Stone Buddhist Stele at Geumdunsa Temple Site, Suncheon

This Buddhist stele at the site of Geumdunsa Temple is presumed to have been made together with the adjacent three-story stone pagoda, which is thought to be the stupa of Monk Jeoljung built in 906 according to historical records. It consists of a round lotus-shaped pedestal, a rectangular body stone with an image of a standing buddha carved in relief on the front, and a roof-shaped capstone. The stele faces west, which suggests that this is an image of Amitabha, the Buddha of the Western Paradise.

The buddha's facial expression is amicable yet solemn. His body, draped in robes, appears voluminous and graceful thanks to its elegant contours. His hands are lifted to his chest in a gesture that represents one of the nine grades of the Buddhist Pure Land. Carved onto the back side of the body stone is the outline of a rectangle with a header and footer. Although the body of the rectangle remains empty, the header depicts afigure making an offering with an incense burner shaped like a tri-legged cauldron with long handles, while the footer depicts a powerfully rearing elephant with long tusks.

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