The National Museum of Korea is hosting  The Great Assembly at Vulture Peak: The Gwaebul at Yeongsusa Temple in Jincheon as the nineteenth installation in its gwaebul exhibition series. Gwaebul refers to large-scale Buddhist paintings hung outdoors in temple yards during grand rituals or on special occasions like Buddha’s Birthday. They are a type of heritage that cannot be seen only on rare occasions.

The Gwaebul at Yeongsusa Temple in Jincheon (national treasure) was produced in 1653 (the fourth year of the reign of King Hyeonjong). It depicts a gathering to attend a sermon held long ago by Shakyamuni Buddha on Vulture Peak in Rajgir, India. In the center of the large painting are Shakyamuni Buddha and Sariputta, who is sitting tidily in front of him while listening to the Buddha’s story of enlightenment. Several disciples, arhats, Bodhisattvas, and celestial beings surround them as they hear the Buddha’s teachings.

Any site where a gwaebul portraying the gathering at Vulture Peak may be hung becomes the sacred Vulture Peak on which the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha unfold. We cordially invite you to join the gathering on Vulture Peak being held at the National Museum of Korea in 2024.