Russia is bogged down in a war it can’t win. A weaker-than-expected Ukrainian spring offensive does not change that. Russia’s still lacks a path to victory which remotely justifies the costs and isolation of the war, even if it manages to hang onto some Ukrainian territory.

The leaks strongly suggest that Ukraine’s offensives this year will be last successful than last year’s. Ukraine lacks the heavy and precise weaponry its needs (shame on us for dragging our feet on that stuff), and it has suffered tremendous casualties. This is unfortunate. I always thought hopes that Ukraine would win by the end of this calendar year were too optimistic. The war will likely last into next year at least.

But this doesn’t get Russia off the hook. It is still tied down in a costly, unwinnable quagmire. Even if the lines do not change much this year, Ukraine will not give up. It will fight a protracted, defense-in-depth, semi-insurgency conflict if necessary, biting at the Russians for years, looking for opportunities to strike; not allowing the Russians to withdraw; not allowing its conquered areas to be developed, exploited, or populate; not allowing Russia to escape from sanctions and isolation. A model here is the failed Japanese invasion of China in 1937. The Imperial Japanese Army could win battles but not the war, and conflict degenerated into a long, unwinnable slog which drained Japanese resources for no clear gain compared to the growing costs, including diplomatic isolation and sanction.

I have some other recent thoughts on the Ukraine war at 1945.com:

1. Russia Probably Can’t Win without Substantial Chinese Assistance. Excerpt:

The Russian spring offensive in Ukraine already appears to be running out of steam. No less than the President of Ukraine himself recently visited the frontlines’ most contested sector – the city of Bakhmut. Volodymyr Zelensky is known for his courage – he stayed in Kiev last February as the Russians marched on it. But visiting Bakhmut, against which the Russians have thrown the weight of their forces this spring, would be remarkably risky if the chances of Russian breakthrough were genuine.

Zelensky also felt secure enough this month to receive the Japanese prime minister in Kiev, at the same time Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russian President Putin in Moscow. And certainly the frontlines have not moved much. Russia was supposed to come off the winter refreshed and restocked, capable once again of major offensive action. This has not been the case. There have been no armored punches threatening a breakthrough, no wide-front advances threatening to overstretch Ukrainian reserves.

Instead, Russia is doing again what it has done since last summer – targeting a few small cities in the east with massive, human-wave infantry assaults, while randomly terror-shelling Ukrainian cities. The former has resulted in high casualties and small advances, while the latter continues to alienate world opinion for pointlessly killing noncombatants. This is not a winning strategy, and if this is the best Putin has after just a year of war, it is unclear how expects to win if the war drags on as it appears it will.

2. Russian Nukes in Belarus are just another Saber-Rattling Gimmick by Putin. There is No Remotely Cost-Beneficial Scenario for Putin to Use Nukes in Ukraine or Against NATO. Excerpt:

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia’s eastern neighbor. Belarus also borders Ukraine’s north, and Putin wants Minsk to participate more openly in his war against their shared neighbor. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has acted warily with respect to Russia’s invasion, but he depends on Russian assistance to stay in power, especially after Putin helped him fight off mass protests in 2020. Lukashenko probably has little choice but to assent to the deployment of Russian nukes on his country’s territory.

Belarus also borders NATO countries. Putin’s emplacement of these weapons is likely meant as an oblique threat to the West. It fits Putin’s regular habit of talking up Russian nuclear weapons to unnerve Ukraine’s Western supporters. The tactic makes sense. Russian conventional power has embarrassed itself in Ukraine. Its army has struggled, and most of the world had expected a quick victory for Russian forces. Putin invokes Russia’s nukes to compensate. He has a long history of such bravado.

Putin’s Western sympathizers, who have talked up the possibility of World War III for over a year, will argue again that this deployment means we are sliding toward a global conflagration. But they are probably wrong. It remains unclear how invoking nukes will help Putin win a limited conventional war.

3. Russia’s Apathetic Response to Finland’s NATO Accession should End the ‘NATO-Expansion-Caused-War’ Argument.

It is widely understood now that Russian President Vladimir Putin blundered badly in his invasion of Ukraine. He planned the war as a fait accompli blitzkrieg. The whole thing would end in a week or two. Putin would re-organize post-Soviet space in one swift stroke. NATO would be caught off guard and scared about further Russian moves. China would be impressed at Putin’s audacity, helping to off-set the unbalanced economic relationship between the two countries. The world would once again be impressed by Putin the master strategist.

Instead, the war has turned into an expensive, embarrassing, debilitating calamity. Russia may still win in the minimal sense of holding onto some conquered territory. But in every other important aspect, the war has been a disaster, and it is getting worse, not better.

Economically, the sanctions placed on Russia because of the war are pummeling its GDP. Politically, Russia is mostly alone. China and India have not supported the sanctions but otherwise kept their distance. Militarily, the war has turned into a stalemate, tilting slowly toward the Ukrainians. Russia has taken no new territory in a year. Ukraine has launched two successful offensives since then, and another is expected later this spring. And now, strategically, Russia has just suffered another set-back. Finland has joined NATO.

Temple History

Haeinsa Temple, which is located in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, means “Ocean Seal Temple” in English. The name of the temple is in reference to the “Ocean Seal” samadhi (meditative consciousness) from the Avatamsaka Sutra, or “Flower Garland Sutra” in English, or “Hwaeom-gyeong” in Korean. The reason for this reference is the idea that the mind is like the surface of a perfectly calm sea. And it’s from this that the true image of our existence is clearly reflected and everything appears as it is.

Alongside Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do and Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, Haeinsa Temple forms the Three Jewel Temples (삼보사찰, or “Sambosachal” in English). Tongdosa Temple represents the Buddha, Songgwangsa Temple represents the Sangha, and Haeinsa Temple represents the Dharma.

It’s believed that Haeinsa Temple was first established in 802 A.D. by the monks Suneung and Ijeong. However, and predating Suneung and Ijeong founding Haeinsa Temple, there is a legend that claims that the famed Uisang-daesa (625-702 A.D.) first founded Haeinsa Temple in the mid-600s as a hermitage. With that being said, the founding of Haeinsa Temple is more firmly rooted in masters Suneung and Ijeong, who were religious descendants of Uisang-daesa’s Hwaeom-jong, or “Flower Garland Sect” in English. Haeinsa Temple would become one of the Ten Monasteries of Hwaeom, or the Hwaeom Sipchal in Korean. Suneung and Ijeong founded the temple upon their return from their religious studies in Tang China (618–690, 705–907 A.D.). According to one temple legend, the two monks helped heal the wife of King Aejang of Silla (r. 800 – 809 A.D.). Suneung and Ijeong studied Esoteric Buddhism, or Chongji-jong in Korean, while in Tang China. Purportedly, the wife of King Aejang of Silla had a tumour. The monks tied a piece of silk thread around the tumour and attached it to a neighbouring tree. They then chanted Esoteric Buddhist verses, or jin-eun in Korean, that they had learned in Tang China. Miraculously, and through these Buddhist chants, the tumour vanished, while the tree withered and eventually died. Grateful, King Aejang of Silla (r. 800-809 A.D.) granted the two monks funding that they would need to build a new temple wherever they wanted it. Surprisingly, the two monks chose to construct their new temple in the remote mountains of Mt. Gayasan. They would become the first and second abbots of Haeinsa Temple.

Haeinsa Temple also played a pivotal role in the assumption of King Taejo of Goryeo (r. 918-943 A.D.), or Taejo Wang Geon, to the throne. For this, the monk Huirang, who was the fifth abbot of Haeinsa Temple, or “Juji” in Korean, was rewarded for his loyalty. Huirang, and through him, Haeinsa Temple, received substantial royal patronage from King Taejo of Goryeo. As a result, Haeinsa Temple went from a mid-sized temple to a major temple. This resulted in hundreds of monks being able to study and practice at Haeinsa Temple and the Hwaeom teachings.

Fortunately, Haeinsa Temple has been protected from plundering and destruction because of its remote and isolated location unlike other famous Buddhist temples on the Korean Peninsula. Such was the case in 1592, when the Korean Peninsula was invaded by the Japanese during the Imjin War (1592-1598). In fact, the Japanese intended to cart the woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana back to Japan. However, the monk Seosan-daesa (1520-1604) organized a legion of Buddhist monks known as the Righteous Army to fight in defence of the nation under the leadership of Samyeong-daesa (1544-1610), who was a disciple of Seosan-daesa. This force was stationed out of Haeinsa Temple, and they fought, and won, against the Japanese army by employing guerrilla tactics through the Hongnyu-dong Valley. This victory allowed for the precious Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks to be spared from Japanese plundering.

Throughout the centuries, Haeinsa Temple has undergone numerous expansions like in 1488, 1622, and 1644. Tragically, most of Haeinsa Temple was destroyed by fire in 1817. In total, Haeinsa Temple has suffered seven disastrous fires with varying degrees of destruction. Fortunately, the fire of 1817 spared the Janggyeong-panjeon (National Treasure #52) and the Tripitaka Koreana (National Treasure #32) housed inside the ancient library.

Later, and during the Korean War (1950-1953), communist guerrillas attempted to use Haeinsa Temple as their base. However, the abbot of Haeinsa Temple, Master Hyodang, thwarted this attempt, and he was able to convince them to withdraw from the temple grounds. Additionally, the South Korean army didn’t know of this withdrawal, so they ordered airplanes to bomb and destroy Haeinsa Temple. Thankfully, the pilot refused this order and helped preserve Haeinsa Temple.

More recently, Haeinsa Temple underwent renovations during the 1960s to 1970s. This was done through funding by President Park Chung-hee (1917-1979). This was meant to help further tourism and rebuild and re-establish pride in Korea. In total, the Haeinsa Temple grounds is home to seventeen hermitages, which is one of the largest collections of hermitages on a temple site in Korea.

Haeinsa Temple is home to four National Treasures, 19 Korean Treasures, the temple itself is a Scenic Site and it’s also a Historic Site. Haeinsa Temple, and more specifically, the Janggyeongpanjeon Depositories of Haeinsa Temple and the Printing Woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana in Haeinsa Temple, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

A special thank you goes out to Prof. David Mason for the amazing information that he provides on his website, especially the history of Haeinsa Temple. Please check it out!

Colonial Era Photography

It should be noted that one of the reasons that the Japanese took so many pictures of Korean Buddhist temples during Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-1945) was to provide images for tourist photos and illustrations in guidebooks, postcards, and photo albums for Japanese consumption. They would then juxtapose these images of “old Korea” with “now” images of Korea. The former category identified the old Korea with old customs and traditions through grainy black-and-white photos.

These “old Korea” images were then contrasted with “new” Korea images featuring recently constructed modern colonial structures built by the Japanese. This was especially true for archaeological or temple work that contrasted the dilapidated former structures with the recently renovated or rebuilt Japanese efforts on the old Korean structures contrasting Japan’s efforts with the way that Korea had long neglected their most treasured of structures and/or sites.

This visual methodology was a tried and true method of contrasting the old (bad) with the new (good). All of this was done to show the success of Japan’s “civilizing mission” on the rest of the world and especially on the Korean Peninsula. Furthering this visual propaganda was supplemental material that explained the inseparable nature found between Koreans and the Japanese from the beginning of time. 

To further reinforce this point, the archaeological “rediscovery” of Japan’s antiquity in the form of excavated sites of beautifully restored Silla temples and tombs found in Japanese photography was the most tangible evidence for the supposed common ancestry both racially and culturally. As such, the colonial travel industry played a large part in promoting this “nostalgic” image of Korea as a lost and poor country, whose shared cultural and ethnic past was being restored to prominence once more through the superior Japanese and their “enlightened” government. And Haeinsa Temple played a large part in the the propagation of this propaganda, especially since it played such a prominent role in Korean Buddhist history and culture. Here are a collection of Colonial era pictures of Haeinsa Temple through the years.

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

1910

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

1915

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

1927

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

1934

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

1936

Pictures of Colonial Era Haeinsa Temple

Specific Dates Unknown (1909-1945)

Temple Site History

The Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site is located in Ulju-gun, Ulsan in the eastern foothills of Mt. Ganwolsan (1,069.1 m) up a long valley. It’s believed that the original Ganwolsa Temple was first built by Jajang-yulsa (590-658 A.D.) during the reign of Queen Jindeok of Silla (r. 647-654 A.D.). Later, the temple was destroyed by the invading Japanese during the Imjin War (1592-1598) in 1592. Ganwolsa Temple would eventually be rebuilt in 1634 during the mid-Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The temple would last until 1836, when it seems as though the temple was abandoned after a large crop failure in the area and subsequent famine according to the Eonyang-hyeon Hojeokdaejang, or The Census Register of Eonyang-hyeon in English.

After the temple was closed in the late-Joseon Dynasty, the surrounding area, including the temple site, were reclaimed by nature and repurposed into working fields. As a result, the exact size of the former temple is largely unknown. In 1984, Dong-a University conducted an excavation survey of the temple site. And this was followed in 2016 by the Cultural Heritage Administration, or “CHA” for short, conducting a full-scale excavation survey of the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site. From the latest archaeological work conducted on the site, and through the examination of the Geumdang-ji (Main Hall Site), the north and south pagodas, and statues found at the temple site, it’s believed that the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site dates back to at least the mid-8th century.

Originally, the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site was designated as a historic site in Gyeongsangnam-do on August 2, 1983. This subsequently changed on October 9, 1997, when Ulsan became its own autonomous city, the Ulsan Metropolitan City, on July 15, 1997. Now, the Ganwolsan-ji Temple Site is known as a historic site in Ulsan.

Lastly, there is one Korean Treasure at the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site. It’s the Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site, which is Korean Treasure #370.

Temple Site Layout

When you first enter the temple site grounds, you’ll notice a tourism booth to your left and the site’s bathrooms to your right. Straight ahead of you, and at a bit of an angle, is the newly built shrine hall that now houses the Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site. Out in front of the pavilion are a pair of book-ending statues that look just as equally old as the Korean Treasure housed inside the neighbouring pavilion. But for as successful as the artistry is on the Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site, the two book-ending statues are a little less successful with their caricature-like faces. It’s unclear whether the statues are meant to represent a Buddha, a Nahan (The Historical Disciples of the Buddha), or a monk, but they’re just not that great. It should be noted that while the bodies of these statues appear to date back to the Silla Dynasty, the faces seem to be a much later addition after the original heads were lost. The current heads to these statues appear to date back to the late-Joseon Dynasty, which gives the statues their caricature-like appearances. And to the right of the pavilion and the twin statues is an older budo (stupa).

Stepping inside the newly built pavilion that houses the Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site, you’ll be welcomed by a ninth century Silla-era statue of a seated Seokgamoni-bul (The Historical Buddha). The statue is slightly damaged; but overall, it’s well preserved. On top of the head, there is a slight protrusion known as a usnisa, which is meant to represent the Historical Buddha’s supreme wisdom. But with curly hair, the topknot is hard to discern. As for the face of the statue, it has a smooth, plump face that appears serene. It has long eyes and small ears. Overall, it has a very human quality to its face. The robe that adorns the Buddha is thin, and it covers his shoulders. The statue rests upon a stone lotus bud platform. And the base of the platform that supports the statue is surrounded by various guardians.

To the left of this fenced-off enclosure, and up the hillside, are the North and South Pagodas. Officially, these two pagodas are known as the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site North-South Three-Story Pagodas. The pagoda to the left, and up the steeper hillside, is the South Pagoda. It’s believed that both pagodas date back to the 8th century during Unified Silla (668-935 A.D.). The three-story pagoda rests atop of stylobate with pillar patterns around its surfaces. The base of the pagoda remains simplistically unadorned. As for the first body stone of the stone structure, it has reliefs of large doors and a pair of Geumgang-yeoksa (Vajra Warriors) on either side of the entryways. All four sides of the first body stone are adorned with the same relief. The other two body stones, the second and third story, remain unadorned. Additionally, the entire finial is missing from atop the South Pagoda.

Across the open field, past the Geumdang-ji (Main Hall Site), and running parallel to the South Pagoda is the North Pagoda of the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site North-South Three-Story Pagodas. The North Pagoda, unlike the South Pagoda, is partially hidden in a cluster of trees and perched atop a rocky knoll. Both the North and South Pagodas are almost identical in design with only minor differences in their reliefs. The two pagodas, rather uniquely, are positioned slightly higher than that of the former main hall at the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site.

Backtracking a bit, you’ll find the squarish former location of the main hall, the Geumdang-ji (Main Hall Site). The site is now covered with a black tarp and stones to hold the tarp in place after the CHA excavation. However, even though the main hall site is both tarped-off and fenced-off, you get a good idea of the size of the former main hall.

To the rear of the Geumdang-ji (Main Hall Site) are a collection of rocks, presumably from the last excavation. Rather interestingly, behind the North Pagoda, and down from the large collection of rocks, is an abandoned shrine hall. This is where the Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site was formerly housed. The historic statue was housed alongside an image of Gwanseeum-bosal (The Bodhisattva of Compassion) and a Shinjung Taenghwa (Guardian Mural). Not sure why this shrine hall was abandoned, but it has been. The last thing that visitors can enjoy at the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site is a circular relief of Yongwang (The Dragon King) to the front left of the former shrine hall.

How To Get There

From Ulsan train station, there’s a bus stop right in front of the station. From this bus stop, you’ll need to take Bus #304 or Bus #323. You’ll need to get off at the bus stop named “Ganwol-ipgu – 간월입구.” From here, you’ll find the temple site.

Or you can simply take a taxi to get to the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site. By taxi, it’ll take 20 minutes over 8.7 km, and it’ll cost you 9,300 won (one way). This might be a better alternative, if you’re traveling in a group.

Overall Rating: 6/10

The entire former temple site has a beautiful serenity to it. Almost immediately upon entering the temple site grounds, you’ll find a newly built shrine hall that houses the beautiful Stone Seated Buddha at Ganwolsa Temple Site. This Korean Treasure is joined by the Ganwolsa-ji Temple Site North-South Three-Story Pagodas, which, rather surprisingly, aren’t at least Korean Treasures. Perhaps one day they will be after the recent excavation.

Jimin is known in BTS for his dancing, and it's his turn to be analyzed. I'll talk about what makes his Korean speaking unique, including his usage of Busan dialect, and polite speech.

There are only two more videos remaining in this series, and the next episode (V) will be posted after 2 weeks.

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