Bulguksa Temple Sakyamuni Pagoda

SOUTH KOREA, North Gyeongsang, Gyeongju

This pagoda is located on the west side of the Great Hero Hall. Together with the Prabhutaratna Pagoda on the east side, it derived its name from the Lotus Sutra. The sutra states that Prabhutaratna Buddha emerged from the pagoda to witness the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra as expounded by Sakyamuni Buddha. Another name for this pagoda is Shadowless Pagoda, in contrast to the Shadow Pagoda. The pagoda was built in 751 during the Unified Silla dynasty and was reconstructed in 1966. It was listed as National Treasure No. 21 in 1962, and as part of the Bulguksa Temple, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
The three-tier pagoda is built with granite blocks and is 8.2 m high. The base platform is marked out by lotus stones. The base of the pagoda is much higher and has corner pilasters and two intermediate pilasters on each side. The first layer of the pagoda body is much higher than the other two layers. On each layer there are pilasters in the corners. The gently sloping roofs turn up slightly at the corners. The corbeling underneath the roofs represents multiple eaves. Both the base and the body of the pagoda are plain. The spire consists of a harmika, an upright lotus, stacked rings with decorated edges, a canopy with upturned edges displaying a floral pattern, a water flame, and two jewels. This pagoda was a model for other pagodas built during the Unified Silla dynasty (668–935). Printing blocks of the Pure Light Dharani Sutra and some reliquaries were found during renovation of the pagoda in 1966.