A Templestay program where you can experience medicinal herbs and pottery… One day during the reign of Shilla King Jinheung (587 C.E.), a boulder wrapped in red silk fell out of the sky and landed on a mountain peak. The boulder had Buddha images carved on four sides, facing each of the four directions. When the king heard this story, he hurried down there to bow in front of the Buddha images. And so the king built a temple next to the boulder and called it Daeseungsa. This is the foundation story of Sabulsan (Four Buddha Mountain) Daeseungsa (Great Sangha Temple), as recorded in the text “Samgukyousa,” or “History of the Three Kingdoms.” Even today, the boulder, which has a height of 3 meters and a width of 1 meter, stands firmly next to the temple, on the peak of the mountain. However, the boulder has become time-worn, due to years of exposure to the wind and rain, so now it’s difficult to see the Buddha images. Daeseungsa doesn’t have a very big main courtyard, and also not as many buildings as other temples. But you’d be mistaken to think that it doesn’t have a lot to offer. For example, in the Daeoongjeon (Main Buddha Hall), there’s a wooden relief carving behind the Buddha statue that’s absolutely incredible. The carving was made in the late Joseon Dynasty, and as there are very few remaining in Korea, it’s a valuable cultural asset. More than anything, though, Daeseungsa is known for being the temple where many of the famous Seon Masters of the modern era practiced, such as Ven. Cheongdam (1902-1971) and Ven. Seongcheol (1912-1993). Even today, every summer and winter during the three month meditation practice periods, Daeseungsa is known for being a temple where the monks alwa