Seated Bodhisattva
EXPLORING RELIGION DURING THE JOSEON DYNASTY, KOREA, C.MID-17TH CENTURY
Buddhism spread through the three kingdoms of Korea – Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla – between the 4th and 5th centuries after arriving from China. It became the official state religion and remained so for over 1,000 years until the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty, when it was replaced by Neo-confucianism at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty. The founder of the new dynasty, General Yi Seong-gye (later known as King Taejo) had been forced to reject Buddhism to gain the support of Neo-confucian scholar-officials and consolidate his position.
These scholars wanted to reform the country and used the teachings of Confucius to reorganise society. To encourage people to convert from Buddhism to Confucianism, they introduced social customs in line with the Confucian tradition and founded various Neo-confucian schools for education. At the same time, Buddhism was suppressed with a series of restrictions that included reducing the number of Buddhist temples, confiscating land and goods, and forbidding Buddhist monks from entering the capital.
Nevertheless, when the Japanese invaded Korea between 1592 and 1598, King Seonjo asked Buddhist Seon Master Hyujeong, also known as Seosan Daesa, to arrange and lead guerilla units of monk warriors to help fight the invaders.
The role that these monk warriors played in repelling the invaders helped to restore some acceptance of Buddhism, especially after Queen Munjeong repealed the ban on Buddhist worship while acting as regent for her son, Myeongjong, between 1545 to 1565.
Despite the repression of Buddhism during the dynasty, many Joseon kings still favoured Buddhism and tolerated it among their family, with members of the royal court commissioning Buddhist art for their private devotion. In fact, Buddhist practices and worship still occurred throughout the country and iconography, such as religious statues, continued to be produced even though Neo-confucianism remained the ruling ideology for 500 years.
Korean Buddhist sculpture is recognised as some of the finest in the world, with many examples surviving to this day. This statue dates back to the mid-17th century and is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.