The Jiang-Liu statue completed in the year 35 of King Jinheung (574) is close related with the religion of the Ashokan statue. And it was a political auspicious image that had secured the legitimacy of Shilla Dynasty showing the presages of large nati...
The Jiang-Liu statue completed in the year 35 of King Jinheung (574) is close related with the religion of the Ashokan statue. And it was a political auspicious image that had secured the legitimacy of Shilla Dynasty showing the presages of large national events. This paper intende to identify the characteristic of Jang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa(皇龍寺) through comparative analysis of the political auspicious image of China in the 6thcentury. The Ashokan statue worship was mostly popular in the Southern Dynasties until 574 when the statue of Hwangnyongsa was completed. The Ashokan statue worship appeared in the Northern Dynasties after occupation of Chengdu(成都) and Jiangling (江陵) of Western Wei(西魏) in 553 and 554, respectively. And in the north of the Yangtze River(揚子江) the Ashokan statue worship was appeared at last in 570. Therefore, it is clear that the Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa was constructed under the religious influence of Ashokan statues of the Southern Dynasties. The most specific characteristic of Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa is that it is the monumental statue of the Buddha representing Shilla and was a political auspicious image that was close related with the national authority showing the presages of large national events. The tradition that the statue of the Buddha were idolized as the political auspicious image that was close related with the authority of the country or emperor was relative significant in Liang(梁) Dynasty. However, the tradition of political auspicious image seemed to be very weak in the Northern Dynasties and appeared in unified Sui(隋) Dynasty. Therefore, it is indicated that the Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa was constructed as a political auspicious image under the strong influence of the Southern Dynasties. The influence of the Southern Dynasties is also indicated in the appearance process that the Buddhist auspicious signs appeared through a sea. It could be identified that the Buddhist culture of the Southern Dynasties influenced in construction of Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa through the comparative analysis focused in above-stated three directions. Meanwhile, the characteristics of the Southern Dynasties were very significant in the Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa such originality was more emphasized in the historical tale of the Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa. When reviewing the related records, it is emphasized that the large statue, Jiang-Liu statue of Hwnagnyongsa, could not be completed by King Ashoka but was completed by King Jinheung. Also, Jiang-Liu was emphasized in the explanation that such statue was called the Jiang-Liu statue and that the place to put such statue was called Jiang-Liu shrine . Jiang-Liu was considered to be the real body of Sakyamuni and the whole Buddha in China in the 6thCentury. As the statue of the Buddha of Hwangnyongsa was called Sakyamuni Statue, Jiang-Liu statue was the very real body of Sakyamuni. Therefore, the completion of the Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa would be recognized to be the appearance of Sakyamuni in the land of Shilla and Shilla was naturally changed to the Pure Land. When it is considered that the statues made by King Ashoka, King Cakravartin of India, were transmitted to the Southern Dynasties, it is indicated that the adoration of political auspicious images in the Southern Dynasties in the 6thcentury had the structure to secure the legitimacy of a dynasty. In other words, the structure was that the legitimacy of a dynasty was secured depending upon a sage king of the old days. This was “the Returning to the Ancients(復古)” which had been used in China from a long time ago so that the legitimacy of dynasties might be secured. While, as it was emphasized that Jiang-Liu statue of Hwangnyongsa was completed in spite of the failure made by King Ashoka, the method to be depended upon a sage king of the old days and a type different from that of the Southern Dynasties is shown; the reason would be the situation that Shilla had no political ideology for “security of legitimacy with he Returning to the Ancients” at that time differently from the dynasties of China.