Rock-carved Bhaisajyaguru Buddha Triad in Eomul-dong, Ulsan

A rock-carved Buddha image is one cut directly into a natural rock face. The central principal Buddha of the Eomul-dong rock-carved image is 5 m tall and 3.5 m wide, and the attendant bodhisattvas on either side are each 3.5 m tall and 1 m wide; all are carved in high relief on the face of a huge natural rock known as "Bangbawi". Iconographically it is a Bhaisajyaguru, or Medicine Buddha, triad, flanked by the bodhisattvas Ilgwang (Sunlight) and Wolgwang (Moonlight), and it is presumed to have been made during the Unified Silla period. The principal Buddha at the centre sits in the full lotus position, with a large face and a prominently raised usnisa, the cranial protuberance. Owing to heavy weathering the detailed carving cannot be clearly made out, but a faint smile can be seen on the plump cheeks and lips. Both ears hang long enough to reach the shoulders, and on the neck the three folds symbolising stages of enlightenment are clearly rendered. The robe covers both shoulders, and the detailed folds of the drapery are not clearly visible. The right hand is raised to the chest and the left hand rests on the lower abdomen; owing to severe erosion the exact form of the hands cannot be determined, but it is presumed that the Buddha originally held the medicine jar characteristic of Bhaisajyaguru. Bhaisajyaguru is the Buddha who cures the illnesses of sentient beings and is the object of Medicine Buddha worship. It is also said that those who wish for rebirth in the Pure Land, or protection from disaster, can be saved by invoking the name of Bhaisajyaguru and making a vow. The attendant bodhisattvas on either side are standing figures, much smaller than the principal Buddha, with faces rendered large in proportion to their bodies. On their heads they wear cylindrical crowns symbolising the sun and moon, identifying them as the bodhisattvas Ilgwang and Wolgwang. The near-semicircular rock face that forms the background to the carving serves as a huge halo encompassing the whole triad. The Rock-carved Bhaisajyaguru Buddha Triad in Eomul-dong, Ulsan is an important work both for the religious faith of the Unified Silla period and for the history of Buddhist rock-carving sculpture.

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Where it is

Region

Buk-gu, Ulsan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산