Stele of State Preceptor Jingak at Changseongsa Temple Site, Suwon

This stele records the life of State Preceptor Jingak and formerly stood at the site of Changseongsa Temple. A rectangular base supports the stele body, which is topped with a roof stone. The stele body bearing the inscription is badly worn and its right-hand corner has broken away, while the roof stone has a gentle slope. The inscription records the life of State Preceptor Jingak, from entering the monkhood at the age of thirteen, travelling among various temples to practise, and restoring Buseoksa Temple, up to his death at the age of seventy-six on Sobaeksan Mountain. The stele was erected the year after his death, in 1386, the twelfth year of King U, within the grounds of Changseongsa Temple on Gwanggyosan Mountain. It shows the simplified form typical of stone steles of the late Goryeo period, and may be compared with the Stele for State Preceptor Daegak at Seonbongsa Temple in Chilgok (Treasure), the bell-shaped Stele for State Preceptor Bojejonja at Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju (Treasure), and the Stele for the Daejanggak Hall at Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju (Treasure). The calligraphy is coarse, having lost the powerful character of early Goryeo script, and shows how calligraphy declined in the late Goryeo period. The inscription was composed by Yi Saek and the characters were carved by the monk Hyejam.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Suwon, Gyeonggi

Designation

Treasure · 보물