벽암각성의 조형 활동과 신흥사 극락보전아미타삼존불상과 그 복장품의 연구

Abstract

With regard to the Wooden Seated Amitabha Triad Statue enshrined in the main hall of the Sinheung‐sa Temple in Mt. Seolak, this study found a number of meanings. First, the Amitabha Triad Statue and the Ksitigarbha Boddhisattva statues in the main hall of the Sinheung‐sa Temple were created in 1651, and the general director for the project was Priest Byeokam Gakseong and the monk sculptor was Muyeom. Priest Muyeom was one of Byeokam’s disciples and the main hall is also believed to have been built by Byeokam’s disciples, and this suggests that Priest Byeokam was the greatest Buddhist artist in those days and involved also in the reconstruction of the Sinheung‐sa Temple along with Buddhist artists from many other temples. Second, the written prayer found inside the body and the inked inscription on the bottom of the statue show that the Wooden Amitabha Triad Statue at the Sinheung‐sa Temple was created in 1651 (2nd year of King Hyojong) by Muyeom (無染), the great renowned monk sculptor of the day from Jolla‐do. Muyeom created the Vairocanna Triad Statue in the Dharma Hall of the Seonun‐sa Temple in 1633 and the Triad Statue in the Dharma Hall of the Bulgap‐sa Temple in 1635, and then the Wooden Amitabha Triad Statue and the Wooden Ksitigarbha Triad Statue at the Sinheung‐sa Temple in 1651, the Vairocanna Buddha Statue at the Birae‐sa Temple in 1651, the Ksitigarbha Boddhisattva Statue at the Bulgap‐sa Temple in 1654, the Shakyamuni Buddha Triad Statue and 16‐Arahat Statue in the Arahat Hall of the Songgwang‐sa Temple in Jeonju in 1656, etc. The Buddha statues at the Sinheung‐sa Temple created in 1651 are quite similar to the Wooden Amitabha Triad Statue at the Yongheung‐sa Temple created in 1647 and particularly to the Shakyamuni Buddha Triad Statue in the Arahat Hall of the Songgwang‐sa Temple in Jeonju created by Muyeom, and show a high affinity to the Wooden Amitabha Buddha Statue at the Jeongsu‐sa Temple in Jeonju created in 1652. These suggest that the Amitabha Triad Statue was a representative Buddha statue in those days. What is more, it was found that Muyeom’s style exerted a significant influence on Buddha statues built around the Jolla‐do area. Third, the written prayer found inside the body of the Buddha statue showed that Muyeom who created the Buddha statue was the same person as ‘Muyeom’ who created five different types of Buddha statues including the Shakyamuni Buddha Triad Statue in the Arahat Hall of Songgwang‐sa Temple in Jeonju. Thus, it is considered necessary for future research to make more thorough analysis of Jolla‐do monk sculptors who advanced up to Gangwon‐do.