Seokguram
| Seokguram | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||
| Korean name | ||||||||
|
| Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| State Party | .svg){kind=small} Republic of Korea
|
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iv |
| Reference | 736 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1995 (19th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. | |
The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex. Lying four kilometers east of the temple on Mt. Tohamsan, in Gyeongju, South Korea, the grotto overlooks the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and rests 750 meters above sea level. In 1962, the South Korean government designated Seokguram the 24th national treasure of Korea. In 1995, UNESCO added Seokguram to the World Heritage List together with the Bulguksa Temple. Seokguram Grotto is one the best Buddhist sculptures in the world. [1]
Legend states that Gim Daeseong built Seokguram, originally calling Seokbulsa (석불사, Stone Buddha Temple). Construction began in 742 when Gim Daeseong resigned his position in the king's court or in 751, the tenth year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla at the time of Unified Silla's cultural peak. The Silla court completed the grotto in 774, shortly after Gim's death. Legend states that Gim experienced reincarnation for his filial acts in his previous life. The legend relates that the Gim dedicated Bulguksa Temple to his parents in his present life while dedicating the Seokguram Grotto to Gim's parents from a previous life.
Seokguram, and Bulgaksa are the number one destination for Koreans and foreign visitors in South Korea. Seokguram is reached by taking an hour-long hike from Bulgaksa through a mountain path. A viewing of the sunrise over the Sea of Japan is especially popular.
Architecture
India began a tradition of carving the image of Buddha in stone, holy images, and stupas into the cliff walls and natural caves, exporting the practice to China and then Korea. Since the Korean Peninsula contains an abundance of hard granite unconducive to carving stone images into cliff walls, artisans had created an artificial grotto from granite. Unique in design, the small size of the grotto indicates that Silla royalty probably worshipped at the shrine exclusively.
The grotto symbolizes a spiritual journey into Nirvana. Pilgrims start at Bulguksa or at the foot Mt. Tohamsan, a holy mountain to the Silla, walking to a fountain at the entrance of the shrine where pilgrims could refresh themselves. Inside the grotto, the antechamber and corridor represented the earth while the rotunda represented heaven.
The basic layout of the grotto includes an arched entrance which leads into a rectangular antechamber and then a narrow corridor, which is lined with bas-reliefs, and then finally leads into the main rotunda. The centerpiece of the granite sanctuary is a Buddha statue seated in the main chamber. The identity of the Buddha is still debated. The Buddha is seated on a lotus throne with legs crossed. The Buddha has a serene expression of meditation. Fifteen panels of bodhisattvas, arhats and ancient Indian gods surround the Buddha in the rotunda. Ten statues fill niches along the rotunda wall. The main hall of Seokguram houses a Bojon statue Bodhisattva and his disciples. Forty different figures representing Buddhist principles and teachings are in the grotto. Artisans built the grotto around thse statues to protect them from weathering. Half moons, the top decorated with a lotus flower, decorate the ceiling of the Seokguram grotto is. Silla architects used symmetry and apparently employed the concept of the golden rectangle.
The grotto is shaped by hundreds of different granite stones. The structure has been built without mortar, stone rivets hold the stones together. The construction of the grotto also utilized natural ventilation. The dome of the rotunda is 6.84 meters to 6.58 meters in diameter.
Sculpture within the grotto
The main Buddha holds an eminent position in the world of Buddhist art. Standing 3.5 meters high, the Buddha image sits on a 1.34 meter tall lotus pedestal. The Buddha is realistic in form and probably represents the Seokgamoni Buddha, the historic Buddha at the moment of enlightenment. The position of the Buddha's hands symbolizes the experience of enlightenment. The Buddha has a usnisa, a symbol of the wisdom of the Buddha. The drapery on the Buddha, such as the fan-shaped folds at the crossed-legs of the Buddha, exemplifies Korean interpretations of Indian prototypes. Unlike other Buddhas that have a halo attached to the back of the head, the Buddha at Seokguram creates the illusion of a halo by placing a granite roundel carved with lotus petals at the back wall of the rotunda. The pedestal is made of three parts; the top and bottom are carved with lotus petals while the central shaft consists of eight pillars.
Accompanying the main Buddha, in relief, are three bodhisattvas, ten disciples, and two Hindu gods along the wall of the rotunda. Ten statues of bodhisattvas, saints, and the faithful are located in niches above the bas-reliefs. The ten disciples followed Seokgamoni. They line five on each side of the Avalokitesvara. Their features suggest a Greek influence. The two bodhisattvas are of Manjusri and Samantabhadra. The two Hindu gods are Brahma and Indra.
The Four Heavenly Kings guard the corridor. Guardian figures, also images of Vajrapanis, grace the walls of the entrance to the corridor, in the antechamber. Eight Guardian Deities adorn the antechamber.
The eleven-faced Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is on the back wall of the rotunda and stands 2.18 meters in height. This figure alone among the bas-reliefs faces forward, while the others face the side. The Avalokitesvara wears a crown, is dressed in robes and jewelry and holds a vase containing a lotus blossom.
Two statutes in niches and a marble pagoda believed to have stood in front of the Avalokitesvara have been lost., Korean historians suspect them stolen during the Japanese invasions of the 1590s.
Reconstruction
Because of the long periods of abandonment and numerous renovations, many details are disputed amongst scholars, such as the exact layout of the original grotto, the buildings in Bulguksa or the shape of the watercourse, which no longer exists, in front of the temple.
Repair and improvements were undertaken in 1703 and 1758, during the Joseon dynasty. The Japanese Government-General of Chosen conducted restoration works three times, but it faced humidity and other problems. After World War II, in the 1960s, President Park Chung Hee pursued a major restoration project to correct the work done during the Japanese occupation. The interior of the grotto can now only be viewed through a glass wall, installed to protect it from the large number of tourists it attracts.
Gallery
The entrance to the grotto. The rotunda is covered by a grassy hill in the background.
The Sea of Japan can be seen on a clear day from the grotto and it is hypothesized that the Buddha was made to protect the Silla kingdom from Wa attacks.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- National Heritage: Seokguram
- Cultural Heritage: Seokguram
- Excellent reference with a lot of pictures.
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
