Sudeoksa Zen Temple – Southkorea – The whole world is a single flower!
Sudeoksa is a main Zen temple of Korean Zen Buddhism. It is located on the southern slopes of Mount Deoksungsan in Deoksan-myeon in South Korea. Sudeoksa was one of the few temples not destroyed during the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592–1598) (Imjin Wars). The Main Hall is South Korea's oldest wooden building and was built in 1308.
The whole world is a single flower. (Zen Meister Hye Am)
Sudeoksa Zen Temple - Mangong - Hye Am - Myo Vong
However, there is evidence that Zen Master Hyehyeon was teaching in Sudeoksa in 601, so the temple appears to have been built before that. There are 12 Baekje temples mentioned in the literature, including Heungnyunsa, Wangheungsa, Chiraksa, Sudeoksa, Sajasa and Mireuksa; The Sudeoksa Temple is the only surviving temple. Given that a number of Baekje period roof tiles have been found there, it is most likely that the temple dates from the Baekje period.
In the late Korean Empire, Zen Master Gyeongheo lived here and taught the Zen tradition. He revived the practice and lineage tradition of Zen Buddhism, which had been discontinued in the 1880s. While residing at Sudeoksa Temple and nearby temples, he ordained and taught disciples such as Suwol, Hyewol, Mangong, and Hanam. Zen Master Mangog stayed in Sudeoksa and trained outstanding students like Hye Am. Thus, Zen Master Mangong was instrumental in spreading the seeds of Zen Buddhism that his teacher had sown and enabling Zen Buddhism to take root far and wide.
