A Study on Mural Painting of Grandeur Buddhist Hall in Sinheung Temple

Abstract

The point of grandeur buddhist hall is to realize the buddhist land in the real world. To decorate the inside and outside of the hall by coloring or drawing is the most typical method. In that way, the extensive mural paintings in Yangsan Sinheung Temple Daegwangjeon(梁山 新興寺 大光殿) rebuilt in 1657 have magnificent beauty. The mural paintings of the east-west wall and the back of the wall behind Buddha are bigger in scale than any other mural painting in temple of Joseon Dynasty. Besides, the painting is recognized importance as an example that was created in the late Joseon Dynasty.BR Moreover, the paintings in the hall are comprised of the three world buddhas which are the painting of Mt.Grdhrakuta Assembly(靈山會上圖) of the north, the painting of Bhaisajyaguru triad(藥師三尊圖) of the east wall, and the painting of Amitabha triad(阿彌陀三尊圖) of the wast wall in the Daegwangjeon has the major significance that the painting has given body to characters of cardinal points of each icon in three dimensions which cannot be expressed in the normal buddhist painting composed of the three world buddhas.BR Especially, the outline drawings(草本) for the triad painting was verified by the form of accompanying paper(別紙化形式) which is painted each different drawing paper in accordance with an analysis about placement of the principal icon and the bodhisattvas on the painting of Bhaisajyaguru triad and Amitabha triad. The mural painting of triad in Sinheung temple is a good example of understanding how to use the outline drawing of Amitabha triad for making the other Bhaisajyaguru triad. BR Furthermore, in the Joseon Dynasty, the reason of producing the huge mural painting of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva(觀音壁畵) in the back of the wall behind Buddha and making the mural painting of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with the black background as the case of Sinheung Temple Daegwangjeon counts as it might be organically linked with each other. The back of the wall behind Buddha by the narrowest and shadowly space in the hall is reminiscent of the image of dark or deep cave. And the black background of the mural painting can be understood as the visual equipment for Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva cave or dark cave.