People come to temples like 금강사 (Geum-gang-sa) to pray and bow to Buddha statues, light incense and candles, reflect and celebrate festivals or rituals. In Korean temples, artworks like stone Buddhas show both religious and cultural history.
On the walls of the temple, many beautiful paintings show the Buddha’s life, Buddhist teachings and other beings that protect the temple. I saw a picture of Buddha teaching while others bowed to him. This scene shows the temple’s visitors that Buddha has overcome suffering and that the temple is sacred, protected by many spiritual forces. This painting helps explain Buddhist values visually. Even though Buddhism is complex or hard to understand from the outside, visitors can understand that Buddhism values wisdom, respect and peace. These values also transcend language, meaning that any visitor from around the world can see these paintings and understand what is important in Buddhism. You don't need to be able to read to access this religion.
I also saw a stone turtle statue with a water bowl beneath it. In Korean Buddhism, turtles are very significant. Even though the bowl was empty when I visited, it usually holds water, which stands for cleansing and purity. Turtles live long lives, meaning that they represent wisdom and stability; and their strong shells stand for protection. Many people see turtles as guardians of important places like temples. So even though the statue looks simple and beautiful, it also carries an important message by connecting water, animals and stone to spiritual ideas.
