History of Tongdosa Temple

• • Tongdosa Temple was founded by Precepts Master Jajang in 646 (15th year of Queen Seondeok’s reign), and it gradually established itself as the center of Korean Buddhism under the protection of the royal family and the general public through the Silla and Goryeo periods.
    
    It is speculated that at the time of its foundation, there were several buildings centering around the Diamond Stairway constructed by Precepts Master Jajang. Later in 1085 (2nd year of King Seonjong’s reign) during the Goryeo Dynasty, Sajiseokpyo, a sign indicating that the area is the temple site of Tongdosa, was erected, attesting to its vast expansion. Despite the oppression of Buddhism and the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 during the Joseon Dynasty, the buildings were continually rebuilt to pass on the Beopdeung (lamp of Dharma, a figurative expression to note that Buddha's teaching lifts darkness from the world), and was named the Great Head Temple of Gyeongsangnam-do Province among the 16 representative temples of Korea.
  • Tongdosa Temple during the Japanese occupation period
  • The history of Tongdosa reflects its fight to protect the genuine sarira of the Buddha. According to Sangukyusa (Legends and History of Korea’s Three Kingdoms), Chief Commander Kim Ri-saeng and Sirang Yuseok were commanding the troops on the east side of the Nakdonggang River, under the orders of King Gojogn in 1235 (22nd year of King Gojong’s reign). They visited the temple and lifted the bell-shaped stupa from the stairway to pay respect to the sarira inside the stone case. One of the glass containers inside the stone case was cracked during the process, and Yuseok donated the crystal container he had to store the sarira. Based on the written records, this is deemed to be the first time that the sarira was touched by hand.
  • Later, many buildings other than the existing Dharma halls were erected between 1340 (1st year of King Chunghye’s reinstatement) and 1369 (18th year of King Gongmin’s reign), as shown in the records of Buljongcharyaksa. In 1377 (3rd year of King Wu’s reign), when the Japanese infiltrated into the temple grounds to steal the sariras, Great Monk Wolsong, who was the then-abbot of the temple, hid in safety. Then, during a second invasion by the Japanese in 1379, Great Monk Wolsong took refuge in Gaegyeong, the then-capital, taking with him the sariras of the Buddha.
• • Diamond Stairway of Tongdosa Temple
  • During the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, the sariras were plundered by the Japanese troops; however, Grhapati Baegok from Dongnae, who was captured by the Japanese, recovered the sariras and made a miraculous escape. Thus, Great Monk Samyeong sent two sarira cases to Great Monk Hyujeong of Geumgansan Mountain. Then, when the clouds of war were lifted in 1603 (36th year of King Seonjo’s reign), the Diamond Stairway in ruins were rebuilt and the sariras were enshrined in their original spot.
    
    Later, Chunpa, Uun, Yongam, Cheongseong, Deongmyeong, Tanhae and other monks performed reconstruction and repair work on several buildings on the site throughout the years. In 1911, Monk Guha restored the Diamond Stairway, and Tongdosa became one of the head temples under the implementation of the 31 head temple system during the Japanese occupation period. This is also the location where Great Patriarch Wolha, who served as the 9th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogyeo Order, received the precepts (Sila). At present, Tongdosa is the head temple, administrating over some 150 subsidiary temples of the 15th diocese of the Jogye Order, and it is serving as the spiritual base of Korean Buddhism, succeeding and passing down the Sila and Vinaya (the precepts and rules that Buddhist must observe in the daily life) of Precepts Master Jajang.