This study is an investigation to grasp the actual status and trend of main temples which were embossed in late Koryo period, focusing on temples of Yuan intervention period. Moreover, this study does not only find out the contents of the temple itsel...
This study is an investigation to grasp the actual status and trend of main temples which were embossed in late Koryo period, focusing on temples of Yuan intervention period. Moreover, this study does not only find out the contents of the temple itself but sets up the temples as the main subject and examines closely the unfolding process of Buddhist history at the time.
Major temples which become the subject of study can be divided into two large categories. One is the Koryo temples connected with the Yuan imperial house and the Yuan Daedo(大都) temples connected with Koryo people as temples which reflected circumstances of Yuan intervention period. It is possible that the Koryo temples connected with the Yuan imperial house are divided into the Koryo temples which became the memorial halls of the Yuan imperial house and the Koryo temples which were revived from Yuan imperial house's temple offering. And the other category is temples of several Buddhist sects which shows traditional distinction of Koryo Buddhism well.
The Koryo temples which became the memorial halls of the Yuan imperial house held Buddhist services of prayer for blessing, funeral and memorial services, example of these temples are Hyunsungsa(賢聖寺), Bojaesa(普濟寺), Shinhyosa(神孝寺), Heungcheonsa(興天寺), Myoryonsa(妙蓮寺), Mincheonsa(旻天寺) etc.. These temples appeared mostly in the reign of King Ch'ungryol(忠烈) and King Ch'ungson(忠宣). The main function and general operation of temples were focused on few personnel of Yuan imperial house. Even though direct evil practices of these temples which influenced society was seldom discovered, the point that they accelerated the loss of Koryo dynasty's prestige and that they formed social atmosphere to justify the control of Yuan dynasty have to be criticized. However, on the other hand, they have operated as an organization that gave relief to the poor and improved two countries' relationship to certain extent.
The Koryo temples which revived through Yuan imperial house's temple offering were Pyohunsa(表訓寺), Munsusa(文殊寺), Jangansa(長安寺), Gyeongcheonsa(敬天寺), Jijangsa(地藏寺) etc. and these temples grew receiving a lot of temple offering from the Yuan imperial house. Most of these temples appeared from the reign of King Ch'ungsuk(忠肅). And these temples, rich from Yuan imperial house's temple offering, and protected by political forces were spotted as a hotbed of Buddhist depravity which mass-produced various kinds of social vices at the time. On the other hand, these temples acted as a gateway in receiving the Tibet Buddhist style such as the tower, bell etc..
There were Yuan Daedo temples connected with Koryo people. They were founded, reconditioned, and operated by Koryo people that inhabited in Daedo, these temples appeared in the process of two countries' exchanges during Yuan intervention period. During Yuan intervention period, the Daedo temples which were affected by the two strong sects, Cheontaejong(天台宗) and Beopsangjong(法相宗) were the Bokwonsa(福元寺) led by Uga monk Haewon(海圓) and the Gwanggyosa(光敎寺) led by Chentae monk Uiseon(義旋). Also, Tibet Buddhist temple Yeonseongsa(延聖寺) which the Uga monk Uiseon led suggests the relationship with Koryo Cheontaejong and Tibet Buddhism. And the Yongcheonsa(龍泉寺) and Beopwangsa(法王寺) which were completed, and operated by Koryo eunuchs played a role of binding themselves and the Koryo people who lived there as well. Also there are Heungboksa(興福寺) and Beopwonsa(法源寺) which were founded with help from tribute of women from Koryo. The former became the religious place of peace to Koryo people there who lived a very poor life in the foreign country and the later, which the S?n monk Jigong(指空) spent his later years at, became the stronghold that Jigongson(指空禪) was handed down to the Son monks in Koryo.
In the period of Yuan intervention and late Koryo dynasty, as the influential Buddhist sects we could name Cheontaejong, Sonjong(禪宗), and Beopsangjong. Cheontaejong temple Myoryonsa was developed by King Ch'ungryol and Yuan princess Jaeguk(齊國), and Gukcheongsa(國淸寺), Manuisa(萬義寺), Geumjangsa(金藏寺), Yongamsa(龍巖寺), Yeongwonsa(瑩源寺) etc. were developed by Kuksa(國師) MuoeJungo(無畏丁午), and Uiseon. Specially, because Myoryonsa was the major memorial hall of the Yuan imperial house as well as the central temple of Cheontaejong, it played a key role in wearing Pro-Yuan inclination of Cheontaejong. And Manuisa became the central temple of Cheontaejong from King Kongmin(恭愍)'s reign.
Meanwhile, Beopsangjong temple Donghwasa(桐華寺) extended its influence, depending on the royal family and Puwon(附元) power in the reign of King Ch'ungryol and King Ch'ungsuk. However, Beopjusa(法住寺) became the head temple of Usikhak(唯識學) study by the Uga monk Misu(彌授), and Geumsansa(金山寺) was affected by Uusikhak study at king Chungsuk period.
A Central temple of Sonjong was Ingaksa(麟角寺), the Son monk Iryon(一然)'s Hasanso(下山所), during Yuan intervention period. Sonjong became powerful from late Koryo dynasty as Yuan intervention in Koryo ceased. First of all, Ingaksa became the central temple of Sonjong again during the reign of King Kongmin. And Hoeamsa(檜巖寺) and Yunbogsa(演福寺) became central temples of Sonjong since the reign of King U(禑), and spoke for powerful influence of Sonjong as representative of late Koryo Buddhism. However, Son temples could not gather new powers together to reform the whole Koryo Buddhism and create innovative ideas.
The periodical limitation of the Yuan intervention period in Koryo brought the appearance of Koryo temples which became memorial halls of the Yuan imperial house and were revived through Yuan imperial house's temple offering, also the revival of Cheontaejong that was based on Cheontae temples which were very much Pro-Yuan. It was the Yuan Daedo temples connected with Koryo people that merely showed active operations of Koryo Buddhism within a limited extent.