Once you're inside the front gate, the Dae-ung Jeon or ‘Great Hall' -- one of Korea's largest --  should not be hard to spot.  Under its massive two-tiered roof reside the massive statues of the Historical Buddha or Sakamuni Bul and two other major Buddhas, Yeon-deung Bul,  the Buddha of the Past (to the viewer's left) and Mi-ryeuk Bul, the Buddha of the Future (to the viewer's right).   If they seem large, it's not just an optical illusion -- at over 5 meters in height, Tong Myeong Bul-weon's Buddhas are some of the largest indoor representations of the Buddha in Korea!

Cultural note: Bul - Buddha
"Bul"  is the Korean word for Buddha. It's important to understand that The Buddha is not a god in the popular western sense in that he did not create the universe and he is generally not thought of  as interceding in the daily comings and goings of individuals.  Rather, the Buddha is looked upon as an example of a particular philosophy of existence.  Following this philosophy, any sentient being may hope to break the cycle of birth and death and become a Buddha.

There are in fact many manifestations of the Buddha.  The various statues and paintings of Buddha which one encounters represent different aspects of his teaching and philosophy. The two principal Bul which the visitor will usually find in most Korean temples are Sakamuni Bul (Sanskrit: ‘Sakyamuni') and Amita Bul (Sanskrit: ‘Amitabha'). Sakamuni Bul is the representation of Siddhartha Gautama, the Indian prince who became Gautama Buddha -- the Siddhartha of Hermann Hesse.  This is the manifestation of the Buddha most people are referring to when they speak of  "The Buddha."

On a deeper level of understanding, all sentient creatures are said to possess "Buddha Nature" -- we are all Buddhas.

For a more complete list of the various Bul at Tong Myeong Bul-weon, see "Bul and Bosal at Tong Myeong."

Cultural note:

Services are held in the Main Hall at 4:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m..  The 10:00 a.m. service is the main service -- complete with homily -- and can last as long as three hours! You are very welcome to attend the services, of course!  If you are not familiar with the procedure, don't worry, you can observe inconspicuously by quietly entering the far right door, going over to the far right of the hall, picking up a red cushion from the stack against the wall, laying it out and just sitting quietly. Of course, as in any Korean home, leave your shoes outside!

The sign in the center door, by the way, indicates that this door is for the monks.

Even if you do speak Korean, the chants will probably not be completely clear -- they're in "Sino-Korean." If they sometimes sound repetitive, well, that's intentional -- the repetition is aimed at inducing a relaxed state conducive to understanding the ineffable nature of the Buddha in general and achieving individual Enlightenment in particular. Just sit back and enjoy the atmosphere! You'll notice that most of the congregation are doing a lot of getting up and down in a bowing ritual while a few folks just sit quietly.  You'll also notice that folks do come and go from time to time during the service, so you shouldn't feel awkward if you have had your fill before the service is quite over -- just get up quietly, put your cushion away, perhaps give a little bow to the Buddha and quietly exit as you entered.

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Founder's Memorial  -  Kang, Seung-jin Memorial

The prominent portraits in the case on the right wall of the main temple are of Tong Myeong Bul-weon's founder, the late lumber magnate Kang, Seung-jin and his wife.  Kang, Seung-jin was a colorful and controversial figure in modern Korean history, but his story is too complicated to include here. Looking out the doors of the Great Hall and across the courtyard, you will see a large modern building.  This is the headquarters of Kang, Seung-jin's Tong Myeong Foundation.

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Cultural note:
Bo-sal  (Sanskrit: ‘Bodhisattva') are beings who have attained Buddha-hood, but elect to stay back on earth to help all sentient beings.  The most prominent of these in the Korean Buddhist panoply is Koan-se-eum Bo-sal (Sanskrit: ‘Avalokitesvara') the Bo-sal of compassion.  If you are visiting a Korean temple and you hear a repetitive chant, it is very likely to be an obeisance to Koan-se-eum Bo-sal, the Bo-sal of compassion.  "Bo-sal" or "Bo-sal Nim" is also the common Korean term for any female member of a Buddhist congregation.  The male equivalent is "Geo-sa" or "Geo-sa  Nim."  For a chart of the Bo-sal and Bul at Tong Myeong Bul-weon, please refer to Appendix I.

High up on the wall above and to the right of the Kang, Seung-jin Memorial -- above the lanterns -- begin paintings representing the Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha.

The first scene is often completely obscured by the lanterns.  It portrays the dream that the Buddha's mother, Queen Maya had of a sacred white elephant, prophesying a great event about to happen.

The second scene represents the birth of the Buddha in the beautiful Lumbini Garden in Kapilavatthu in northeastern India on the 8th of April (lunar calendar) in or around the year 560 B.C.  His father, the Raja of that district, named the baby Siddhartha which means "he whose aim will be accomplished" after the prediction of the hermit, Asita, who predicted that the baby would become either a great king or savior of the world.

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In the fourth scene, Siddhartha is seen riding forth from the palace -- against his father's wishes -- on his snow white horse, Kanthaka.  In the picture you also see his charioteer, Chandaka, running along side.  Siddhartha was twenty nine years old when he left his home in search of Enlightenment.

The fifth scene is continued on the opposite wall, on the far side of the Main Hall.  Here Siddhartha is seen as an emaciated figure seeking Enlightenment following the ways of the ascetics Arada Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. The Prince traveled to Magadha with five followers and began practicing asceticism.  One day, after six years of extreme practice, he lapsed into unconsciousness.  He was revived by the housewife Sujata  who offered him a bowl of milk.  At this point he realized that the way to enlightenment was moderation, often called the "Middle Way."  Siddhartha's five companions who had stayed with him for the past six years, however, were appalled that he accepted the milk and left him.  Siddhartha -- now alone -- redoubled his efforts.

In the sixth scene Siddhartha is sitting under the Bodhi ("wisdom") Tree near the Indian town of Gaya.  He is being tempted by worldly pleasures and threatened by three daughters of the evil demon Mara:  "Discontent, Delight and Desire."  The Prince carefully examined and rejected each one.  It was an intense struggle but as day broke on December 8, Siddhartha found his mind extraordinarily clear.

The seventh scene represents the dawn of that day of Enlightment -- December 8 on the lunar calendar.  Siddhartha had finally achieved Enlightenment and become a Buddha at the age of thirty-five.  It was from this time that he began to be called Shakyamuni (Korean: Sakamuni) or 'Sage of the Shakya Clan.' The Buddha wandered the Ganges valley for forty-five years, showing people how they could break the cycle of birth and death.  When he was eighty, he fell ill.  Beneath the sala trees  in Kusinara in present day Kasia, near Gorakhpur, the Buddha gave his last sermon and passed into Nirvana. 

The eighth scene represents the death of Buddha.