Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad and Excavated Relics of Donghaksa Temple, Gongju

This wooden Buddhist triad depicts the buddhas of the Three Realms, namely Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha), Sakyamuni (Historical Buddha), and Amitabha (Buddha of the Western Paradise). Bhaisajyaguru is the buddha of the east and past, Sakyamuni is the buddha of the here and now, and Amitabha is the buddha of the west and future.

During repairs of the triad in 2010, 136 pieces of 78 relics such as a written vow with records about the statues, as well as the four classics and Buddhist scriptures made at the turn of the Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon (1392-1910) periods, were found inside. According to the records, these statues were created under the supervision of the sculptor-monk Gakmin between 1605 and 1606 to be enshrined in Daeungjeon Hall of Cheongnimsa Temple in Gyeryongsan Mountain. It is presumed that the statues were moved to Donghaksa Temple around 1883.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08