South Korea

Beopjusa Temple (founded in the 6th century but since then rebuilt and enlarged several times) is worth visiting both for its geographical position, in Sognisan national park (the road leading to the temple is pretty and picturesque in autumn) and for the "treasures" it contains.

It is one of my favorite temples in Korea. It is dedicated to the Buddha of the future, Maitreya (in Sanskrit) or Mireuk in Korean. This is a bodhisattva who will become the next Buddha in several million years (or kalpas, which is the largest time unit in Buddhism). As a matter of fact, Vairocana is a Buddha from whom proceed all the other Buddhas. He is called the cosmic Buddha. Sakyamuni is the historical Buddha. That means he is the Buddha that came in the world in our scope of time. He was Siddartha Gautama born in the 5th century B.C. And so the next one will be Maitreya.