To the left of the Dae-ung Jeon (‘Great Hall') is a nondescript beige building which serves as living quarters for the monks. The staircase along the wall on the far side of the quarters -- just beyond the Kim-ch'i pots -- leads to the Shamanist-oriented shrines, dedicated to San-shin,  the "Mountain God,"  to Ch'il-seong, the "Big Dipper" constellation and to Dok-seong, the "Recluse." 

Not often frequented by visitors, this area is a quiet, restful place -- a cool retreat in the heat of the summer months.

Reaching the top of the stairs, you will notice Tong Myeong Bul-weon's vegetable gardens.  Further exploration will reveal a charming little grotto in the wall bordering the woods  -- complete with a resident frog or two.  In late summer the area is filled with colorful Cosmos blooms.

 Shrine to the Mountain God  - San-shin Gak On the far end of the upper level is the San-shin Gak or shrine dedicated to the Mountain God.  Tong Myeong's San-shin Gak is unusual in that the Mountain God is depicted both in portrait and as a statue. 

The basic representation -- an old man and a tiger -- is typical for the Korean San-shin. Lotus Lantern International's informative Korean Buddhist Temple Tour Book (see Appendix III) suggests that the Mountain God is neither the old man nor the tiger, but both.

Shrine to the Big Dipper - Ch'il-seong Gak The middle of the three shrines on the upper level at Tong Myeong Bul-weon is dedicated to Ch'il- seong, the "Big Dipper" constellation.  As with the San-shin Gak, the Ch'il-seong Gak at Tong Myeong Bul-weon is different from that of the usual Korean temple.  Rather than the usual picture of seven figures representing the seven stars in the constellation, this shrine houses an actual Bul, the Tibetan Tae-il-yeo- rea, or Buddha of the Great ("North") Star.

Shrine to the Recluse - Dok-seung Gak Unusual for a Korean shrine to the Recluse, Tong Myeong Bul-weon's Dok-seung Gak, like the San- shin Gak features a full statue in addition to the traditional portrait.  Like San-shin, Dok-seung is found only in Buddhist temples in Korea.

Cultural note:   "Monks, Nuns or Priests?"

As might be expected, direct translation into our Western traditions is difficult, but the Korean Buddhist religious "pecking order" is roughly that of "monk" and "priest." 

All the religious folk you see walking about in formal grey Seung-bok (the Buddhist equivalent of the traditional Korean Han-bok) are essentially what we in the West would call a "priest": that is, they are ordained Buddhist ministers.  The men are called Bi-ku and the women are called Bi-ku-ni. 

Their training and duties are identical, so it is not quite correct to refer to the women as "nuns."

In everyday language, it has become perfectly acceptable to refer to the religious people in the grey Seung-bok as either monks or priests, keeping in mind that these "monks" do perform all priestly duties! 

In Korea, when speaking to religious people in the grey Seung-bok, it is polite to address them as "Seu-nim."  The word is a reference to the fact that they are members of the religious order or "Seung."

Behind the Geuk-nak Jeon (Amita Bul Hall) and the Na-han Jeon (Disciples' Hall) lie additional buildings whose style is very similar to that of Tong Myeong Bul-weon.  These buildings are, however, completely inaccessible. 

Within the walls lies the family cemetery of Kang, Seung-jin. 

If you were able to take a look inside, you would see a beautifully sculpted memorial garden with two large burial mounds, several monuments and large buildings in the style of the smaller halls at Tong Myeong Bul-weon.

Main access to the area is from a ramp on the far side of the compound and a guard is on duty 24 hours a day.  It is a private cemetery, however, and access to the public is completely circumscribed.