The Vulture Peak Assembly Gwaebul at Yeongsusa Temple in Jincheon(鎭川 靈水寺 靈山會 掛佛幀)
- Date
- 1653년(효종 4)
- Designation Type
- Treasure
- Monk-Painters
- Myeongok, Soeup, Hyeonuk, Beopneung
- Dimensions
- Total 919×571cm, Image 803×549cm
- Designated Date
- 2008-03-12
- Holder
- Yeongsusa Temple
Overview
This gwaebul painting depicts the assembly held when Shakyamuni Buddha preached his sermons at the Vulture Peak. It is a group image featuring Shakyamuni in the center surrounded by the Buddhas of the Ten Directions, the Buddhas of the Other Realms, Bodhisattvas, various disciples, Brahma, Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Vajra Guardians, and Eight Classes of Divine Beings. The upper section of the painting presents a scene in which Shakyamuni is delivering a sermon to his subordinates. In the lower portion of the painting are sentient beings who have gathered to hear the Buddha’s sermon, heavenly beings playing musical instruments, and a listener who is asking for and hearing the dharma. Myeongok and Beopneung participated in the production of this gwaebul as monk-painters. Except for the lower section illustrating sentient beings and heavenly beings playing musical instruments, this painting shares similarities in its iconographical arrangement and the depiction of figures with The Vulture Peak Assembly Gwaebul at Cheongnyongsa Temple, another work produced in 1658 by Myeongok and Beopneung. Shakyamuni Buddha is shown sitting in a full-lotus (cross-legged) position on a lotus pedestal while making the Bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. He has a thin face with a narrow area between his eyebrows and half-open eyes with small pupils. The red outer robe covering both of his shoulders is decorated with patterns of scrolls within circles, and its hemlines are adorned with bands of flower patterns. The mandorla consists of a head halo and body halo. The interior of the body halo is filled with five-colored auspicious energy. There are two groups of Buddhas of the Ten Directions descending down on clouds respectively to the left and right sides of the canopy above the head halo of Shakyamuni, one with six Buddhas and the other with seven. Each group is accompanied by an apsara holding offerings in its hands. To the left and right of the five-colored auspicious energy depicted in between the canopy and head halo, Dragon Maiden and Dragon King are standing with their hands clasped, flanked respectively by two of the Eight Classes of Divine Beings. On both sides of the head halo, eight of the Buddhas of the Other Realms and sixteen disciples are set symmetrically in three rows. They are flanked on each end by four Vajra Guardians. On the left side of the body halo are Ananda, six bodhisattvas, and a heavenly being, while on the right side are Kasyapa, six Bodhisattvas, and a heavenly being. These figures are positioned in two rows. There are six other bodhisattvas, including Manjusri, Samantabhadra, Mahasthamaprapta, and Avalokiteshvara, standing on both sides of the Buddhist altar, three on each side, and two each of the Four Heavenly Kings are seen flanking these six Bodhisattvas. Below them, a listener who is asking for and hearing the dharma is kneeling in front of an altar on which an incense burner, candles, and various offerings are placed. He is depicted with a green head halo and wearing a kasaya robe with intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. This depiction of a listener with the appearance of a monk can be observed in this Yeongsusa Temple gwaebul, The Vulture Peak Assembly Gwaebul at Cheongnyongsa Temple (1658), and The Assembly of the Three Buddhas Gwaebul at Chiljangsa Temple (1710). The lower section of the painting below the listener displays men wearing caps and holding objects, including a scepter and gourd-shaped bottle, and women clasping their hands together in prayer. In the lower-right corner is a group of women playing a pear-shaped lute, hourglass-shaped drum, and double-reed oboe. This inclusion of heavenly beings playing musical instruments and people is a characteristic of the Yeongsusa gwaebul and cannot be found in other gwaebul paintings. In the center of the lowest portion of the image are two separate cartouches. The one above bears a prayer for the king, queen, and crown prince. The one below has an inscription listing 149 donors, twenty types of donated items, the production date of the gwaebul, and the names of the monk-painters who produced it. According to the inscription, this gwaebul was created in the seventh lunar month of the Gyesa year (1653), the tenth year of the Shunzhi era. It further relates that the head monk-painter was Myeongok and the three other monk-painters were Soeup, Hyeonuk, and Beopneung.
Inscriptions
May the king live long. May the queen lead a long life as well. I pray that the life of the crown prince continues for a thousand years. An Dae-ryong and spouse, who donated a great volume of gold Kim Sa-angbok and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of vermillion pigment Shin Gae-dong and spouse, who donated a great volume of goods to be used by the public Kim Dae-nam and spouse, who donated a great volume of goods to be used by the public Kim Gyeong-jin and spouse, who donated many pieces of cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting(batang*) Naekhwa Bak Dong-geum and spouse, who donated a great volume of gold Yim Ae-nam and spouse, who donated a great volume of gold Bak Ae-nam and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of vermillion pigment Bang Jut-bok and spouse, who donated several round mirrors Mul Mal-nam and spouse, who donated many strings of beads Mun Pil-nam and spouse, who made a substantial donation of materials without any conditions Kyeon Gi-jong and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of vermillion pigment Ham Cheon-mu and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of blue pigment (called icheong in Korean) U Nam and spouse, who donated a great volume of gold Kim Eon-geon and spouse, who donated many pieces of cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting Ju Dae-bong and spouse, who donated many pieces of cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting Yim Man-yeong and spouse, who donated many pieces of cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting Jeon Su-han and spouse, who donated cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting Myeongi and spouse, who donated cloth for use as a support material for the Buddhist painting Yi Ik-seon and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public The yeongga*(souls) of Yi Il and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public The yeongga*(souls) of Yi Ju and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public The yeongga*(souls) of Yi Gwon and spouse, who donated vermillion pigment The yeongga*(souls) of Kim Seong-geon and spouse, who donated vermillion pigment The yeongga*(souls) of Kim Ae-un and spouse, who donated several round mirrors Bak Chun-rip and spouse, who donated several round mirrors Hong Gye-bok and spouse, who donated many pieces of paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material The yeongga*(souls) of a person with the family name Kim and spouse, who donated a great volume of materials for producing round rings and the huryeongtong (cylindrical container) Kim Saeng-il and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of blue pigment (called icheong in Korean) Bak Chung-beon and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of blue pigment (called daecheong in Korean) Yang Ae-nam and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of white pigment (called jeongbun in Korean) Sim Gyeong-sul and spouse, who donated a great volume of fermented soybean blocks The yeongga*(souls) of Deokjin and spouse, both of whom donated a considerable amount of salt The yeongga*(souls) of Bak Gam and spouse, who donated several bokjang*(votive objects) Yi Dae-hak and spouse, who donated several bokjang*(votive objects) Shin Bok and spouse, who donated several bokjang*(votive objects) Mun Jong-nam and spouse, who donated many ornaments made of long strings of beads Kim Juk-rip and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of honey Yi Chun-ji and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of honey A person with the family name Yi, who alone donated many pieces of paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Jeon Heung-rip and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Bak Kkeut-chun and spouse, who donated a considerable amount of light green pigment Yi Gwi-nam and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Yim Ae-nam and spouse, who donated red thread Kim Hae-un and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Hwang I-geum and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Ryu Cheong-gil and spouse, who made donations of materials without any conditions Bak Sun-saeng and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Jang Yun-dong and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Song Tae-hyang and spouse, who donated paper to be pasted on the back of a Buddhist painting to fix its support material Kim Sun-nyeon and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Bak Sa-in and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Kim Han-jak and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Kim Man-se and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Bak Sa-ryong and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Bak Mal-nam and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Bak Dol-bok and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Yi Ik-rong and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Jeon Eung-rip and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Kim Kkeut-nam and spouse, who donated lamps and candles U Non-geum and spouse, who donated lamps and candles Bae Man-se and spouse, who donated blocks of fermented soybeans A person with the family name Yi and spouse, who donated blocks of fermented soybeans Monk Duyeong, who donated goods to be used by the public Kim Eung-jang and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Kang Dol-hi and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Song Mak-se and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Yi Sung-deok and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Oh Chun-I and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Ryu Seong-nam and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Choe Eung-chun and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Yim Nyeon and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Kim Gye-un and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Yim Kkeut-san and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Monk Myogwan, who donated black pepper Oh Deuk-rok and spouse, who donated goods to be used by the public Monk Hyecheong, who managed the incense, offerings, and more for the Buddhist altars Those who produced the gwaebul painting are Monk Myeongok, Monk Soeup, Monk Hyeonuk, and Monk Beopneung. Monk Taesang, who supervised affairs in the kitchen compound Monk Uiyun and Monk Gakryeon, both of whom procured goods to be used by the public Seunghyeon, Yongnam, and Gyenam, all of whom are young Simin, who solicited donations of materials The 7th lunar month of the Gyesa year (1653), the 10th year of the Shunzi era Glossary of Gwaebul Inscriptions * batang 婆幀/基布: Cloth used as a support material for a Buddhist painting * yeongga 靈駕: The soul of the deceased * bokjang 腹藏: Votive objects that enliven and sanctify Buddha sculptures and Buddhist paintings