Baegyangsa
Baegyangsa, also spelled Baekyangsa, is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is situated in Bukha-myeon, Jangseong County, in South Jeolla province, South Korea. Built in 632 under the Baekje kingdom, it lies on the slopes of Baegam-san in Naejangsan National Park.
History
Baegyangsa was established by Zen Master Yeohwan in 632 AD. The temple's original name was Baegamsa. In the Goryeo Dynasty, it was renamed Jeongtosa in 1034 by the monk Jungyeon, who spearheaded a reconstruction of the temple. In Korean, Jeongto is the same concept of heaven as in Christianity. After the mid-Joseon period, this temple got its name as Baegyangsa. This is because in 1574, during the reign of King Seonjo, a monk noticed that whenever he did his daily recital of the Lotus Sutra, many white goat would gather around him. Therefore, he adopted his Buddhist name as Hwanyang, meaning 'calling goat', and gave Jeongtosa a second name, Baegyangsa, meaning 'white goat temple'. Both names would be used until the latter half of the 19th century when Baegyangsa became the sole name.In the Japanese occupation era the temple was recognized as one of the main temples in the Korean peninsula. It belongs to the Chogye Order at the present time. These days, a large role has been given to Baegyang Temple for educating monks around Jeolla province.
The temple has recently become well-known as the home of monk and chef Jeong Kwan.