During King Beopheung’s reign, Silla formally adopted Buddhism as a state-supported religion (traditionally dated to 527), laying the political groundwork for later large-scale temple patronage and monastic institutions in the Unified Silla era.
Bunhwangsa was founded in 634 under Queen Seondeok. It became one of the major state-linked temples of Silla, reflecting growing royal sponsorship and the expanding ritual role of Buddhism in governance.
Hwangnyongsa, begun earlier in the Silla period and completed in the 7th century, developed into a key center of state-sponsored Buddhism in and around the capital (Gyeongju), symbolizing institutional consolidation and royal patronage.
Tongdosa was established in 646 by the monk Jajang after returning from Tang China. It became especially significant as an ordination center and as a temple associated with Buddha relic veneration—an important driver of institutional growth and pilgrimage.
The monk Beomnang (fl. 632–646) is commonly credited as an early transmitter of Chinese Chan into Silla. These transmissions helped set the stage for later growth of Seon lineages and mountain monasteries in the 8th–9th centuries.
In 668, Silla completed the conquest of its major rivals (Baekje and Goguryeo), inaugurating the Unified Silla period (668–935). Unification increased state capacity and resources that supported extensive Buddhist construction and monastic networks.
According to temple records and traditional historiography, the major construction phase of Bulguksa began in 751 under King Gyeongdeok, initiated by chief minister Kim Dae-seong—an emblematic state-backed project of Unified Silla Buddhist architecture.
Seokguram’s construction is generally placed in the mid-8th century, with accounts commonly citing a start in 751 (or nearby dates) under the patronage of Kim Dae-seong. The project represents sophisticated institutional and artistic investment in Buddhist sanctuaries.
The Pure Light Dharani-sutra (a woodblock-printed Buddhist scroll later found at Bulguksa) is commonly dated by scholars to the Unified Silla period, with UNESCO summarizing scholarship that places it around 751. Its production reflects Buddhist institutional capacity and the ritual use of mass-produced texts.
Bulguksa and Seokguram are widely dated to completion in 774, after Kim Dae-seong’s death, under royal supervision. Together they formed a major religious architectural complex that exemplified Unified Silla’s mature temple institutions and elite patronage.
Sinhaeng (704–779) is described in major reference accounts as helping popularize Seon practice in the latter part of the 8th century, reflecting a shift toward meditation-centered institutions alongside doctrinal schools.
Haeinsa was founded in 802 (traditionally linked to monks Suneung and Ijeong). Over time it became one of Korea’s most important monastic institutions, later renowned for preserving the Tripitaka Koreana; its foundation reflects the continuing growth of large temples beyond the capital region.
The monk Doui (d. 825) is frequently credited with further popularizing Seon at the start of the 9th century, accelerating the spread of meditation lineages and influencing the establishment of major mountain monasteries.
In the 8th–9th centuries, the foundational monasteries of Korean Seon—later grouped as the “Nine Mountain Schools”—were established at mountain sites, marking a significant institutional expansion of Seon communities and regional temple networks.
Unified Silla conventionally ends in 935, as the kingdom fell and political power shifted during the Later Three Kingdoms period. The institutional landscape of Korean Buddhism—including major temples established earlier—carried forward into the Goryeo era.
Buddhism in Unified Silla: Institutional Growth and Temple Construction (7th–10th centuries)
