Cheonjangsa Temple (Seosan)

About this place

Cheonjangsa is a small temple hidden on Yeonam Mountain (Swallow Rock Mountain). The name 'cheonjang' (Heaven's Concealment) evokes the Zhuangist idea that to truly hide a boat, one should conceal it within its own element — so too this temple is so deeply concealed in the mountainside amid the Swallow Rock cliffs that it is said to be hidden by both heaven and earth. This tiny temple, tucked into a narrow valley enclosed by the steep Swallow Rock peaks, has been home to great masters who have left their mark far beyond its modest size. Most notably, the great Zen master Gyeongheo Seongwoo (1849–1912), who revived the Zen wind in the modern era, conducted three months of intensive practice (borim) here. Subsequently, Master Song Man-gong received the Dharma transmission here. Although no written documents remain to trace the temple's history in detail, a local Seosan City record states that Cheonjangsa was 'said to have been built by the Baekje monk Damhwa (曇和) as a place of practice in 633 CE', and 'is the venerable monastery where Master Gyeongheo practiced and Master Song Man-gong attained enlightenment in the late Joseon period'. A large fire in recent years destroyed the surrounding pine forest; viewing the temple from the Swallow Rock now reveals only Cheonjangsa retaining its greenery amidst the dead trees, evoking awe at the subtle mystery of the Dharma. Turning one's gaze south from the Swallow Rock, the Gobuk Reservoir comes into view, and on clear days the West Sea is visible in its entirety. A seven-story stone pagoda (cultural heritage material) from the Goryeo period stands in front of the main hall.