Gounsa
Encyclopedia
Gounsa is a head temple of the Jogye Order
of Korean Buddhism
. It stands in Danchon-myeon, Uiseong County
, in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do
, South Korea
. The temple was built in 681 by Uisang
, a leading Buddhist monk of Silla
. The name means "lonely cloud"; these characters were chosen after the temple was visited by scholar Choe Chi-won. The temple had previously been known by the same name, but with the meaning of "high cloud."
Gounsa served as a center of uibyeong resistance in the Seven Year War, when it was one of few temples to escape being burned by the Japanese forces. The temple did burn in a catastrophic fire in 1835; thus, all current buildings date from the 19th or 20th century.
Jogye Order
The Jogye Order, officially the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that date back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820...
of Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
. It stands in Danchon-myeon, Uiseong County
Uiseong County
Uiseong County is a county in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. Located near the center of the province, it is bounded by Andong on the north, Cheongsong on the east, Gunwi County on the south, and Sangju and Yecheon on the west. As in most parts of Korea, most of the land is vacant and...
, in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The temple was built in 681 by Uisang
Uisang
Uisang was one of the most eminent early Silla Korean scholar-monks, a close friend of Wonhyo .He traveled to China, studying at Mount Zhongnan as a student of the influential Huayan master Zhiyan and as a senior colleague of Fazang , with whom he established a lifelong correspondence...
, a leading Buddhist monk of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
. The name means "lonely cloud"; these characters were chosen after the temple was visited by scholar Choe Chi-won. The temple had previously been known by the same name, but with the meaning of "high cloud."
Gounsa served as a center of uibyeong resistance in the Seven Year War, when it was one of few temples to escape being burned by the Japanese forces. The temple did burn in a catastrophic fire in 1835; thus, all current buildings date from the 19th or 20th century.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean Buddhist templesKorean Buddhist templesBuddhist temples are an important part of the Korean landscape. This article gives a brief overview of Korean Buddhism, then describes some of the more important temples in Korea. Most Korean temples have names ending in -sa , which means "temple", or ancient temple.-Introduction to Korean...
- Religion in South KoreaReligion in South KoreaThe predominant religions in South Korea are the traditional Buddhist faith and a large and growing Christian population...