Daewonsa, located in Boseong, South Jeolla-do Province, was founded by the Venerable Ado during the reign of King Munyeong in 503. You might assume that this ancient temple from the Baekje Dynasty must be carrying the weight of its long history, filled with the fragrance of the past and tradition. But you will change your mind the moment you enter the temple. You will see the Tibetan Museum, splendid lotus ponds with blooming flowers, and huge mala beads hanging on a giant old tree. Daewonsa is a place where the past and present, the traditional and modern coexist. The temple cultivates a nature reserve where they grow various kinds of lotuses and water lilies that carry the fragrance of paradise, as well as water plants that purify the dirty water. You can enjoy 7 large ponds, more than 100 kinds of lotuses raised in 365 small ponds, 108 kinds of water lilies collected from abroad, and 50 types of water plants.

Daewonsa shatters the commonplace image of traditional temple. As you enter the temple area, the first thing you see is neither a dharma hall (beopdang) nor any other temple building, but the Tibetan Museum. The temple itself lies beyond the museum. The path leading up to the dharma halls is covered with ponds here and there. On top of the stairs is a moktak (wooden gong) the size of a child’s head hanging on a tree. There, you make a vow to embrace your enemy with compassion, for the sake of yourself and your attainment of true wisdom. Then, hit the moktak three times with your head, and you may enter the temple.

The main dharma hall of Daewonsa is the Hall of Utmost Bliss (Geukrakjeon), devoted to the prayer that all beings may be reborn in the Land of Utmost Bliss. For this reason, Daewonsa frequently holds the Jijang Bosal gido (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva prayers) to appease the lonely spirits of the deceased, far more often than other temples. There is also the ‘Kim Jijang’ Hall, built in memory of the Venerable Kim Jijang Sunim whose nickname was the Tea Buddha. He was a monk of royal birth in the Silla Dynasty, but went to China and resided there. After he passed away, the Chinese called him Jijang Bosal to pay their respect.

Like most temples in Korea, Daewonsa was burnt down during the Korean War. Almost in ruins, its thread of life as a temple was barely sustained. Later in March 1990, the Daewonsa Restoration Committee was established, and the temple buildings have been rebuilt one by one. It is now quickly regaining its original appearance. Moreover, it transformed itself into a future oriented temple working together with the masses in order to realize the great vow of Buddhists in Jeolla-do Province, which is to revive the ancient Buddhist glory of the Baekje Dynasty that once flourished in the region.