Buddhism in Ancient Korea

• Buddhism would have a profound influence on Korea in

  • art

  • literature

  • architecture — bells to pagodas, ceramics, sculpture, and printing techniques

• Korean Buddhism became more inclusive than in other cultures with significant attempts made by Buddhist scholars to reconcile the many diverging branches of the religion.

Introduction from China

• first monk to bring Buddhist teachings was Sundo, who was sent for that purpose by the ruler of Eastern Qin, Fu Jian.

  • hoped that stronger cultural ties with Goguryeo would lead to more practical cooperation in meeting the military threat by hostile Manchurian tribes.

Political Endorsement

• Korean states adopted Buddhism and other aspects of Chinese culture to ingratiate themselves with China.

• Three Kingdoms faced incursions from Manchurian tribes, and the latent threat of further Chinese expansion into the peninsula.

• Korea had its own indigenous culture and typically added its own stamp of indentity to those influences which came from abroad

  • ideas on religion, government, court rituals, language, tomb architecture, ceramic production, sculpture, coinage, and classical literature all came from China.

  • Korean monks would continue to travel to China in order to acquire new knowledge, texts, and discover new branches of the religion.

  • Monks that came from the aristocracy became an endorsement of the status quo and gave rulers a certain prestige of association.

    • many became advisors to monarchs over the centuries, giving governments extra authority in the eyes of the people.

  • Appeal of Buddhism for the poor was the message that the suffering of this life could be avoided in the next

    • positions of authority within it were largely reserved for well-educated scholars who had the times and means to pursue enlightment

• In Silla, aristocratic youths were trained in the Hwarang system, which emphasised martial prowess and heroism.

• Entrance examinations for monks based on sacred texts further limiting access by the under-privileged during the Goryeo dynasty.

• Buddhism existed with the other three main religions in Korea: Confucianism, Shamanism, and Taoism.

• Confucianism was largely observed within the government but the others remained popular within the lower classes

  • Buddhist paintings incorporating shamanistic elements and gods, and vice-versa were borrowed

• Wang Geon ( Taejo, r. 918 - 943 CE ) — credited for his success in defeating Goryeo’s enemies to his faith in Buddhism

• Buddhist temples and monasteries became wealthy that the whole religious apparatus rivalled that of the state itself.

  • Many monastaries had their own armed forces recruited from warrior-monks and the general populace

Rites, Rituals & Festivals

• Buddhist temples may had one, three, or five main halls and house statues of Buddha or Bodhisattvas

  • receive worship, prayers, and dedications from devotees

  • rites tend to be performed by the individual rather than groups of believers

  • Important festivals included Buddha’s birthday — worshippers visited tempels in latern-lit processions while chanting mantras and hung paper lanterns in their homes / streets

    • another major festival — Palgwanhoe ( Eight Vows Festival ), commemorates departed spirits and was linked to the harvest in farming communities

Developments in Korean Buddhism

• Korean Buddhism branched out from direct imitation via travelling monks or through it’s own adaption

  • Beomnang — brought back Seon ( Zen ) Buddhism in the first half of the 7th Century CE

• Monk Uicheon ( 1055 - 1101 CE ) — attempted but failed to bridge the gap between the two major branches of Buddhism

  • Son and Kyo sects which stressed the importance of meditation and scriptures

• Jinul ( 1158 - 1210 CE ) — unifying and inclusive form of Buddhism is known as Jogye Buddhism

  • became the official state religion of Korea with its centre at the Sonnqqwangsa temple near modern-day Suncheon

  • most popular form of Buddhism in modern-day Korea

• From 15th century CE, Buddhism would be replaced in importance by the rise of Neo-Confucianism — in terms of state endorsement.

Buddhist Art

• Buddhism in Goryeo Korea was responsible for the development of printing

  • was a way to spread Buddhist literature that woodblock printing improved and then movable metal type was invented in 1234 CE

  • Tripitaka — entire corpus of Buddhist texts, was printed in 1251 CE using over 80,000 woodblocks

    • partly in belief that this would help protect Korea from Khitan invasions

  • illuminated manuscripts was another Buddhist contribution

    • sayong were usually text from sutras attributed to Buddha and formed scrolls and folded books

    • written on indigo hanji paper using bright dyes and sometimes even silver and gold by monk-scribes

    • painted frescos and silk wall hangings to decorate temples with bodhisattvas and water-flowers being the most popular subjects

  • stone and glit-bronze sculptures were produced of Buddha, bodhisattvas, and future Buddha, Maitreya.

    • were popular and massive:

      • One in Paju is 57ft (17.4 metre)

      • Kwanchok temple sculpture is 59.3ft (18.4 metres)

    • carved out of natural boulders in the 11 century CE

  • production of bells and pottery used Buddhist motifs such as the lotus flower, cranes, and clouds

• Buddhism was an important subject in hyangga, poetical country songs, which were written in the SIlla and Goryeo kingdoms.

Buddhist Architecture

• The 7th century CE Miruk Temple at Iksan ( now lost ), was built by the Baekje king Mu and was the largest Buddhist temple in East Asia.

  • had two stong pagodas and one in wood

  • one pagoda is still standing with only six of its original 7-0 storeys

  • only other surviving Baekje pagoda is also of stone and located at the Chongnim temple at Buyo.

  • Stone pagodas are Korea’s unique contribution to Buddhist architecture

    • Japan — wood

    • China — brick

• The Dabotap and Seokgatap are two surviving stone Buddha temples in Gyeongju, the Silla capital — which both date to the 8th century CE, traditionally 751 CE

  • pair was originally part of the magnificent 8th century CE Bulguksa Temple (Temple of the Buddha Land) — which has been restored only a fraction of its original size.

  • designed to represent the Land of Buddha that is paradise

  • three principal zones — Birojeon ( Vairocana Buddha Hall ), Daeungjeon ( Hall of Great Enlightment and main temple ), and Geungnakjeon ( Hall of Supreme Bliss )

• Buddhist cave temple at Seokguram east of Gyeongju was constructed between 751 and 774 CE

  • contains a circular domed inner chamber within which is a massive 3.45-meter-high seat Buddha

    • walls are decorated with 41 large figure sculptures of disciples and bodhisattvas

• the 13 century CE Hall of Eternal Life (Muryangsujeon) at the Buseoksa temple in Yeongju is one of the oldest wooden structures surviving in the whole of Korea.