Three Buddhas for ancient rituals
Published: 25 Apr. 2011, 00:41

Period: Joseon 1684
Location: National Museum of Korea
This scroll was painted for outdoor ritual ceremonies at Buseok Temple in 1674. The scroll is larger in size and more complex than the hanging scrolls found inside Buddhist sanctuaries.
In the center, Sakyamuni Buddha preaches the Lotus Sutra on Mount Gridhrakuta. The Buddha is surrounded by 10 sravakas (disciples), bodhisattvas, vajra (ritual object) bearers and the four heavenly kings.
In the upper part of the scroll, the Buddha triad is shown preaching, with Vairocana in the middle, Bhaisajyaguru on the left and Amitabha on the right. Bhaisajyaguru and Amitabha form another triad with Sakyamuni as the Buddhas of the three realms: the present, the eastern realm and the western realm.
*The photos and text for Treasure Trove are provided by the National Museum of Korea. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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