Odae-san

Odae-san [Five Platforms Mountains] is a large National Park near the east coast of Gangwon Province, on the “Baekdu-daegan” spine of Korea. It is believed by Korean Buddhists to be the primary Korean residence of Munsu-bosal (Manjusri the Bodhisattva of Wisdom). Great Master Jajang returned from studying at China’s Wutai-shan in 646, bearing relics of the Buddha, and named these mountains Odae-san which is the Korean pronunciation of Wutai-shan, due to similarities in their topography. He enshrined one of those holy relics halfway-up the highest peak (1563m), at a hermitage now called the Saja-am Jeokmyeol-bogung. He also founded the great Woljeong-sa [Moon-Vitality Monastery] and Sangwon-sa [Above the Ordinary Monastery] here, dedicated to Manjusri.

Stone statue of Bodhidharma, Sangwon-sa Monastery, Mt. Odae-san


Sanshin Mountain Spirit painting, Sangwon-sa Monastery, Mt. Odae-san

For additional information by Professor David Mason, visit san-shin.net.

For information about traveling to Korean sacred sites, contact Roger Shepherd.