Geungnaksa Temple (Gyeonggi)

Geungnaksa Temple, located halfway up Baengmasan Mountain in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, is a branch temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The exact founding date is unknown, but it is said to have been a temple where monk soldiers mobilized for the construction of Namhansanseong Fortress in 1624 resided. In addition, it is said that seven temples, including Janggyeongsa, were newly built to accommodate the monks. The temple is small in scale, with only Geungnakbojeon Hall and Samseonggak Shrine, but inside the main hall, Geungnakbojeon, there is the Stone Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue of Geungnaksa Temple in Gwangju, designated as Gyeonggi-do Tangible Cultural Heritage.

The Stone Seated Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue is a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue from the Joseon Dynasty, standing about 47 cm tall. It features the hands placed one over the other on the crossed legs in the meditation mudra (seonjeongin). The mudra appears to be made to hold a wish-fulfilling jewel (boru). The statue depicts a monk-form bodhisattva with a shaved head, a round face with plump cheeks, and a prominent nose in the center of the face. The eyes on either side of the nose are narrow and long, and a faint smile lingers on the slightly closed lips, giving a gentle impression. The hem of the skirt is horizontally draped across the chest, and the knot tying it extends left and right in a semicircular curve. Additionally, a triangular fold of cloth flows down from the center of the legs, features rarely found in other Buddhist statues.