background of Construction and Development
- Naewonam Hermitage is thought to have been founded about 400 years ago, although the exact date of its construction is unknown. It is also said that the temple was built by Buddhist Master Jajang during the reign of Queen Jindeok of Silla, or perhaps by someone surnamed “Park” during the reign of King Sukjong of Joseon. The dead tree standing next to Daeungjeon Hall proves that the temple was built a very long time ago . The sangnyangmun (i.e. the message written on a temple’s ridge beam) states that the temple was rebuilt in the tenth year of the reign of King Gojong. It is also written that as the temple is so old, the rebuilding of the temple was led by the monk Park Heul-yeol together with Song Man-gi and thirty-six other residents of the temple in April 1895. In 2010, the old Daeungjeon Hall was rebuilt as Sejonjeon Hall, along with the construction of Wontongjeon Hall.
The temple’s name “Naewonam” originates from Naewongung Palace of Tushita, the fourth of the six heavenly realms of Kamadhatu in Buddhist tradition. It is said that Tushita has a naewon (inner garden) and an oewon (outer garden), and that Naewongung Palace is the place where the Bodhisattva Svetaketu resided before being reborn on Earth as Gautama Buddha, the historical Buddha; it is also the place where bodhisattvas, or future Buddhas, reside before their rebirth as a Buddha.
- Career
- The inhabitants of the village hold a lotus lantern Buddhist service every year to pray for their peace, good luck and virtue.
- Current Status including the Organizational and Architectural Status
- Naewonam Hermitage consists of Sejonjeon Hall, Wontongjeon Hall, Yosachae Dormitory, and Samseonggak Shrine (The Three Sages Shrine). Until recently, the original Daeungjeon Hall, a wooden structure with a tiled roof that was rebuilt in 1873, and which measured four kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) at the front and two kan at the sides, could still be seen at the temple. However, in 2010, the old Daeungjeon Hall was newly built as Sejonjeon Hall, which has a half-hipped roof and measures three kan at the front by three kan at the sides. Wontongjeon Hall, also called Gwaneumjeon Hall, has a gable roof, measures three kan at the front and three kan at the sides, and bears a signboard and a juryeon (a long vertical board hanging from the columns of the temple building) written in Korean. The current head monk of the temple is Wonhyo (Park Seon-ae, as of 2013).
- Related Heritage Items and Sites
- Although the temple does not possess any designated cultural heritages, the naewonmojong (the particular sound made by the bell of Naewonam Temple as it resonates in the morning and evening) is one of the Eight Attractions of Wido. The Lagerstroemia india tree standing in front of the Daeungjeon Buddhist sanctuary is a local attraction known for its beautiful form and great age, as it is said to be many hundreds of years old. The water from the well situated in front of Daeungjeon Hall is believed by the people of Wido to wash away misfortune and is said to have a great taste. Situated some 150 meters to the left of Daeungjeon Hall are the Sansingak and Yongwanggak Shrines, the latter of which was built to comfort the spirits of those who died at sea and to hold a ritual for the safety of local fishermen and a big catch of fish in Wido.
- See Also