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  5. Stone-Clad Naban Jonja of Doseonsa Temple

Stone-Clad Naban Jonja of Doseonsa Temple

Stone Mabajonja (Dokseong) Statue of Doseonsa Temple
  • Classification Tangible Cultural Heritage
  • Designation
    Date
    September 30, 2004
  • Era Before 1876
  • Quantity 1 statue
  • Location Doseonsa, 164, Ui-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul

This statue currently enshrined in the Dokseonggak of Doseonsa Temple is a small stone statue of the Solitary Saint, measuring 71 cm in height.
Dokseon is one of the Arhats who resides in Mt. Cheontae in southern India and receives the Buddha's teachings and practices meditation. He is also called Solitary Saint Cultivation or Solitary Saint Venerable. Originally, Dokseon was a general term for saints of Theravada Buddhism who alone realized the principle of karma and attained the Way, but Naban Venerable is often called Dokseon because he is the only one who has attained enlightenment.
Usually, Dokseonsa statues are depicted as old Arhats with long hair and long eyebrows in front of mountains and rivers symbolizing Mt. Cheontae , but Doseonsa's Dokseon statue is unique in that it is a young, bhikkhu-shaped Dokseon.
This statue is made of stone, painted, and enshrined. It is sitting comfortably with its left knee raised, its left hand placed on its knee, and its right hand on the floor. Unlike the general appearance of a virtuous monk, its face is that of a young novice monk. Its head is slightly slender, and its hair is shaved in a slit, its round eyebrows in the shape of a bow, its eyes narrowed, and its mouth neatly aligned. Overall, its face and body are well-balanced, showing a stable posture. It is thought that it is wearing a kasara because the kasara decoration is expressed on its left shoulder, but its chest is wide open and its hem is slightly covered on its right shoulder, so it is expressed as if it is wearing a Buddhist robe with a wide right shoulder. The upper body looks long because its knees are low, and the hand that is placed on the floor and the hand that is placed on its straight knee looks very natural.
Regarding this Dokseongsang, there is a prayer for the re-powdering called “Dokseongnabanjon Mother-of-pearl Re-powdering Prayer” which states that it was re-powdered in 1876 (the 13th year of King Gojong’s reign) and re-powdered again 108 years later. Therefore, it is estimated that this statue was created before 1876.
Although many Dokseongsang exist as Buddhist paintings, not many sculptures remain. Along with the clay Dokseongsang of Jingwansa Temple in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions, it is one of the rare examples that remains, and unlike the statues that are usually depicted as old Arhats with white hair, it has the characteristic of being depicted as a young Arhat.

* Source : Korea Heritage Service

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