1,000-year-old life-sized Buddha statue discovered in North Korea stuns archaeologists

Severe weather spawns Golden Age of art

The Buddha statue unearthed recently in North Korea was sculpted during the Golden Age of Buddhism, which emerged out of an era marked by extreme climate changes.

The weather shifted between severe rainstorms and droughts, which drove kings inward to pursue a religious lifestyle and, in turn, encouraged the population to seek the same quietude and spiritual connection.  

According to Popular Mechanics, researchers believe that an outpouring of rituals and prayers crying out to the divine for climate balance marked this moment in history, which might have spawned the popularity of Buddhist-inspired artistic visions.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that the Buddha’s attributes, including the position of the hands, confirmed to scholars what tradition he belonged to. “They also deepened the survey of tile pieces from the surroundings and discovered that they were made in the early 10th century, the early period of Goryeo,” the KCNA said via Popular Mechanics.

The Goryeo state rose in 918 to unify a divided country until the reign of Joseon in 1392. Buddhism reached its peak of expression, with 70 temples built in the capital alone. Through the rain and the relentless sun, they turned a challenging moment into one of the most significant moments in Korean art and culture.

Buddha Amitābha symbolizes rebirth

In light of the tumult, despair, and uncertainty, it is no wonder that the maker depicted the Buddha Amitābha as a symbol of everlastingly and unstoppable light. The figure originates from a branch of Mahayana Buddhism.

Followers pray to the Amitābha for rebirth in a realm known as Sukhavati, a paradise where they can be free from earthy distractions and dedicate themselves to Buddha. It reflects the overall attitude of the people struggling with their environment’s constraints and uncontrollability, seeking refuge.

The iconography of the Amitābha typically includes two bodhisattvas, enlightened deities that reached nirvana but chose to remain on Earth to lead others out of suffering. With Avalokiteśvara on his right and Mahāsthāmaprāpta on his left, they form the “Amitābha Triad.” However, intriguingly, archaeologists in Korea didn’t find signs of their presence alongside the sculpture, as per Popular Mechanics.

The instability of the weather triggered the Korean aristocracy, or Bulsa, most likely to sponsor the creation of this Buddha Amitābha along with a wealth of other paintings, manuscripts, ceramics, and more, hoping to secure stability and, finally, peace in a time of great change.