Sanasawonjeungguksaseokjong Stele

Sanasa Temple in Yangpyeong lies on the slopes of Yongmunsan Mountain. It is said to have been founded in the early Goryeo period by the eminent monk Daegyeong, together with his disciple Yungcheon and others. Sanasa was later rebuilt by Bou; during the Joseon period it was burned down in the Japanese invasions of 1592 and 1597 but was subsequently reconstructed. In a stele pavilion on the eastern side of the temple grounds stands the stone bell-shaped stele of National Preceptor Wonjeung, alongside which a stone bell has been erected. The stele is relatively small, assembled from a pedestal, a stele body and a capstone. The pedestal appears to be a natural stone with a levelled top surface, and the stele body placed upon it was fixed in place by separate supporting posts erected on either side. A capstone was also placed above the stele body, which was fitted and secured into narrow grooves cut into the underside of the capstone and into the flanking posts. Setting supporting posts on either side of the stele body in this way is a rare construction technique also found in a few stone steles of the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods, such as the stele for State Preceptor Bojejonja at Silleuksa Temple and the Daejanggakgi stele. At present the stele body is badly damaged, and the pedestal and capstone no longer sit well together, appearing somewhat mismatched. Bou was a monk whom King U appointed as national preceptor; when he died in 1382, his disciples cremated his remains and, having gathered the relics, distributed and enshrined them at several temples. Because Sanasa was a temple with deep ties to Bou, who had rebuilt it during his lifetime, it is thought that a stone bell and stele were erected there. The stone bell-shaped stele of National Preceptor Wonjeung at Sanasa Temple is an important record: it has a clearly documented date of construction, is an early example of dividing relics among several stupas and steles, and displays the rare technique of setting supporting posts on either side of the stele body.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산