Vairocana

Daeungjeon, Hwaeomsa Temple
Jirisan National Park, Korea

The Buddhas enshrined in the Daeungjeon are Vairocana (center) flanked by Rocana (left) and Shakyamuni (right) - this arrangement, called the trikaya, represents the theoretical "three bodies" of Buddha (Shakyamuni = earthly, Rocana = heavenly, and Vairocana = transcendent) but is unusual in temples of the Hwaeom school. The paintings behind the altar were made in 1757 by Euigyeom, when the statues were removed in order to regild them.

Vairocana's mudra, of clasped hands, is an alternative to the clasped finger mudra that is also seen in Vairocana statues.