Stories of Korea’s National Treasures 54
Photo Credit: Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
East Seungtap (Stupa) of Yeonggoksa Temple
(Gurye, Jeollanam-do)
🏯 1. A Stone Monument for an Awakened Life
In the quiet precincts of Yeonggoksa Temple in Gurye, stands the East Seungtap (Monk’s Stupa) — a refined stone structure dedicated to honoring a revered Buddhist master of the Unified Silla period (8th–9th century).
Unlike pagodas built for worship, a seungtap is a memorial — a place where the remains or spirit of an enlightened monk are enshrined.
This stupa does not proclaim grandeur; it preserves reverence, allowing silence itself to speak of a life devoted to awakening.
🪨 2. Form and Sculptural Refinement
The East Seungtap displays a balanced, multi-part composition typical of high Silla craftsmanship:
a square base, an octagonal body, and a dome-like upper section crowned with a finial.
Carved from finely dressed granite, its surfaces are adorned with restrained decorative bands and subtle reliefs.
The octagonal plan symbolizes the Eightfold Path, while the gently rising profile conveys a calm ascent toward liberation.
Every joint and curve reveals disciplined restraint — a sculptural language that values clarity over ornament, precision over excess.
Here, stone becomes meditation.
🌄 3. The Meaning of a Seungtap
In Buddhist tradition, a seungtap marks the culmination of a monk’s journey — the final resting place of one who sought truth through practice and compassion.
The East Seungtap at Yeonggoksa stands as a quiet testament to lived wisdom.
It does not instruct through words or images; instead, it invites reflection.
To stand before it is to sense that enlightenment leaves no noise behind — only balance, humility, and peace.
Set against the gentle slopes and flowing air of Gurye, the stupa seems perfectly at home, as if the landscape itself had shaped its stillness.
🌿 4. Preservation and Legacy
Remarkably well-preserved, the East Seungtap of Yeonggoksa Temple retains its original form and refined proportions despite the passage of more than a millennium.
Designated National Treasure No. 54, it is recognized as one of the finest examples of Unified Silla monk stupas, offering invaluable insight into Buddhist funerary art and spiritual values of the era.
Today, it continues to stand without ceremony or crowd —
a reminder that the deepest legacies are often those left quietly, without insistence.
💬 5. A Warm Reflection
“This stone remembers a life that sought no praise.
It stands not to be seen,
but to remain —
a still point where devotion rests,
and silence becomes teaching.”
📌 Notice
The National Treasure number indicates the order of designation, not a ranking of value.
For more information, please visit the 👉 National Heritage Portal.