The idea of three jewels
Buddhists in every tradition take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma (his teaching) and the Sangha (the community of practitioners). Korean tradition links these three jewels to three particular monasteries, known as the Three Jewel Temples (Samboo Sachal). Tongdosa is the Buddha Jewel temple, Haeinsa is the Dharma Jewel temple and Songgwangsa is the Sangha Jewel temple.
This grouping is a matter of tradition and popular usage rather than an official ranking. Korean Buddhism has many other great temples, and the three are not presented as better than others. They are a convenient way to recall three different strengths of the monastic world: relics, scripture and teachers. How and when the grouping became standard is not well documented, so treat it as a tradition.
Tongdosa and the Buddha Jewel
Tongdosa stands on Yeongchuksan, a mountain near Yangsan in South Gyeongsang province. Its name is commonly explained as “passing through to the way”, a reference to awakening. The temple is traditionally dated to 646 and credited to the monk Jajang, who, according to tradition, travelled to Tang China and returned with relics of the Buddha, a robe and other items.
What makes Tongdosa distinctive is that its main hall is built without a Buddha statue on the altar. Instead, a window looks out toward a stone structure at the back, which is said to hold relics. The Buddha is thus present through his relics rather than through an image. This reflects a very old way of venerating the Buddha, shown in practices such as the veneration of Buddha footprint shrines, and the arrangement is why Tongdosa is called the Buddha Jewel temple. Because relics are sensitive, details of what is enshrined and where should be taken from the temple itself. Tongdosa is one of the seven mountain monasteries inscribed by UNESCO in 2018.
Haeinsa and the Dharma Jewel
Haeinsa, on Mount Gaya in South Gyeongsang province, is the Dharma Jewel temple because it houses the Tripitaka Koreana, the carved wooden-block edition of the Buddhist canon. The teaching is literally stored there in written form. Haeinsa is traditionally dated to the early ninth century. The woodblocks and their storage halls have their own entry in this cluster, so only the link to the Dharma Jewel need be noted here: the collection embodies the idea of the teaching being preserved for later generations.
Songgwangsa and the Sangha Jewel
Songgwangsa is on Jogyesan, a mountain in South Jeolla province, in the southwest. It is the Sangha Jewel temple because of its association with a line of eminent teachers. According to tradition, sixteen monks from Songgwangsa received the title of national teacher (guksa) over the Goryeo period. The first of them is Jinul, the twelfth-century reformer who made the monastery a centre of Seon practice and who is a central figure in the history of Korean meditation. The number and the names are given in the temple’s own tradition, so check them against reliable sources if you intend to quote them.
The mountain name Jogyesan is also linked with the name of the Jogye Order, though the connection is one of symbolic naming and not direct institutional descent from this one temple alone. Songgwangsa remains a training monastery, with a meditation community, and is known for retreat seasons. The mountain location is quiet and the paths are often tree-lined.
Comparing the three
| Temple | Jewel | Known for | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tongdosa | Buddha | Relics and the main hall with no statue | Near Yangsan, South Gyeongsang |
| Haeinsa | Dharma | Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks | Mount Gaya, South Gyeongsang |
| Songgwangsa | Sangha | Line of national teachers and Seon training | Jogyesan, South Jeolla |
Visiting the three
The temples are in the south of the country and are not close to one another, so they are usually visited separately. Each is a working monastery. Dress modestly, remove shoes in halls, speak quietly and do not touch monks or nuns. Ask before photographing, as some areas are restricted. Opening hours, entrance fees, programmes for visitors and access to special areas change, so rely on current official sources.
The three temples also have separate stories in the history of Korean Buddhism, and no single one of them should be seen as representing the whole tradition. Local practice differs, and the explanation given by a monastic at the site takes priority over any general summary.