Wontongsa Temple (Seoul)

About this place

Wontongsa is a directly affiliated temple of Jogyesa, the temple of the 1st parish of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, situated on Mount Dobongsan in Dobong-gu, Seoul. Wontongsa has long been known as a place of ascetic prayer set on the finest auspicious site of Mount Dobongsan, flanked by Mount Suraksan and Mount Samgaksan on either side and overlooking the Han River. Beginning with the great master Muhak in the early Joseon period and, in modern times, eminent monks such as Mangong, Dongsan, and Chunseong, spiritual teachers stayed here and attained great enlightenment; to many people it is also famous as a place of Avalokiteshvara (Gwaneum) prayer. In addition, it was a place where figures such as Jo Hyeon-myeong and Seo Myeong-gyun, who served as chief state councillors during the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon, discussed affairs of state and cultivated body and mind, and it was renowned as a celebrated spot among the Confucian scholars of the time. Within the temple grounds today there is a stone grotto where Yi Seong-gye, King Taejo of Joseon, is said to have prayed, and on a large rock below Yaksajeon Hall are inscribed the words Sanggongam, said to have been carved because on the day Taejo finished his prayers he dreamed that he became a heavenly chief minister (jeongseung) and paid homage to the Jade Emperor. Meanwhile, the rock behind the temple called Uiam is said to have originally been called 'Gwaneumbong' because it takes the form of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara praying toward the Buddha. If one examines the surrounding natural terrain closely, rocks shaped like various animals such as tigers, elephants, and cranes appear to be bowing their heads toward this rock. Perhaps for this reason, people believe this place to be a heaven-blessed holy site of Avalokiteshvara.