Sacro Speco, Italy, 06/15/2019
On this trip, I was mainly looking for monasteries built on cliffs or mountain in Europe. I abruptly thought why I did not search temples in Korea. The Buddhist culture of Korea, which is more than 1500 years old, is as old as the Christian culture of Europe, but it is not easy to preserve the places of the saints as it were as such that time in Korea. Unlike in the West, traditional structures are not as durable as stone ones because they are made of wood. However, the spirits and the practice system of great monks are still being handed down. Next time, I will have to visit the historic temples in Korea.
Searching the internet, I came across a Korean temple on a cliff that was built around the same time as Subiaco Monastery. It is called Saseongam(四聖庵) which means the Cave of the Four Saints because it is said that four historic monks who have been regarded as saint in Korea. Wooden structures were rebuilt there but stone traces of the greats still stands.
It is said that the sculpture of the Buddha on the right was carved with a fingernail. The murals inside the Subiaco Cave and the sculptures of Buddha statues in Saseongam(四聖庵) are all wonderful spiritual art of the meditators.
What a beautiful temple set in picturesque surroundings. The fact that the spirits of the monks and their practice system continue today, is a reflection of that lasting legacy living in the hearts of the people. This post reminds me of my inability to visit the Hagia Sophia in Instanbul when I lived in Germany. Yet another addition to the bucket list! :)
Hagia Sophia in Instanbul, thanks!