Blog

The Four Heavenly Guardians stand watch at the entryway of almost every Buddhist temple in Korea. In the larger temples, the Guardians are gigantic wooden or concrete statues housed in the temple's second gate. At smaller temples, Guardians are painted on the wooden doors of the temple gate.

The Guardian of the North stands with a pagoda, a reliquary for the ashes of monks, as this is the direction of death. The Guardian of the South controls the weather with his lute, and the Guardian of the West carries a sword that is able to multiply whenever needed. Finally, the Guardian of the East holds a dragon to ensure good fortune.

First-time visitors are often taken aback by the ferocity of the Guardians. They stand with sword dragon or lute in hand, wide-eyed and with ferocious grins, Underfoot a bizarre little gremlin winces in anguish. But don't worry their ferocity isn't directed at visitors with a pure heart; they're there to protect the temple against evil from the four directions of the compass, standing ever vigilant against devils and demons trying to enter the temple grounds.

To know more about these Four Heavenly Guardians, visit: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto

Photo credits: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Four_Heavenly_Kings