통일신라시대 팔공산은 오악(五岳)의 하나인 중악(中岳)으로서 신라의 중심으로 인식되었고 신문왕은 팔공산이 있는 달구벌로 도읍을 옮기려고까지 하였다. 또한 여러 사찰들이 건립되어 시대를 달리하면서도 불교신앙이 면면이 이어져 내려오고 있다. 미륵신앙, 지장신앙, 약사신앙으로 대표되는 팔공산 불교신앙은 동화사, 지장사, 관봉 석조여래좌상을 통해 확인된다. 동화사는 심지(心地)가 속리산의 영심(永深)으로부터 진표(眞表)의 불골간자(佛骨簡子)를 전해 받아 동화사 참당에 모심으로써 진표의 점찰법회와 미륵신앙을 계승하는 법상종의 중심 사찰이 되었다. 지금 북지장사로 불리고 있는 지장사는 육도(六道)중생을 교화하고 삼악도(三惡道)에서 고통 받는 지옥 중생들을 구제하는 지장보살상이 조성되어 통일신라시대 이래 민중의 위안처가 되었다. 또한 9세기에 조성된 관봉석조여래좌상은 미륵불이라고도 불리지만 오랫동안 약사불로 신앙되어 왔다. 약사불의 도상적 특징인 왼손의 약합(藥盒)은 없지만 신라시대에 조성된 팔공산 신무동의 마애약사여래입상과 비로봉의 마애약사여래좌상을 통해 약사신앙이 팔공산에 폭넓게 행해지고 있었음을 짐작하게 한다. 뿐만 아니라 팔공산 미리사(美理寺)와 부인사(夫人寺)는 불교 교학을 갈마하는 사찰로서 전승되었다. 미리사는 화엄십찰의 하나가 되어 의상이 전해 온 화엄종의 대표 교학처가 되었고, 부인사(夫人寺)는 선덕여왕 대에 창건된 교종(敎宗) 사원이었을 것으로 추정된다.
During the Unified Silla period, the Palgongsan Mountain was believed as one of the five sacred mountains of Silla. Since it was also believed as the center of the Kingdom, King Sinmun even tried to transfer the capital to the Dalgubeol area in which the Mountain is located. Numbers of temples were established around the mountain and a specific Buddhist belief, so called the Palngongsan Buddhism, was formed and passed down through generations in the Palngongsan area. The Palgongsan Buddhism is represented by Maitreya Buddhism, Ksitigarbha Buddhism and Bhaisajyaguru Buddhism. The seated rock-carved Buddhist Statues in Donghwasa Temple, Jijangsa Temple and on the Gwanbong Peak of the mountain are good examples of the Palgongsan Buddhism. When Master Simji inherited Master Jinpyo’s Sutra Engraved Bones (佛骨簡子) from Master Yeoungsim and enshrined it in the Hall of Repentance (懺堂) in Donghwasa Temple, it became the representative monastery of the Dharma Characteristics school and the tradition of Master Jinpyo’s Buddhist mass of the Jeomchal Sutra (占察法會) and Maitreya Buddhism were upheld there. Ever since the statue of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, the savior of the suffering people in hell, was enshrined in Jijangsa Temple (Bukjijangsa Temple nowadays), it had been believed as a resting place for the Silla people. Even though the seated rock-carved Buddhist Statue on the Gwanbong peak is known as Maitreya Buddha, it has also been believed as Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. The statue doesn't have a medicine tray in its left hand, an iconographic feature of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, it is nevertheless possible to consider that the Bhaisajyaguru Buddhism has long been believed in the Palgongsan area when one regards the similar statues of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha in the area; the standing rock-carved statue of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha in Sinmu-dong and the seated rock-carved statue of Bhaisajyaguru Buddha on the Biro Peak. Mirisa and Buinsa Temples are also known as a place for cultivating the doctrinal Buddhism. Mirisa temple was one of the ten representative temples of the Avatamska school and the monks of the school studied Avatamska Buddhism, transplanted by Master Uisang, at the temple. It is believed that the Queen Seondeok found Buinsa Temple for the doctrinal Buddhist school during her reign.
