항마성도상과 신라 화엄종 미술의 형성-부석사 무량수전 촉지인 불좌상 해석의 몇 가지 문제점-

Abstract

This essay is for an iconographic re-approach to the Buddha image in Amitabha Hall of Buseok-sa temple. This Buddha image of Bhūmisparşa-mudra(touching the earth gesture) with wearing the robe of exposed-right-shoulder style which faced to the east direction has been interpreted as a Amitabha Buddha according to the name of hanging board of the hall and the epigraph of Wonyung the Royal monk(圓融國師). Further more, it was accentuated that the tendency of buddhist idea of Uisang the great monk(義湘大師) was based on Amitabha religion more than Avatamsaka faith. But in this essay, new approach would be tried in some aspects for the Buddha statue. First of all, even the inscription of Wonyung's stele told that the Buddha statue of Amitabha Hall was exactly Amitabha Buddha, nobody can have confidence that the Amitabha Hall was the very same shrine with today's Amitabha Hall which we could see. Because it is presumed that at the time of Uisang and Wonyung, there was another shrine in Buseok-sa at the lower place of Amitabha Hall as a main shrine of this temple. And Amitabha Hall of these days performed as an assembly Hall originally. Furthermore, according to The Monks Biographies until Song Dynasty(宋高僧傳), Uisang never turned his back on the west side for his Amitabha faith, but there is no any evidence that his faith really can be embodied as Buddha image enshrind as faced to the east direction. On the contrary, the situation around this Buddha image can be well explained by Avatamsaka faith as a Vajrasana Buddha image motif of Buddagaya in India. Even though Uisang had been turn back to Silla before this Vajrasana type image became popular in Tang Dynasty, but it is not impossible that the Buddha image of Buseok-sa inspired from Vajrasana type image considering that Uisang kept the interest continually in the movement of the Chinese Buddhist order after his leaving China. And this international interest make it possible that the new iconographic buddha can be appeared in Silla so fast. If it is raised as a question that the Buddha image of Buseok-sa which shows vajrasana motif is not a same buddha with Uisang enshrined originally, all the problems are going back to the beginning to conclude : If this Buddha image is not refer to the original Buddha image of Uisang, the hypothesis that the Vajrasana image can be applied not only Sakyamuni but also Amitabha should be also abandoned. This essay did not tried to insist whether the Buddha image of Buseok-sa is Sakyamuni or Amitabha. The more valuable question is that why the Sakyamuni image of Vajrasana is applied as an Amitabha buddha image. This iconological question may supply more plentiful art historical idea.