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Main chamber
The domed main chamber holds, most obviously, the main Buddha statue, situated just off center
towards the back of the chamber. Directly behind this statue is a wall carving of Kwanum (Kwanseum)
Boddhisattva. To either side of the pillars there are two more boddhisattva figures, while the
remainder of the circular rotunda wall holds carvings of the ten main disciples of Buddha, five on the
northern wall and five on the southern. Finally, above all this, at eye level for the main statue, are ten
small niches, eight of which contain carved figurines.
Main Buddha statue
Carved from a single piece of rock, the main Buddha statue of Sokkuram is seated cross-legged
upon a lotus design pedestal, which in turn is perched atop a solid octagonal base with pillars at the
angles. The height of the Buddha itself, exclusive of the base, is 3.4 meters. The face of the figure is
smooth and round, with eyes closed, the clothing is depicted draping gently through shallowly incised
lines, the left hand lies in the lap while the right hand rests on the leg, reaching down towards the
ground. At the center of the forehead is a space for a jewel or crystal to be placed.
The identity of the main Buddha at Sokkuram has been the object of a good deal of academic debate.
Japanese archaeologists called the figure a Sakyamuni Buddha, and for a while the label stuck, but it
was eventually called into question after it became clear that they had not adequately appreciated the
differences between the Korean and Japanese icongraphical traditions. In the 1960s, based on textual
sources and the line of sight from the statue east towards the underwater tomb of King Munmu, a
theory was advanced that the figure was acutally an Amit'a Buddha, the Buddha of the Western
Paradise. Based upon the attendant boddhisattvas present in the chamber and the importance of
Hwaom thought at Bulguksa generally, still other scholars have contended that the figure depicts
Pirojana Buddha. Now, based on Chinese sources, the pendulum seems to be swinging back towards
the Sakyamuni theory. In any case, the issue is far from decided.
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