Like the Shilla Era, stone stupa was the major thing in the Koryo Dynasty that the contemporary people worshipped, and that played the pivotal role in the contemporary Buddhist art. Buddhism's religious power reached the climax in that period, and man...
Like the Shilla Era, stone stupa was the major thing in the Koryo Dynasty that the contemporary people worshipped, and that played the pivotal role in the contemporary Buddhist art. Buddhism's religious power reached the climax in that period, and many Buddhist buildings were constructed by not only the government but individual persons. Unlike the Shilla Age, stone towers spread across the nation, as Buddhism was popularized and influential local persons were interested in them, and besides the past stereotyped style of construction, diverse, unique styles were created. The typical stone stupa style in the Shilla Age was transmitted on one hand, and all sorts of different stone stupas were built with unique local colors on the other. The Five-Story Stone Stupa in Magoksa(麻谷寺) and the Multistory Stone Stupa in Gyeongcheonsa(敬天寺) are the typical stone stupas in the latter period of the Goryeo Dynasty that represented such a phenomenon and were affected by the Lamagyo(喇마敎) of the Weon State in China.
The purpose of this study was to discuss the religious foundation of the Five-Story Stone Stupa in Magoksa and the Multistory Stone Stupa in Gyeongcheonsa on the basis of earlier studies and the Sutra of Esoteric Buddhism, including Daeilgyeong(大日經) and Geumsangjeonggyong(金剛頂經).
The esoteric components soaked into the rituals of not only esoteric denominations but the Chogye Order, the leading Zen sect that followed Mahayana Buddhism. And Buddhist architecture as well as rituals were under the influence of Esoteric Buddhism. The Five-tory Stone Stupa in Magoksa, which is believed to be built in the latter period of the Koryo Age, seemed to be based on the Sabangbul(四方佛) thought of Esoteric Buddhism, since Sabanggul is engraved in the second story. The body 즈烈d base of that stup乳 詠re of thc typical, unique square multistory style of Koryo, but Pungmadong(風磨銅) in Sangryunbu(相輪部) is completely out of the traditional style and looks like a downsized form of Lama stupa, and this type of Sangryunbu is unprecedented, exceptional case in our country. When we consider the contemporary circumstances, it can be guessed that it's influenced by Lamagyo that the royal household of the Weon State in China believed in. The base and body followed the dominant style of the latter period of the Koryo Age, and these parts seemed to be affected by both Korean stone stupa style and the thought of the Oryuntap(五輪塔) sect of Lamagyo, an esoteric Buddhism of the Weon State. From the external form of Sangryunbu, we can infer that it's influenced by the Oryuntop sect of Lamagyo that was based on the White Stupa in Myowungsa(妙應寺) in Peking, China.
The Multistory Stone Stupa is known to be constructed in 1349, the fourth year of King Chungmok's reign in the latter period of the Koryo Dynasty. That is one of just a few stone stupas of different style that represent the latter period of that age and employed the techniques of Lamagyo with which the dynasty formed a relationship due to the political and religious influence of the Weon State in the mid-14th century. The Jeondanseosanghoi(전檀瑞像會) of the body of the third story definitely showed that the stupa was affected by Lamagyo of Mongolia, and even Weongaksaji Multistory Stone Stupa built in the early years of the Joseon Dynasty was under the influence of this style. Therefore, it can be said that this style was dominant and prevalent for a while.
Specifically, the Sangryunbu of the two towers seems to have its origin in the thought of the Oryuntap sect of Esoteric Buddhism, and another example to be affected by it is Geumdong Lamatophyeong Sarigi(金銅喇마塔形舍利器) that was constructed in the similar period. These towers explicitly reveal the esoteric thoughts, and seem to be under the influence of Lamagyo, Esoteric Buddhism that the Weon State believed in. As their styles are so peculiar and unique, they could be called the culmination of the unique and eloquent Buddhist sculpture in our country.