▲ Jeongch Temple / Chief Monk Suwan

Jeongch Temple is nestled 10km towards southeast from Sancheong County office. Surrounded by cliffs, the temple has 1,300 year history and is registered as the traditional temple number 83 with the seated wooden Buddha statue as the number 543 tangible cultural asset of South Gyeongsang Province. Also housed in the temple is a mountain god Buddhist painting registered as number 243 cultural asset of South Gyeongsang Province. 

The views around the temple is spectacular and a story goes that Monk Uisang built Wontong Temple in Mount Kumgang and Jeongch Temple in Daeseong Mountain for equal beauty. 

"Jeongch Temple is the only temple in the world where Jeongch Buddhist saint is enshrined as the principal icon. The enshrinement is said to be done by Monk Bumil in 858 during the rein of King Hunkang of Silla. The temple and the statue went through a number of hides and was rebuilt from invasions of neighboring countries and it was last rebuilt in 1714 during the reign of King Sookjeong of Joseon dynasty" explains Suwan, Chief Monk of Jeongch Temple.

A belief is still wide spread among residents in the region that a white fox once transformed and is still hiding in the cave under the temple, a passionate prayer can bring a child to childless couple or bring a family harmony or make business booming. 

When Suwan first came to the temple, it was not what it looked as now. Much improvements were needed and Suwan has done it by himself for decades to make it what it looks like today. It was only after this decades long improvement that people, as well as media, started to pay attention to the temple. 

Though a monk in profession, Suwan is also known as a poet. He is the one who introduced the Samho Literary Awards, a Buddhist literature awards, and he himself debuted as a Buddhist poet in 1991 through Munhak Gonggan (Literature Space). To take a step further, he started publishing a quarterly magazine Buddhist Literature and is serving President of the Modern Buddhist Writers Association, and Chairman of the Modern Buddhist Literature Awards Committee. Collections of poems include <Void of Mind in Sky>, <Edge of Enae>, <Scent Still In Teacup> and <Sea in Jiri Mountain>.

Jeongch Temple is a member of the Sancheong County Buddhism Saam Association that has 150 temples in the county as members. They gather together regularly to raise a fund or organize an activity to help people in need in connection with Buddhist events big or small. January 1 every year, a gathering for sunrise over a bowl of rice cake soup is held at Jeongch Temple but the event has been suspended for 2 years due to the pandemic. 

"Never do bad things but do good things and make your mind clear. This is the teaching of Buddha" says Suwan and adds "Unhappiness comes from greed, happiness from being humble." <PowerKorea>