Stele of Royal Preceptor Hyedeok at Geumsansa Temple, Gimje

This memorial stele stands within Geumsansa Temple and was erected in honour of Royal Preceptor Hyedeok. Hyedeok was a monk of the mid-Goryeo period, born in 1038, the fourth year of King Jeongjong; he began studying Buddhist doctrine at the age of eleven and became a monk the following year. In 1079 he became the abbot of Geumsansa Temple, and when King Sukjong took refuge in the Buddhist teachings and made him his beopju (religious teacher), he also lectured to the king on Buddhist doctrine. He died at the age of fifty-nine, and the king honoured him as a state preceptor, granting him the posthumous title "Hyedeok" and naming his stupa "Jineung." The capstone of the stele has now been lost, and the inscription is so badly worn that it is very difficult to read. The turtle carved on the base of the stele has a small head and a large body, and the body of the stele bearing the inscription appears larger in proportion to its base; it is decorated around the edges with a carved vine pattern. The inscription records the life and achievements of Hyedeok and praises his virtue. The text is written in the standard script style associated with the calligraphic method of Ouyang Xun, but it is more free and vigorous than Ouyang Xun's own writing, with a clear, crisp quality. This is one instance that shows how much finer Goryeo-period calligraphy was compared with that of Silla or Joseon. According to the inscription, the stele was erected in 1111, the sixth year of King Yejong, fifteen years after Hyedeok's death.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gimje, Jeonbuk

Designation

Treasure · 보물