傳統 寫經 作法 硏究 = A Study on the Traditional Method of Copying Buddhist Scriptures

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The practice of copying Buddhist scriptures in Korea has a history of about 1,700 years, resulting in the creation of valuable Buddhist manuscripts which contain a wealth of Korean ancestral wisdom and form a crucial part of Korea’s cultural heritage. As such, this practice should be preserved and transmitted to future generations. This study focuses on the method of copying Buddhist scriptures that has evolved in Korea and now constitutes a significant part of the Korean cultural heritage.
The Transcription of Avatamsaka Sutra, in Ink on White Paper (National Treasure No. 196), for instance, was begun on the first day of the eight month of 754, or the 13th year of King Gyeongdeok’s reign, under the commission of Dharma Master Yeongi, a monk of Hwangnyongsa Temple, and completed on the 14th day of the second month the following year. The remaining copied scripture contains texts from Volumes 1 to 10 and 44 to 50 out of the 80 Volumes of the Avatamsaka Sutra translated into Chinese by Siksananda (652-710). The texts of the scripture contain 34 characters per line and include the frontispiece and other illustrations related with the life and teachings of Shakyamuni. The scripture is also known to be the oldest extant Buddhist manuscript in Korea, and is highly regarded for, among other things, the postscript, which contains detailed information about the scripture copying process, including the division of labor and the rituals involved, thus revealing that each act of copying required both close cooperation between the participants and profound religious devotion. The main discussion of this study is based on the content of the postscript and on the traditional practice of copying as represented by a transcription in gold on indigo paper made during the Goryeo Period.
The conclusion of the study can be summarized as follows:
The copying of Buddhist scriptures was conducted largely for the purposes of doing good deeds, leading an ascetic life, and honoring Buddha with adornment. These purposes remain almost unchanged today, although there have been significant changes to the materials and techniques used in the work of copying scriptures. The significance of scripture copying also owes a great debt to the copiers’ aspirations to artistic perfection.
Acquiring a deeper understanding of Korea’s intangible cultural heritages, including scripture copying, preserved by dedicated master artisans will take the Korean people of today one step closer to their spiritual and artistic origins, guiding them to the fact that each work of copying a scripture can be complete only when all the participants are spiritually united and work together. In addition, their understanding of the tradition of scripture copying can be deepened through historical materials containing empirical evidence. Some of these ancient texts show that the Korean artisans of the past had a fairly advanced technique for handling reducible dyes at a time when the related scientific knowledge was not fully developed, and obtained from the Korean indigo plant a high-quality indigo pigment with which to dye the paper they copied scriptures on.
Korean people have been able to maintain the tradition of scripture copying despite the significant changes brought to it with the passage of time. Today, scripture copiers have much wider options regarding the use of writing materials and tools with some, for instance, favoring a pencil and others a brush. As contemporary Korean society continues to change ever more rapidly, the tradition of scripture copying may need to be reinterpreted from more diverse viewpoints. However, one thing is certain: the use of natural materials that can maintain their original splendor even after a millennium should be among the top options.
This study includes a rather elaborate discussion about the tangible and intangible value of the tradition of copying Buddhist scriptures maintained by Korea since ancient times, although it may not be able to propose a single clear-cut criterion by which the tradition can be fully judged. However, the effort to make the discussion substantial and faithful to written sources and specific examples may be regarded as a meaningful achievement of this study regarding the heritage of scripture copying.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 머리말 1
• Ⅱ. 寫經의 意味와 時代別 特徵 4
• 1. 사경의 의미 4
• 2. 사경의 시대별 특징 6
• Ⅲ. 寫經의 製本 形態와 構成 20
• 1. 사경의 제본 형태 20
• 2. 사경의 구성 22
• Ⅳ. 傳統 寫經 道具 및 材料와 作法 47
• 1. 전통 사경 도구 47
• 2. 전통 사경 재료 50
• 3. 전통 사경 작법 과정 61
• Ⅴ. 맺음말 101
• 참고문헌 106
• Abstract 112