Located about 16 kilometers southeast of downtown Gyeongju, a town that was once the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom(57 B.C.-A.D. 935), is Bulguksa, one of the largest and most beautiful Buddhist temples in Korea. Built on a series of stone terraces, Bulguksa Temple appears to emerge organically from the rocky terrain of the wooded foothills of Mt. Tohamsan. This is because it was built in accordance with ancient notions of architecture and principles of geomancy that man-made structures should not be obtrusive but should harmonize with the surroundings. It is both monolithic and intricate and takes on different guises as the light and shadows shift and the weather changes.

Bulguksa Temple dates to a small temple that King Beopheung (r. 514-540), Silla's 23rd monarch and the first Silla ruler to embrace Buddhism, had erected for his queen to pray for the prosperity and peace of the kingdom. Its present structures, however, date to 751 when Kim Dae-seong, a devoted Buddhist who had served as chief state minister, began building the large "Temple of the Buddha Land." An able administrator with an eye for beauty, Kim directed the construction until his death in 774, a few years before the project was completed. Originally consisting of more than 80 buildings, 10 times the number surviving today, it was the center of Silla Buddhism and served primarily as a place to pray for the Buddha's protection against invaders. The temple's stonework including the foundations, staircases, platforms and several pagodas date from that time, but the wooden edifices date from 1973 when the temple was completely restored.

Two large stone balustraded staircases that were constructed without mortar dominate the temples facade. The one on the right comprises a lower flight of steps called Baegungyo (Bridge of White Clouds) and an upper flight of steps called Cheongungyo (Bridge of Azure Clouds) and the one on the left, two flights of steps called Chilbogyo (Seven Treasures Bridge) and Yeonhwagyo (Lotus Bridge). The staircases are called bridges because symbolically they lead from the secular world to Bulguk, the Land of the Buddha.



Baegungyo leads to Jahamun (Mauve Mist Gate), the main entrance to Daeungjeon, the temple's main sanctuary. The other staircase leads to Anyangmun (Pure Land Gate), the entrance to Geungnakjeon, a secondary sanctum.

The colorful Daeungjeon is not Bulguksa's largest building, but it is certainly the most important as it enshrines an image of Sakyamuni, the Historic Buddha. The gilt bronze image made in 1765 is flanked by Dipamkara, the Bodhisattva of the Past, and Maitreya, the Bodhisattva of the Future, and two arhats, or disciples, Ananda and Kasyapa. Ananda, the younger of the two, is a cousin of Sakyamuni and his habitual attendant. Kasyapa is a leading disciple.

The building is decorated with colorful dancheong patterns that are not only a reflection of the Buddhist heaven but also an attempt to bring the harmony and unity of the cosmos to earth for easy access by humans. Horned dragons look down from the eaves of the roof.

Dominating the courtyard of Daeungjeon hall are two of Korea's most beautiful pagodas: the 8.3-meter-high Seokgatap (Pagoda of Sakyamuni) and the 10.5-meter-high Dabotap (Many Treasures Pagoda), both built around 756. It is recorded that Kim Dae-seong had them built for his parents, which is perhaps why the Seokgatap is rather masculine and the Dabotap feminine. Seokgatap is characterized by simplicity and princely dignity whereas Dabotap is highly decorative. The simple, three-story Seokgatap represents spiritual ascent via the rules put forth by Sakyamuni, Buddhism's historical founder, whereas the more complex Dabotap symbolizes the complexity of the world.

Geungnakjeon (Hall of Great Bliss), which is to the left of Daeungjeon, enshrines a gilt-bronze image of Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise. A masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture, the lovely image is believed to have been made in 1750.

Behind Daeungjeon is the temple's largest building, a 34.13-meter-long lecture hall called Museoljeon. It is interesting to note that the name literally means no lecture, implying that truth cannot be obtained through lectures. Behind and to the left of this hall is Birojeon (Hall of Vairocana), where an imposing gilt-bronze image of Vairocana, the Buddha of All-pervading Light, made during the eighth or ninth century, is enshrined. The mudra, or hand gesture of this image, symbolizes that the multitude and the Buddha are one. To the right of Birojeon is Gwaneumjeon in which an image of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Mercy, is enshrined. The image was made when the temple was restored.

High up on the mountain behind Bulguksa Temple is Seokguram, a man-made stone grotto designed around the worship of a principal statue of Buddha. One of Asia's finest Buddhist grottos, it is a reflection of the application of advanced scientific principles and precise mathematical and architectural concepts, not to mention great technical skills. It is also a testament to the enthusiasm, courage, and sacrifice of Korea's early Buddhist monks who risked their lives to make pilgrimages to faraway India to learn firsthand about their religion and its traditions.

This type of cave temple originated in India where two kinds were constructed: chaitya, a sanctuary or hall containing a sacred object to be worshipped such as an image of a Buddha or a small stupa; and vihara, a monastery or shelter for monks, often with a stupa or niches for images. Grotto temples of the chaitya style were popularized in China. Both chaitya and vihara were created by tunneling in stone mountains and carving on natural rocks.

Seokguram follows the chaitya model but it was not created by tunneling; perhaps Korea's granite bedrock precluded the type of tunneling and carving involved in the Indian and Chinese cave temples. Instead, the cave, which is high up on the mountain some 750 meters above sea level, was artificially created using carved granite slabs. Kim Dae-seong constructed Seokguram at the same time he built Bulguksa Temple and at the time, it was called Seokbulsa, literally Stone Buddha temple. It was designed to guide the Buddhist faithful into the land of the Buddha, to enable them to take a spiritual journey to the realm of nirvana.

Seokguram comprises a rectangular antechamber and a round interior chamber with a domed ceiling connected by a rectangular passageway. The antechamber represents earth and the round chamber, heaven. A large image of a seated Buddha is in the rotunda. It is placed in the rotunda in such a way that the first rays of the sun rising over the East Sea would strike the urna, the jewel in the forehead. Thirty-nine figures from the Buddhist pantheon such as bodhisattvas, arhats and ancient Indian gods are arranged systematically on the walls of the antechamber, corridor and rotunda according to their functions and ranks, giving the impression of having realized the Pure Land of the Buddha in the present world. Most of the images are in high relief.

Chiseled out of a single block of granite, the 3.5-meter-high main Buddha is seated cross-legged on a lotus throne facing the east, eyes closed in quiet meditation, a serene, all-knowing expression on its face. Its features - gentle eyebrows, noble nose, long ears and tightly curled hair - are exquisitely portrayed. The hands are poised in the mudra of calling the earth to witness. An image of power and serenity, it presents Sakyamuni at the moment of enlightenment. The personification of divine and human natures, an enigmatic combination of masculine strength and feminine beauty, the image represents Buddhist sculpture at the zenith of classical realism. Many art historians consider it to be the most perfect Buddhist statue in the world.