[Hallyupedia] Pensive Bodhisattva

BY Jeongbin Park

[ENG] Pensive bodhisattva statue

▲ This photo, provided by National Museum of Korea, shows Pensive bodhisattva statue.(Yonhap)

Pensive Bodhisattva is a statue of a Bodhisattva pondering on a chair with one leg half-crossed over the other. According to "The Academy of Korean Studies's Encyclopedia of Korean Culture," the pensive bodhisattva originated from prince-turned-ascetic Buddha's comtemplation upon the impermanence and sufferings of human life.

Pensive bodhisattva statues was primarily produced during the late Three Kingdoms period in the 6th to 7th century. It seems to be closely related to the ancient beliefs of Maitreya Buddhism, experts say, in which people sought to overcome agonies of present lives. Many of these statues excavated in local sites related to Maitreya Buddhism, presumably reflects the social and cultural context of the time when Maitreya Buddhism thrived in Korean Peninsula.

◇ Moment of peaceful contemplation in peace
State-run National Museum of Korea in Seoul has run a permanent exhibition space called "A Room of Quiet Contemplation" since 2021. The exhibition brings two national treasure pensive bodhisattva to spotlight.

▲ This photo shows The Room of Quiet Contemplation features two pensive bodhisattva statues in National Museum of Korea.(Yonhap)

The two gilt-bronze artifacts, deeply immersed in contemplation, are placed under gentle lighting. On the left side of the exhibition room is the bodhisattva created in the late 6th century. It is characterized by well-defined visage and elaborately decorated ornaments. The bodhisattva on the opposite side, created in the early 7th century, shows softer facial expression and simplicity. Its ornaments are mostly limited to the two round necklaces drooping over the bare upper body. Yet the statue exude grace and delicate state of mind, hidden in its facial expression and wrinkles of the tunic.

These two pensive bodhisattva statues have recently became viral among the younger generation, trapped in hectic lives. Such bodhisattva fad even generated a newly-coined slang called "Ban-ga-sa-yu-sang-meong (going bodhisattva-stoned)," meaning looking at the bodhisattva and instantly falling into a peaceful, empty state of mind.

Thanks to peaceful charm of the two pensive bodhisattva statues, A Room of Quiet Contemplation of the National Museum of Korea attracted a total of 660,000 visitors in its first year of opening. This marked record attendance for all exhibitions held at the National Museum of Korea.

◇ Pensive bodhisattva statues in Hallyu

▲ This photo, provided by Cultural Foundation of National Museum of Korea shows five miniatures of the pensive bodhisattva statues.
In October 2020, the National Museum of Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation released a miniature series of the actual pensive bodhisattva statue, approximately one-eighth of the actual size. The miniatures became a trend among the MZ generation, accumulating 11,000 units in sales in just two years of release.

▲ This photo, captured from BTS’s offical Twitter shows two miniatures of the pensive bodhisatta statues in RM’s work studio.

RM, the leader of K-pop super group BTS, spread the craze for “pensive bodhisattva statue” around the world. He posted a picture of his workspace on BTS' official Twitter account, with two miniatures of pensive bodhisattva statues placed side by side. Since then, these miniatures came to global limelight.

RM also visited the A Room of Quiet Contemplation at the National Museum of Korea in 2022, and shared photos of the two pensive bodhisattva statues on his Instagram.

▲ This photo, captured from the first episode of Jinny’s Kitchen, shows miniatures of the pensive bodhisattva statues in various color.

Many other entertainment shows featured the bodhisattva miniatures as well, including tvN's reality show "Jinny’s Kitchen." The show cast popular Korean celebrities, such as Lee Seo-jin, Park Seo-joon, Choi Ui-sik, Jung Yoo-mi, and V of BTS, whose mission is to run a Korean restaurant in Mexico. They use colorful miniatures of pensive bodhisattva statues to differentiate tables instead of traditional table number tags.

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