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Haeinsa Temple is one of the triratna temples of Korea.
The triratna, or three treasures, are the Buddha, the Dharma(teachings),
and the Samgha(community of fellow Buddhists). Haeinsa,
the repository of the Tripitaka Koreana, represents Dharma
treasure.
A tripitaka is the "three baskets" of Buddhist scripture:
sutra(discourses), vinaya (disciplinary rules), and sastra(treaties).
The tripitaka Koreana is the most complete complation of
Buddhist scripture in existence in East Asia. It was compiled
and carved on 81,258 woodblocks between 1236 and 1251 in
the belief that this act of devotion would bring divine
protection for the nation especially against a series of
devastating Mogol invasions. In 1399, the woodblocks were
moved to Haeinsa Temple where they are still preserved as
National Treasure No.32.
The storage buildings for Tripitaka Koreana, National Treasure
No.52, are two long buildings on the north and south with
two smaller buildings on the east ans west forming a rectangle.
The buildings in the architectural style of the early Choson
period, are noting not only for their beauty, but more especially
for the fact that without any special devises, they were
constructed to maintain the proper ventilation for the perfect
preservation of the woodblocks over the centuries.
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