- Address: 108 Tongdosa-ro, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
- Confession: Buddhism
- Type: for men
- Year of foundation: 646
In the South Korean city of Yangsan, there is an ancient Buddhist temple called the Tongdosa Temple. It is located on the southern slope of the Yonchuksan rock and is famous for being the only monastery in the country where there is not one statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni.
general information
The name of the shrine means "the passage to enlightenment." It is a whole complex, which is one of the 3 main monasteries belonging to the Choge Order of Korean Buddhism. These monasteries symbolize the main parts of religion:
- sangu (community);
- dharma (sacred teaching);
- Buddha Shakyamuni, who is identified with the temple of Thondos.
Here are kept the real shrines, which are pieces of the relics of the Buddha (bone guru) and a piece from his clothes. These relics are placed in special stone stupas and are in the courtyard of Kumgang Kedan. They are installed on a pedestal and surrounded by a fence. They were brought here from China by a Buddhist monk named Zhazhzhan (Chadzha), who in 646 (the reign of Queen Sondok) founded the monastery of Thondos.
The place was not chosen by chance, because, according to legend, in this part of the mountains dragons lived, able to protect the shrines. By the way, for all its history the monastery has never been destroyed and has been perfectly preserved to the present day, and the fire in the temple has not been extinguished for more than 1300 years. In the monastery pilgrims worship relics (they are included in the list of the National treasure under №290), therefore the Buddha statues are not needed here.
The temple complex is located in a picturesque place and is surrounded by centuries-old pines, and through its territory there is a river with waterfalls, the noise of which pacifies and soothes the visitors. Such a nature promotes meditation and mental rest . It's beautiful here at any time of the year, but in the spring especially, because in April a fragrant cherry blossoms.
Description of the complex
On the territory of Thondos there are 35 pagodas and halls, as well as 14 small temples (amzhi). Such a large number of premises allows one to consider this monastery one of the largest Buddhist complexes in the country. There are about 800 cultural treasures and 43 religious relics that make the monastery look like a museum. The most famous of them are the ancient bell and the drum.Near the entrance to the temple of Thondos there is a pond through which the "windless" bridge is thrown. It symbolizes the border between the world of Buddhism and the usual bustle. In the middle of the reservoir is a small bowl that fulfills desires. Just think about your dream and throw a coin.
In the courtyard of the temple complex are equipped with small oriental gardens and ancient sculptures that protect the monastery from evil spirits. They dilute themselves with unique architectural buildings.
Features of visit
Anyone can enter the shrine, however, not all rooms are available for viewing. The cost of admission is $ 2.5. Visitors are required to comply with the following rules:
- You can only go around the stupa in a clockwise direction;
- photographing of relics is forbidden;
- on the territory of the shrine you can not shout, loudly talk and distract the prayers;
- you can go into the temple only barefoot or in socks;
- all visitors should be closed shoulders and knees.
How to get to the shrine?
The temple is located in the province of Gyeongsang-Namdo, 30 km from the city of Busan . From the village to the monastery can be reached by bus (platform 34 and 35), which departs from the terminal located at the terminal metro station of the 1st line. The fare is $ 2. The stop is called Thondosa, from here it will be necessary to go to the temple for 10 minutes.