▲ Yongchusa Temple / Chief Monk Heaga

In the sense that religion symbolizes a creator or deity with absolute power, and people believe in, rely on, and pray to that deity for their happiness, Buddhism is perhaps not a religion at all, but a way of life. However, Buddhism is a religion in the sense that it shares the same goals of a religion, which is to achieve salvation, truth, and peace of mind, as well as belief in God and belief in the Dharma. Yongchusa Temple Chief Monk Heaga is practicing the Buddha’s teachings and doing bodhisattva for the local people. 

Ilju Gate of Yongchusa Temple designated as a national treasure

Yongchusa Temple is in Anui-myeon, Gyeongnam. The current temple was known to be built in 1725. During the Korean War in 1950, the temple fell to ashes. The recovery began in 1959 and the shape today was completed in 1960 with the mail hall added. In November 2023, the Ilju Gate of the temple was designated as the first national treasure in Hamyang-gun. “Ilju Gate was built in 1711 and it survived the fire during the Korean War” explains Chief Monk Haega. A total of 20 polls uphold the gate.

Those who pass the gate are children of Buddha

If you pass the gate, you are in the world of Buddha. Your petty thought will all disappear leaving nothing but one bid mind. You might feel that the roof of the gate is floating in the air. Haega explains that people in olden days often bow with hands clapped to the gate before entering so that they can leave all worldly desires behind.

“Don’t do bad things but only good things“

This is a teaching of Buddha and Haega is one of his disciples to practice this hard. Haega went through a number of temples across the country before settled down here September this year as the chief monk. “Spreading teachings of Buddha is the reason of my being. Buddha taught us how to break out of the shackles of our lives and live in peace and respect everybody as teachers of life. Buddha also taught us to see things without prejudice. This is what I’m intend to spread to the people” says Haega. 

Be humble

In order to be peaceful, one might forsake greed, lust, gluttony, desire for honor and desire for sleep. This way, one might find oneself. This is but the practice of the mind. “Those five desires are momentary but the enlightenment is forever. Desires are followed by pain but enlightenment is followed by bliss. Be humble to reach this way of perfection” explains Haega. All are born with Buddha’s quality but illusions and delusions block the quality to prevail. “Train yourself by respect others, by pretending not know though you know, by losing though you have it right, and by taking advantage of other’s faults” says Haega. Yongchusa Temple is on the edge of Yongchu Valley where people are completely lost themselves to the truth of the deep and beautiful valley. The temple runs a number of pragrams including temple stay and pottery making.