Wooden Seated Amitabha Buddha and Excavated Relics of Heukseoksa Temple, Yeongju

Heukseoksa has a Three Kingdoms rock-carved Buddha and a Unified Silla stone seated Buddha (the stone seated Buddha of Heukseoksa, Yeongju, a treasure), so it was founded in Unified Silla at the latest. It burned in the Imjin War and lay abandoned until it was rebuilt in 1945, and in the 1990s many objects were found inside the wooden Amitabha enshrined in its main hall. The records found with them show that the image was made in 1458, the fourth year of King Sejo of Joseon, as the principal figure of a triad at Beopcheonsa. The topknot and the folds round the arms and belly show the features of early Joseon Buddhas. But temples named Beopcheonsa existed in Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla and elsewhere, so which one it was is not known. Inside the image were fourteen items of seven kinds, including an appeal for the making of the image with the list of donors, a combined edition of three sutras and Buddhist talismans. With them were 38 kinds of textiles, the five fragrances, the five grains and the seven treasures such as glass, amber and pearl, matching the contents to be placed inside an image listed in the Josanggyeong printed at Yujeomsa in 1824. These objects not only date the Amitabha but are valuable in themselves, and important for bibliography and the study of textiles.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

National Treasure · 국보