This Buddhist temple is not as well-known as Gakwonsa or even Simboksa, but it is absolutely worth a visit if you’re in Pyeongtaek. With beautiful grounds, incredible statues, and an interesting legend behind it, this is one I’m happy to have added to my list of visited temples.
Sudo Temple in Pyeongtaek
When I mentioned visiting different Buddhist temples to someone recently, they replied with, “Eh, you’ve seen one Buddhist temple, you’ve seen them all.” And to be fair, they aren’t wrong. All the Korean Buddhist temples we’ve visited follow the same general layout and use the same style. Heck, even the colors are all the same. The palaces are almost identical on the outside at first glance, and even on the inside they seem mostly the same – usually with some kind of golden Buddha in the center, with lanterns on the ceiling and elaborate paintings of dragons and the twelve spirit generals.
And yet, there always seems to be SOMETHING that makes each one of these Buddhist temples unique. For Simboksa it was the legend behind the stone-seated Buddha. For Gakwonsa it was the massive Buddha (the second largest in South Korea). And for Sudosa (or Sudo Temple), it is the legend of the monk Wonhyo.
According to legend, it was approximately 661 AD. Wonhyo was traveling with a companion when they were caught in a terrible rainstorm. They sought shelter in a cave. During the night, Wonhyo became very thirsty and searched in the dark for some water. In the cave, he felt what he believed was a bowl or a gourd and drank from it and felt refreshed. Upon waking in the morning, he discovered that what he thought was a gourd filled with clean water was actually a human skull filled with filthy water. And the cave they were in was a tomb filled with many human skulls.
Disgusted by his discovery, Wonhyo threw up. But upon reflection, he was amazed that he had been able to believe that the disgusting water was refreshing, clean water. He believed this to be a great testament to the power of the mind in shaping our reality. He dedicated his life to Buddhism and distributing the teachings of Buddha. He went on to become one of the leaders in Korean Buddhism.
Sudosa was built celebrating Wonhyo finding enlightenment and his subsequent ministry and Buddhist teachings. He was also thought to have founded Silleuksa, which is South Korea’s only riverside temple (hello bucket list!). In addition to a stone wall depicting Wonhyo’s story, there is also an “Enlightenment Center” where you can learn more about Wonhyo and his influence on Korean Buddhist traditions. During our visit to Sudosa, we did not enter the Enlightenment Center, but we intend to go back sometime and take full advantage of it!
Tell me, have you visited any Korean Buddhist temples? Which one was your favorite?
’til next time…
Ash
How to visit Sudosa in Pyeongtaek
Directions: There are multiple temples in Korea that share the same name is this temple, but if you paste 경기도 평택시 포승읍 원정리 119-1 into Naver, it should take you to the correct one.
Parking: There is a small parking area upon entering the temple grounds. While not large, Sudosa is not an overly busy temple and we had no issues securing parking.
Amenities: There are bathrooms right by the entrance to the grounds. It is requested that you swap your shoes for some shower shoes before entering the restrooms.
