Guinsa Temple救仁寺

Guinsa Temple is the head temple of the Daehan Cheontae Order of Buddhism, overseeing 140 temples nationwide. It was founded in 1945 and is a unique building constructed with modern concrete in 1966. It is situated beneath Yeonhwabong Peak, one of the majestic peaks stretching out around Gukmangbong Peak of Sobaeksan Mountain. In 1945, Ven. Sangwol Won’gak personally wove kudzu vines here to build a three-bay thatched hermitage. Through diligent practice, he achieved great enlightenment and subsequently founded Guinsa Temple. Guinsa Temple is a grand temple complex featuring modern buildings (with a total construction area of 15,014㎡). Within its grounds, over 50 buildings, including the five-story Main Dharma Hall, Sambodang, Seolseondang, General Affairs Office (Chongmuwon), Ingwangdang, Jangmunsil, Hyangjeokdang, and Dohyangdang, densely fill the area. It is also equipped with modern facilities capable of serving meals to over ten thousand people. When visiting Guinsa Temple, two must-see attractions are the nation's largest Main Dharma Hall and the Dharma Stele. The Main Dharma Hall is a five-story building completed on April 29, 1980, making it the largest Dharma Hall in Korea. The five-story Main Dharma Hall is erected on the very spot where Grand Master Sangwol Won’gak first founded Guinsa Temple by weaving a three-bay thatched hermitage and performed his practice. This colossal Main Dharma Hall, capable of accommodating over 5,000 people, was constructed by Grand Master Nam Daechung, who honored the lifetime wishes of Grand Master Sangwol Won'gak, utilizing both traditional styles and modern construction methods. The Dharma Stele of Grand Master Sangwol Won’gak is a monument inscribed with the Dharma teachings that Grand Master Sangwol Won’gak delivered, which are a concise and clear summary, meticulously compiled, of all the Dharma sermons he taught to his followers throughout his lifetime. This Dharma teaching encompasses all the truths of the Buddha's Tripitaka Koreana, holding the vast and subtle principles of Buddhism. Guinsa Temple also offers various Temple Stay programs, ranging from day-long to overnight stays, which include engaging experiences like "looking into oneself," making Buddhist prayer beads, and crafting lotus lanterns.