The Painting of the Temple

Background:

All Korean temples are built without nails so that they can be dismantled and moved to new locations, a true example of interdependence. In Korean, temples and palaces are painted in a particular style called "tanch'ong". Tanch'ong means "red and blue", the principal colors used in these colorful cosmic designs.   In general, the colors represent fire (red), clouds (white), sky (blue), earth (yellow), water (green).  

On the outside ends of big buildings, up towards the roof, you will see three circles. These represent heaven, earth and man, the three important things that Tangun, the mythological founder of Korea, is supposed to have brought with him. They have come to represent the Buddha, his teaching (Dharma) and the community of Buddhists (Sangha).
Lotuses, are another common symbol found in Buddhist paintings.  Lotus blossoms are depicted in many locations in the temple and no where are they more profound, then on Buddha's birthday celebration, held in the Spring of each year.  The lotus grows from mud (representing ignorance) up to the clear sunlight (representing enlightenment).
The symbol of the fish is often painted on the main Buddha table. It represents the effort and determination necessary for attaining enlightenment, for the fish supposedly, never closes its eyes.  You can see the fish in our Bell House.

In the summer of 2006, Sunim brought four temple artists to the US to begin the traditional, painstaking painting of the temple. 

Scaffolding is up and the artists begin the task of hand painting the main temple.   Work begins early and goes well into the evening when the last of the light stops the efforts.  The painting effort includes the Main temple, the small mountain temples and the bell house.

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