Kolgulsa Monastery is famous for its own martial arts technique "sonmudo".

In Buddhism, it is believed that there are many ways to achieve enlightenment, but each seeking being has his own; in this temple one seeks enlightenment through the attainment of the technique of sonmudo.

Sonmudo - 禪武道 - a word consisting of 3 hieroglyphs "sleep", or in Japanese Zen - Buddhist meditation, "mu" - martial art, "do" - the way.

Sometimes visitors can watch the monks training; but, even if we do not catch the monks mastering martial arts, a tour of the temple will be interesting and informative.

The temple was founded in the 6th century. ad. originally in the caves that ate into Mount Hamwolsan. Nowadays, the monks no longer live in the caves, but rather use them for meditation.

The temple got its name thanks to the unique rock image of Buddha: "kol" - a bone, "kul" - a cave, "sa" - a temple; the image of the body of the Buddha in clothes is made with "strokes" resembling the bones of a skeleton. Thus, roughly the name of the temple is translated as "cave temple of the bone [Buddha]".

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