본문 바로가기
  • Home

Beoppil’s of Zen Ideology and Thoughts of Samanta-bhadra’s Practice and Vows during the Reign of King Gyeongmun in Silla - With a focus on the Baeseokgak(背石刻) of Vairocana Buddha at Jangan Temple -

  • The Review of Korean History
  • 2017, (126), pp.119-148
  • Publisher : The Historical Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

Seung-Hoon Kwaak 1

1충남대학교 인문과학연구소

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Jangan Temple(長安寺) built and enshrined a Vairocana Buddha under the leadership of Priest Gakhyeon(覺賢) during the reign of King Gyeongmun(景文王) in Silla. Its goals were to inherit the unfinished works of predecessor Josas(祖師) and keep the heritage of Hyemyeong(慧命) at the end of Sangbeop(像法). ’ Its prayer was written by Priest Beoppi(法弼), who proposed the wisdom of entering Nirvana through the contemplation of Beopshin(法身) and Banya(般若) by citing Joron(『肇論』). His citation was the topic of controversy between the Buddhist priests of the old sects including Avatamsaka Schools and the zen priests of newly emerging Namjongseon(南宗禪) in the Buddhist community of China. Following the stage of entering Nirvana, he then put an emphasis on the merit and virtue of holding a memorial service for people. It was based on Bohyeonhaengwonpum (普賢行願品) of Avatamska Sutra, showing that he had the Thoughts of Samanta-bhadra’s Practice and Vows that highlighted practice. Given his tendencies, he was understood as a zen priest that converted from Avatamsaka Schools to Zen Schools. Like in China, the zen ideology was subjected to criticism and exclusion by the old orders including Avatamsaka Schools in Silla, where the zen priests engaged in doctrine debates with the Buddhist priests of Avatamsaka Schools and spread the zen ideology based on the sponsorship of Powerful Local Gentry, thus making the zen ideology a general trend. The central noblemen, who were devoted to the struggle for the throne, felt increasingly threatened by the priests of Zen Schools and decided to conciliate them. When the kings asked to the zen priests about differences between Seonjong(禪宗) and Gyojong(敎宗) and heard their answer that there were no differences between them. There was an atmosphere of desperate demand for Hwajeang(和諍) between the two sects during the Late period of Silla. In that atmosphere, Beoppil cited the phrases that were the center of controversy in the Buddhist community of China in his prayer, thus criticizing that the exhausting doctrine controversy between the two sects was wrong and making the involved individuals see it. Moreover, he raised a need to implement the Daeseungbosaldo(大乘菩薩道) of saving the people, which is the fundamental spirit of Buddhism, as a Buddhist priest by proposing the ideas of entering Nirvana and holding a memorial service. Furthermore, it is of huge significance as his attempt at combining the zen ideology with the Avatamsaka ideology and achieving Hwajeang(和諍).

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.