Gaseopsa Temple

Gaseopsa Temple is a late Goryeo Dynasty temple named after Venerable Mahakashyapa, one of the ten principal disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Mahakashyapa most faithfully practiced asceticism (dhuta), and when the Buddha held up a lotus flower on Vulture Peak and asked about its meaning, he was the only one who responded with a smile, conveying the teaching of the 'Flower Sermon' (yeonhwamiso). No historical records or artifacts documenting the temple's founding survive; only Joseon Dynasty records remain, allowing us to infer its history.

Gaseopsa Temple features Geungnakbojeon Hall, a wooden-tiled building with a hip-and-gable roof, double eaves, 5 front bays and 3 side bays; a Samseonggak Shrine with 2 front bays and 1.5 side bays; and one concrete monks' quarters. Inside Geungnakbojeon, a wooden seated Amitabha Buddha statue serves as the main deity, flanked by two attendant bodhisattvas: a seated Avalokiteshvara and a seated Kshitigarbha, both created in 1975. Located below the summit of Gaseopsan Mountain, the temple is a quiet and modest mountain temple of great beauty, with serene scenery throughout. It is a worthwhile temple to visit while traveling in Eumseong.