Gilsangsa (길상사) is a Buddhist temple in Seongbukdong (성북동), an affluent neighborhood behind Changdeok-gung (창덕궁 - chang deok palace) in the northern part of Seoul. In a country where every notable hillside seems to be occupied by an ancient temple that dates back some hundred years, Gilsangsa's short history as a temple since 1997 may not seem so compelling. However, stories related to Gilsangsa are nothing short of fascinating.
According to the information from the Gilsangsa website and various articles I read, Gilsangsa used to be Daewongak, one of the top three exclusive restaurants in the 70's and 80's with its reputation as the political powerhouse after dark.
The owner Young Han Kim (1916 - 1999) started out as gisaeng (traditional female entertainer) at the age of sixteen after the fall of her family's fortune. She fell madly in love with the genius poet Seok Baek in her twenties, but could not marry him because of his family's disapproval. In order to avoid arranged marriage, Seok Baek wanted to run away with her to Manchuria, but he ended up leaving alone while she stayed. With the tumultous timeline of Korean history - Korea's independence from Japan in 1945, the Korean War in 1950 followed by the division of Korea in 1953 - they never got to see each other again.
She turned into a businesswoman and became very rich by running Daewongak but donated the property, valued at about US$100 million, to Beopjeong seunim/sunim (스님 - Buddhist monk) after reading his book Non-Possession (무소유 - mu so yu). In return, she received her Buddhist name Gilsanghwa (길상화) and simple prayer beads. Beopjeong sunim, one of the most beloved Buddhist monks in Korea, turned the property into a temple according to her wish and opened it to the public in 1997. He led regular services at Gilsangsa over the years and spent his last days there before he passed away in 2010.
Many of the buildings from Daewongak remain, and you can imagine the old glories of this expansive site from the splendid details and Japanese-influenced finishes of the buildings. On the other hand, there is also an immediate calming wave that sets in as you step into Gilsangsa. At a place that has been given a new life as a temple, people can rest their minds and take time to reflect on so much that's passed through Gilsangsa.
Aside from the stories related to Gilsangsa and the temple itself as a sight to visit, there are also short messages and teachings of Beopjeong sunim in random places of the temple, which I found to be inexplicably calming and encouraging.
At the risk of completely botching the meanings of the messages, I've translated a few to share with you. I hope you find at least a sliver of the calm and comfort that came to me as I found these hanging on tree branches, sitting next to some rocks under the trees and leaning against a bathroom sign (which definitely made me smile).
여기 침묵의 그늘에서 그대를 맑히라
이 부드러운 바람결에 그대 향기를 실으라
그대 아름다운 강물로 흐르라
오 그대 안 저 불멸의 달을 보라
Purify yourself in this shadow of silence
Carry your fragrance on this soft breeze
Float yourself on the beautiful river
Oh look at the eternal moon inside you
우리 인생에서
참으로 소중한 것은
어떤 사회적인 지위나
신분, 소유물이 아니다.
우리들 자신이 누구인지를
아는 일이다.
In life,
a truly precious thing is
not any specific social status,
class, or things we own.
It is to know
who we are ourselves.
살아있는 것은 끝없이 변하면서
거듭거듭 형성되어 간다.
봄이 가고 여름과 가을과 겨울이
그와 같이 순환한다.
그것은 살아가는 우주의 호흡이며
율동이다.
지나가는 세월을 아쉬워할게 아니라,
오는 세월을 잘 쓸줄 아는
삶의 지혜를 터득해야 한다.
A living creature changes endlessly and
re-forms again and again
Spring passes, then summer, fall, and winter
circulates like so.
That is the breath and movement
of the living universe.
Gain the wisdom of life that
does not lament the passing of time
but uses wisely the coming of time
우리 곁에서 꽃이 피어난다는 것은
얼마나 놀라운 생명의 신비인가.
곱고 향기로운 우주가 문을 열고 있는 것이다.
잠잠하던 숲에서 새들이 맑은 목청으로 노래하는 것은
우리들 삶에 물기를 보태주는 가락이다.
How wonderful of a life mystery it is
that flowers bloom next to us,
the lovely and fragrant universe is opening its doors.
That birds sing with their pure voice from the quiet forest,
the floating melody is added to our lives.
크게 버리는 사람만이
크게 얻을 수 있다
아무것도 갖지 않을 때
비로소 온 세상을 갖게 된다는 것은
무소유의 또 다른 의미이다.
Only the ones who can let go of big
can gain big
That when one doesn't own anything
finally he can own the world
is another meaning of non-possession.
이 순간을 헛되이 보내지 말라.
이런 순간들이 쌓여
한 생애를 이룬다.
날마다 새롭게 시작하라.
묵은 수렁에서 거듭거듭 털고 일어서라.
Do not waste this moment.
These moments accumulate
to form a lifetime.
Start anew every day.
Rise from the stale pit again and again.
I found the following message to be poignant and funny...
남과 비교하지 마십시오. 사람은 저마다 독창적인 존재, 삶의
방식이 다른 존재들입니다. 저마다 삶의 몫이 있는데 남과
비교를 하는 것은 쓸데없는 시기심만 유발해낼 뿐입니다.
아이들이 제일 싫어하는 것 역시 부모님이 자신과 다른 집
아이를 비교하는 거라고 합니다. 입장을 바꿔서 만약 아이들은
엄마에게 누구네 엄마처럼 책도 읽으라는 둥, 텔레비전 좀 그만
보고, 돌아다니지만 말고 집안 일이나 하라는 둥 얘기를 한다고
생각해 보십시오. 부모님들 역시 기분이 좋지 않을 것입니다.
Don't compare [yourself] to others. Everyone is a unique entity with
a different way of life. When everyone has his own share of life, comparison with others only brings out unnecessary envy.
Children also don't like it when parents compare them to other children. Put yourselves in their shoes and imagine that children tell their moms to read a book, stop watching TV, stop going out so much and do some housework like someone else's mother. Parents wouldn't be in a good mood either.
The statue of Gwaneum Bosal (관음보살 - Goddess of Mercy) was made by Jong-tae Choi, Catholic sculptor, in the hopes of reconciliation among religions.
Nearest Subway Stop) Exit 5 from Hanseong University Station, Line 4 (walk 1.3km to the temple)
More on Gilsangsa -
Gilsangsa Website
Gilsangsa (brief summary with slides) via Seoul Scene with Matt Kelley
More on Beopjeong Sunim and his book "Non-Possession"
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