In the corner of Bongeunsa Temple, there is a stone statue of Mireuk(Maitreya) Buddha, which is about 2-30 meters high. It doesn’t seem old, but it already has become famous.
What I first noticed was that people praying in front of that statue. On the stone floor, people were bowing down and praying.
Each culture has a slightly different perspective on religion. Korean religion seeks the blessings of life rather than the salvation of the afterlife. In particular, people often wish for good luck in their families. Many Korean Christian often wish for happiness in life rather than salvation in the afterlife.
Mireuk(Maitreya) Buddha has a unique meaning in Buddhism. Mireuk(Maitreya) is believed to be born Buddha in the future and save the world. Therefore, Mireuk is sometimes called Future Buddha. Although Mireuk is called the Buddha of the future, the world he will save is not the afterlife, but living life. Mireuk is believed to solve our life difficulties. So faith in Mireuk was especially active when the world was in trouble.
It was recently made, so there wasn't much to see from an artistic point of view. In the past, the stone statue was made by hand, so the mason's skill and artistry were important.
Now they are all very cut neatly by machine. The surface of the stone was smooth, but there was not something in it that touches the soul.
Underneath the Mireuk statue, there were warriors on the eight sides to prevent bad energy.
Usually, the four heavenly kings are well known, but it was the first time to see warriors engraved on eight sides. I don’t know what warriors mean correctly.
Around Mireuk Buddha, various Buddha statues were put up in a semicircle. There were many small statues among them.
It is for sure that the world is better to live than in the past. However, the large size of the Mireuk statue implies that our lives are still difficult. Perhaps our lives are mentally harder than materially.