불교적 염원의 시각화 - 통일신라 불탑의 상징성과 신장 이미지 - = Visualizing the Sacred: Unveiling the Symbolism of Unified Silla’s Buddhist Pagodas, Guardian Deities Imagery, and Their Alignment with Buddhist Ideals

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper examines the relationship between the symbolism of Buddhist Pagodas the imagery of Buddhist Guardian Deities and the orientation of Buddhism during the Unified Silla period. It analyzes how the ideology of the Unified Silla Buddhist society shapes the spatial perception of Pagodas and the arrangement of Guardian Deities imagery. The focus is primarily on the Pagodas erected around Gyeongju, with particular attention to the consistency in placement, such as the presence of Vajrapani and the Four Heavenly Kings on the surface of the first story of the Pagoda and the positioning of the Eight Great Devas on the surface of the upper part of the pedestal. The aim is to illuminate the context in which the imagery of the deities emerges on Pagodas within the contemporary Buddhist spatial perception.
This paper interprets Pagodas during the Unified Silla period as a reflection of the layout of temples centered around a Geumdang (“golden hall”). It speculates that the arrangement of the Deities imagery is consistent based on this perception. Fundamentally, Silla's perception of Buddha’s relics extends to the aspirations for the living presence of Buddha and Buddha Land shared within Silla's Buddhist society at the time. The arrangement of deities imagery on Pagodas visually manifests this sentiment. Therefore, the aspiration for Buddha's living presence and the role of the imagery in affirming these aspirations were common trends in Unified Silla Buddhism. Additionally, the paper proposes that the aspiration for Buddha's living presence and the perception of the role of the Guardian Deities images, which guarantee it, represent a general tendency in the religious practices of Unified Silla Buddhism.
The paper takes an essential approach by moving beyond the perspective of hoguk bulgyo (“nation protecting Buddhism”) in elucidating the function of Guardian Deities images on the surface of Buddhist pagodas. Thus it captures the characteristic aspect of Unified Silla Buddhism’s orientation towards the Pure Land, or Buddhist paradise. The paper is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the unique characteristics of ancient Korean Buddhism and the understanding of Buddhism through artworks as well.