Tondosa

Tondosa is located on the southern slope of Mt. Yeongchuksan, one of Youngam Alps. It is Bulbo Temple, one of Korea's Sambo(Three Treasure) temples. As the temple enshrines Buddha's sariras, it features that there is no Buddha's statue in the main temple. Tongdosa, Haeinsa and Songgwangsa Temples belong to Korea's Sambo Sachal. Sambo Sachal means 'Three Treasure Temples'. Tongdosa in Bulbo Sachal enshrining Buddha's sariras. Haeinsa is Beopbo Sachal enshrining 'Tripitaka Koreana, Buddha's words. Songgwangsa is Seungbo Sachal raising 15 leader of the nation since Bojo Guksa.

The name 'Tongdo' means 'Passing or Reaching. Buddha gave his lecture in Mt. Yeongchuksan in India. As the mountain has the same name, people believed that one should pass this area to be a monk, and that anyone who wants to be a monk attains nirvana here on Geumgang Gyedan. Geumgang Gyedan was build in the 15th year of Queen Seondeok, in the Silla Dynasty. Many stories handed down relating Geumgang Gyedan when the Japanese invaded, Monk Wolsong took Buddha's sariras and clothes to Seoul. During Imjinwaeran, Great monkSamyeong Daesa put sariras into two boxes and sent them to Monk Seosan Daesa in Mt. Geumgangsan.

Monk Seosan said "The one who does not follow Buddaha's rule will chase only gold and treasures. So he will not chase. Restore the old Gyedan and enshrine sariras.". He returned one box to Tongdosa and enshrined one box in Jeongamsa Temple, Mt. Taebaeksan. Geumgang Gyedan was restored in 1605(the 30th year of King Seonjo), repaired in 1852(the 3rd year of king Gojong). The temple has never been closed for 300 years. It has been in the center of Buddhists' belief enshrining Buddha's Sariras in Geumgang Gyedan. There are 65 buildings such as Yonghwa-jeon, Gwaneum-jeon, Eungjin-jeon, Myeongbu-jeon, stone pagodas such as Bongbal Pagoda, and three-story Pagoda in the temple ground. 20 heritages and a thick forest around the temple. The main temple is designated as National Treasure No. 290.
There is a small pond named Guryong-ji behind the main temple, and there is a cliff named Yonghyeolam 100m north of Mupunggyo Bridge at the entrance of Tongdosa. A legend says that there lived nine dragons in the pond Guryong-ji, meaning 'Nine Dragon'. Monk Jajang wanted to build a temple here, but nine dragons disturbed it. He persuaded the dragon to leave but failed. So he wrote the word 'fire' on the paper, chanted a charm and made water boil. Three dragons died. When he threw the three dragons, the blood put on the cliff Yonghyeolam meaning 'Dragon's Blood'. Five other dragons ran away to the valley 'Oryong-gok', meaning Five Dragon Valley. The other one became blind and vowed to guard the temple and stayed.