Seated Stone Shakyamuni Buddha of Geumgangsa Temple, Gumi

This is a seated Shakyamuni Buddha enshrined in the Daeungjeon Hall of Geumgangsa Temple in Wonpyeong-dong, Gumi. Geumgangsa Temple was founded between May 1952 and April 1954 by its abbot, Seon master Cheolu; after his death, the monk Jeongu served as abbot. It is now a branch temple of Jikjisa Temple under the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, with around 1,500 believers belonging to it. The temple grounds contain the Daeungjeon Hall, Simudang, Chaewoldang, a bell pavilion, and the stupa of Seon master Cheolu. The statue is carved from lightweight agalmatolite (a soft stone), and its head is large in proportion to its body. The head is covered with small snail-shell curls that grow larger toward the crown, and there is a single incised line around the neck. The face is round and broad; the Buddha wears robes draped over both shoulders, and its hands form the mudra of preaching. According to tradition, while practising austerities on Geumgangsan Mountain, Seon master Cheolu recovered the statue from a ruined temple site and cared for it; from 1952 he founded the present Geumgangsa Temple and installed the seated Shakyamuni as its principal image. Records found inside the statue reveal that it was in fact made in 1701, the 27th year of King Sukjong of Joseon, and was first enshrined at Beophwawon on Geumgangsan Mountain. It clearly displays the refined technique of the Buddhist statuary style of the Jingyeong era, the celebrated "true-view" era of late Joseon culture, and is valued as important material for the study of Buddhist sculpture of that period.

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Where it is

Region

Gumi, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산