Cheollyongsa天龍寺

South of Namsan in the Eastern Capital (東都) there is a peak that rises steeply, which people call Gowisan (高位山). On the south side of the mountain is a temple that the villagers call Gosa (高寺) or Cheollyongsa (天龍寺).

The Toron Samhanjip (討論三韓集) says, "Within the land of Gyerim there are two streams of guest water (客水) and one stream of reverse water (逆水). If the two sources, the reverse water and the guest water, are not held down, it will bring the calamity of the heavenly dragon being overturned and drowned."

Popular tradition says, "The reverse water is the stream that flows south of Madeungo village (馬等烏村), south of the district," and also, "The source of this water reaches Cheollyongsa."

An envoy from China, Yue Penggui (樂鵬龜), came, saw it, and said, "If this temple is torn down, the day the country falls will not be far off."

It is also passed down that "long ago a donor had two daughters, called Cheonnyeo (天女), the heavenly maiden, and Yongnyeo (龍女), the dragon maiden, and the two parents built a temple for the two daughters and named it after them."

The site was uncommon, a ground that aids the Way, but it had long lain in ruins since the end of Silla.

The son of Choe Eunham, whom the great sage of Jungsaengsa suckled and raised, was Seungno (承魯); Seungno fathered Choe Suk, and Choe Suk fathered the sijung Jean (齊顔).

Jean rebuilt what had fallen, set up the Ten-Thousand-Day Shakyamuni Sanctuary (釋迦萬日道場), and received the court's approval. There are also a letter of trust (信書) and a vow text (願文) that remain at the temple.

After his death he became the guardian spirit of the temple, and his divine wonders were quite well known.

The gist of that letter of trust is this.

"The donor, naesa sirang, dongnaesa munha pyeongjangsa, juguk Choe Jean, states:

Cheollyongsa on Gowisan in the Eastern Capital has lain in ruins for several years. Your disciple, especially praying that the king's life be long and that the people and the country be at peace, has finished building the halls, corridors, rooms, kitchen, and storehouse, has furnished several figures of buddhas and sages carved in stone and molded in clay, and has opened the Ten-Thousand-Day Shakyamuni Sanctuary.

Since it was built for the state, it would be proper for the government to appoint its master. But each time the post changes hands, the monks of the sanctuary cannot set their minds at rest.

Looking around, at temples with ample attached fields, for example Jijangsa on Gongsan with two hundred gyeol of attached fields, Doseonsa on Biseulsan with twenty gyeol, and the mountain temples on the four sides of the Western Capital with twenty gyeol each, the practice is this:

Without regard to whether a man holds office or not, one who keeps the precepts and has high ability is chosen, and according to the wishes of the community he becomes abbot in turn and tends the incense; this is made a standing rule.

Your disciple heard of this and was glad. At our Cheollyongsa as well, I wish to choose from the community a daedeok high in both ability and virtue, make him also the pillar of the temple, appoint him master, and have him tend the incense for a long time.

I set this down in writing and entrust it to the gangsa (剛司). Beginning with the master of that time, let the document of the yusugwan be received and made known to all in the sanctuary, so that each may know it well.

The ninth year of Chongxi (重熙), the sixth month, such-and-such day."

The titles were signed as given above.

On examination, Chongxi is the era name of Xingzong of the Khitan, and this was the seventh year of Jeongjong of this dynasty, the gyeongjin year.