Wooden Seated Sakyamuni Buddha Triad of Seongjusa Temple, Changwon

This triad is a depiction of the buddhas of the Three Realms. It consists, from right to left, of Bhaisajyaguru (the Medicine Buddha), Sakyamuni (the historical Buddha), and Amitabha (the 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.

All three statues have square faces, and their clothes have deep creases. The Sakyamuni statue is larger than the other two to emphasize that Sakyamuni is the primary buddha of the triad. Sakyamuni’s right hand rests on the knee with the fingers pointing towards the earth. The left hand rests on the lap with the palm facing upwards. This hand gesture indicates the Buddha's attainment of spiritual enlightenment.

During repairs of the triad in 2009, several relics were found inside, including a written vow and Buddhist scriptures. Based on these artifacts, it was established that the triad was made in 1655 by 11 sculptor monks led by the monk Nokwon. Monk Nokwon was an artisan who worked during the mid-17th century, and this triad is his earliest known work. This triad holds high value in the research of the history of the Buddhist sculpture and helps date other statues of the same period.

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