More on  Bulam-sa   불암사
of Bulam-san in Eastern Seoul
The large Spirit-hall of Bul-am-sa is unique in all of Korea.  
The signboard on the right proclaims a San-shin-gak, the
one in the center proclaims a Chilseong-gak [Seven Stars
(of the big dipper) Shrine], and the one on the left
proclaims a Na-han-jeon [Hall for the Arhants, the 16
enlightened  disciples of Sakyamuni Buddha].  Shamanist/
Daoist deities like the San-shin and Chil-seong are never
usually enshrined together with high-ranking Buddhist
deities except due to a lack of space; this is another
indication of the modern rise of their status.  The stone
Also inside this shrine, on the left, is an elaborate and excellent
montage of paintings of the 16
Nahan or enlightened disciples,
with Sakyamuni Buddha and the Bodhisattvas of Wisdom and Benevolent Action in the center. One
of the Nahan holds a white-crane-feather fan like San-shin often does -- a Chinese Daoist symbol of
military command and knowledge of & influence over the forces of Nature.
On the right interior wall, the Chilseong [Seven
Stars
of the Big Dipper, a longevity deity] are enshrined
as 7 statues
(3 shown at right), very rare, in front of
an interesting story-painting set in deep mountains.

Below:  facing this shrine, the  western wall of the
Main Hall is covered with stories from the history
of
Seon [Zen, meditational] Buddhism.
Painted on the inside walls of that Spirit-hall is a local legend of a virtuous monk falling from a high cliff
but being safely caght by a San-shin suddenly appearing from the mists of the valley; a mountain that
looks quite like Bulam-san is in the background.  This tale is usually told in Mahayana Buddhism with
a Bodhisattva doing the catching.  Also (right) an enlightened  adept, perhaps one of the disciples,
administering dentistry to a tiger outside his wilderness cave -- another Daoist-flavored 'Zen' story.
lantern (usually only for a Buddha) in front of the San-shin-gak also implies this.  Inside this Spirit-hall, the San-
shin painting is quite ordinary, except for the crazy-looking tiger -- a touch of Korea's unique folk-art traditions.