Letters of Chan Master Dahui at Deungyongsa Temple in Ulsan Designated as National Treasure

Ulsan Dong-gu District announced on the 28th that the Letters of Chan Master Dahui, held by Deungyongsa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism (headed by the Venerable with the secular name), has been designated as a national cultural heritage treasure by the Korea Heritage Service.
Recently, Kim Jong-hoon visited Deungyongsa Temple in Ilsan-dong, Dong-gu, Ulsan, to confirm the certificate of designation received from the Korea Heritage Service and to congratulate the temple's Venerable with the secular name. He also examined the preservation status of the Letters of Chan Master Dahui.
The Letters of Chan Master Dahui, which was designated as a treasure by the Korea Heritage Service on September 4, is a collection of letters sent by Dahui Zonggao (1088–1163), a renowned monk of the Linji school in Song Dynasty China, to his disciples and followers. This compilation is regarded as an important Buddhist text that encapsulates the essential philosophy of Seon practice.


The copy held by Deungyongsa Temple is a woodblock edition published in the 18th year of King Taejong of Joseon (1418). It is considered the earliest Joseon-period edition among the extant versions of the same lineage in Korea. At the end of the book, there is a postscript written by Seongmin, a monk who submitted a petition during the early Joseon period when policies restricting Buddhism were being enforced, requesting the return of temple land.
This postscript is also highly valued as a historical record, providing insight into the social and religious circumstances of the Buddhist community at that time.
In addition to the newly designated Letters of Chan Master Dahui, Deungyongsa Temple houses six other works registered as Ulsan City-designated cultural heritage materials: volumes 1–7 of the Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapundarika Sutra), Essential Teachings of Master Gaofeng, Yeombuljakbeop, Preface to the Collected Commentaries on the Fundamental Seon, Ksitigarbha Pranidhana Sutra, and Hyunsu Jesung Beopsu.
Kim Jong-hoon, head of Dong-gu District, stated, “This designation as a national treasure recognizes the value of our region’s cultural heritage. We will continue to support the systematic preservation and utilization of local cultural assets.”
ulsan@fnnews.com Choi Soo-sang Reporter