| the Jin-gam biseok [biographical steele] written by Go-un Choi Chi-won at Ssanggye-sa 고운 최치원 진감선사대공탑비석 |
Choi Chi-won is one of my favorite figures of Korean cultural
history, displaying many virtues & talents and symbolizing
many key themes. He spent his later years wandering the
southern third of the peninsula, visiting sacred sites and
holding discussions with their monastic residents, learning,
practicing and teaching Daoist techniques of longevity and
spiritual immortality, and composing historical records of
Korea's greatest temples. He adopted the scholar-name
Go-un, "Lone Cloud"... See his BIOGRAPHY PAGE.
history, displaying many virtues & talents and symbolizing
many key themes. He spent his later years wandering the
southern third of the peninsula, visiting sacred sites and
holding discussions with their monastic residents, learning,
practicing and teaching Daoist techniques of longevity and
spiritual immortality, and composing historical records of
Korea's greatest temples. He adopted the scholar-name
Go-un, "Lone Cloud"... See his BIOGRAPHY PAGE.
| the superb dragons-dancing-in-the-clouds capstone features nine elaborate Chinese characters in moderately primitive script |
The text Choi wrote on the stele body tells the early history of Ssanggye-sa, the
biography and accomplishments of Jin-gam-daesa (a great master of meditation
of the early 800s), including his establishment of Beompae (Korea's Buddhist
ritual-music-&-dance) and nurturing Korea's first green tea field just outside this
temple starting in 828. This monument was built under the patronage of Shilla
King Jeonggang (r.886-887) who highly respected Jin-gam-seonsa.
biography and accomplishments of Jin-gam-daesa (a great master of meditation
of the early 800s), including his establishment of Beompae (Korea's Buddhist
ritual-music-&-dance) and nurturing Korea's first green tea field just outside this
temple starting in 828. This monument was built under the patronage of Shilla
King Jeonggang (r.886-887) who highly respected Jin-gam-seonsa.
| Further in this Section -- the Central-South Sector of Jiri-san (W of Samshin-bong): Ssanggye-sa -- Twin-Streams Monastery Korea's Green Tea Capital, outside Ssanggye-sa Guksa-am, National-Master Hermitage Bulil Hermitage and Waterfall Chilbul-sa, the Seven-Buddhas Temple the Daeseong Scenic Valley |
| Myself respectfully studying this monument, in Jan 1987! |
| National Treasure #47 |