The one of the most unique part in the formation and arrangement of Tongdo-sa temple seems the existence of the building for the founding monk of Tongdo-sa temple.
It is said that the monk ‘Jajang’ founded Tongdo-sa temple in 646 AD.
The entrance gate and the hall seemed to be made to the memory of the monk Jijang.
In front of the entrance gate, there was a stone lantern. It means that they thought this building of very important.
At first the entrance gate looked like as same as that of the civilian house in this time. It means that even though they built the building for the founder of this temple, this temple must be different from other halls for Buddha and Bodhisattva in this temple.
The name of the building for the founding monk is ‘Haejangbo-gak’ meaning of “Sea preserve Jewelry House”. I don’t know how to explain it in English, anyway this name seems to express the importance of the monk. Here what I paid attention was they did write Gak in stead of Jeon.
As I posted before, Jeon means ‘Palace’, but Gak means ‘Great Building’.
In northeastern society, with the influence of Confucianism, even the buildings had different name according to the importance and meaning of the Building.
Confucianism was the ethics of the order. So even the buildings needed to follow those orders of Confucianism. Buddhism was no exception.