Rock-carved Buddha Triad in Yonghyeon-ri, Seosan

Deep in a valley of Gayasan Mountain at Unsan, Seosan, a great standing Buddha is carved into a cliff, with a standing bodhisattva to its right and a pensive bodhisattva to its left. Widely known as the Smile of Baekje, the images were made by cutting a little way into the rock face. The Buddha stands on a pedestal carved with lotus petals. Its face is full, with semicircular brows, almond-shaped eyes, a low broad nose and a smiling mouth; the whole face is round and full, with the merciful look peculiar to Baekje images. The robe is heavy enough to hide the body, with repeated U-shaped folds at the front. The round halo has a lotus at its centre with flame round it. The bodhisattva on the right, crowned, is full-faced like the Buddha and smiles with its eyes and mouth together. The bare upper body wears only a necklace, and the skirt falls to the top of the feet. The pensive figure on the left also has a round, full, smiling face. Its arms are badly damaged, but the right leg crossed over the left, the left hand holding the ankle and the right fingers under the chin show a refined hand. A triad including a pensive figure is exceptional; it is thought to represent Shakyamuni, Maitreya and Dipankara as they appear in the Lotus Sutra. The weighty, commanding body of the Buddha, the rounded contours, the refined sense of form of the bodhisattvas and the cheerful look they share suggest the late sixth or early seventh century. The site lies on the road from the Taean peninsula — the hub of Baekje's route to China — to Buyeo, so the triad is also a window onto the lively cultural exchange with China at the time.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seosan, Chungnam

Designation

National Treasure · 국보