Daeungjeon Hall Three Bodhisattvas Painting of Beomeosa Temple

Hung on the left interior wall of Daeungjeon Hall at Beomeosa Temple, the Painting of the Three Bodhisattvas was made in 1882 together with the Painting of Śākyamuni's Vulture Peak Assembly and the Painting of Indra and the Divine Host, both also enshrined in the same hall. The composition is divided into an upper and a lower register. In the upper register the three bodhisattvas form the centre: Cheonjang Bosal, Bodhisattva of Heaven, sits in the middle, flanked by the seated figures of Jiji Bosal, who upholds the earth, and Jijang Bosal, Bodhisattva of the Earth Treasury, with a host of heavenly beings arranged around them. In the lower register, Dongjin Bosal, wearing a helmet decorated with bird feathers, and a group of celestial maidens playing musical instruments form the centre, flanked by ranks of guardian deities (sinjang, spirit generals) arranged in three orderly rows on either side. In all, 79 figures are depicted on the painting. This work is notable for the varied expressions of its attendant figures; red tones dominate overall, while white is conspicuously used on the bodies and undergarments of the attendants. All three bodhisattvas have a circular head halo and a lotus-petal-shaped body halo. The body halos of Jiji Bosal and Jijang Bosal are rendered in a bright ultramarine, whereas the head halo of the central Cheonjang Bosal has a green ground bordered with red and ultramarine bands and a body halo in a fluorescent tone, giving variation between the central figure and the two flanking bodhisattvas. Across the large composition, the compassionate smiles of the principal images and their attendants sit in good harmony with the solemn expressions of the guardian deities. An inscription reveals that the painting was made by a monk-painter who also worked on the Vulture Peak Assembly painting, the Indra and Divine Host painting enshrined in the same Daeungjeon Hall, and the White-robed Avalokiteśvara painting in Gwaneumjeon Hall. The work survives in good condition and is large in scale. The Three Treasuries were believed to be the rulers who led the heavenly-immortal spirits and granted blessings; Buddhist ritual manuals define the Samjang faith as devotion to these spirits, who were invited from the Three Realms into the ritual space to be venerated with offerings and prayers. The Three Bodhisattvas painting of Beomeosa Temple's Daeungjeon Hall was produced within this same current of belief, and holds material value for the study of late Joseon Samjang iconography and worship.

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Where it is

Region

Geumjeong-gu, Busan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산