Bomunsa (Seoul)

About this place

Bomunsa, registered as a traditional temple of Seoul, is located in Bomun-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and was founded in 1115 (10th year of King Yejong of Goryeo) by the National Preceptor Damjin. In particular, the Toegyeongjeonseo—Bomunsa Ilsin Geonchukgi, written by Toegyeong Gwon Sang-ro (1879–1965), records it from ancient times as a nunnery where bhikkhunis resided and prayed for the peace of the nation and the prosperity of the royal house. The intervening history was not handed down, but in 2017, during the repair of the Geungnakbojeon, a ridge-beam record was discovered in perfect condition, verifying the historical facts. The Geungnakbojeon, which took its present form, was first rebuilt in 1747 (23rd year of Yeongjo), first renovated in 1824 (24th year of Sunjo) and renovated a second time in 1865 (2nd year of Gojong). According to the Toegyeongjeonseo, the monk Subong Beopchong newly built the Manseru in 1826, and the monk Jeongun built the left and right monks' halls in 1827. In 1842 the monk Yeongjeon repaired the Manseru, and in 1872 the monk Geumhun renovated the left and right monks' halls. With the discovery of the Geungnakbojeon's ridge-beam record, it is shown that bhikkhunis resided at Bomunsa and practiced without interruption from the 1800s, and in particular the ridge-beam record of the 4th year of Tongzhi shows that as a temple of royal patronage it carried out Buddhist works with donations from the royal house of the Joseon dynasty, in which everyone from consorts, court ladies and other palace women to the nobility and commoners took part. Bomunsa holds Seoul-designated tangible cultural properties such as a royal palanquin ornament and a King's Guiding Banner (illowangbeon) bestowed by the royal court, along with a Shakyamuni Buddha painting, a guardian-deity painting and a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva painting made in the late Joseon period, as well as the Lotus Sutra made in the early Joseon period, which is a state-designated cultural property, and many other tangible and intangible cultural properties remain.