Abstract

This paper examines the meaning of the Stone Maitreya Bodhisattva Statue of Gwanchoksa temple, also known as Eunjin Mireuk, in the early twentieth century by analyzing an article written in 1900 by an American missionary, George Heber Jones (1867-1919). Eunjin Mireuk, one of the oldest Bodhisattva statues constructed in the Goryeo dynasty, was known for its colossal size and unusual visual characters. By the end of the nineteenth century, as more Western visitors came to Korea, the number of records on Eunjin Mireuk had increased, including Jones’s “Korea ’s Colossal Image of Buddha,” which consists of a thorough analysis of Eunjin Mireuk ’s historical background, mythical stories, and the reception of the figure by the native Koreans. Jones intentionally describes the Gwanchoksa temple and Eunjin Mireuk as ruins by contrasting the glorious past that once flourished with pilgrims with the current devasted and barren condition of the place to dramatically convey the romanticizing atmosphere of the place while blatantly illustrating the fall of Buddhism in Korea due to the religion’s corruption. This approach clearly shows Jones’s purpose in displaying his in-depth knowledge of Korean history and culture, which was to indirectly self -promote the intelligence and capability he had to prove consistently due to his social status as a missionary with no higher education.