• Artwork

    Banya Yongseon-do – The Dragon Ship of Wisdom: 반야 용선도

    The Purpose of the Dragon Ship of Wisdom One of the more distinctive paintings that you’ll find at a Korean Buddhist temple is the Banya Yongseon-do, or “The Dragon Ship of Wisdom Mural” in English. In this painting, you’ll see a dragon-shaped boat with passengers on it and a pair of Bodhisattvas looking like they’re the captain of this symbolic ship. So what exactly is this painting meant to symbolize? How does it relate to Korean Buddhism? And who exactly are the two Bodhisattvas and passengers onboard this ship? The purpose of the Dragon Ship of Wisdom is to help ferry devotees of Buddhism across Samsara (the endless cycle of…