Forgotten Traces of the Buddhist Incantation Spell Practice from Early Korea
Amulet Sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment (Mahāpratisarā) from Silla
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3360589 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joung Ho Han (Dongguk University, corresponding author), Y M Kim (0000-0003-1146-2115, Ewha Womans University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 340 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel14030340 |
| OpenAlex | W4323314274 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
Through an investigation of two recently discovered paper sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment from the Silla kingdom, this paper reveals that early Korea had more diverse forms of dhāraṇī practices than previously assumed. Through analyses of these incantation sheets, this paper contributes toward filling the gap in our current understanding of the material practice pertaining to the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment of medieval East Asia. Previously, all known traces of material dhāraṇīs from early Korea, with just a few exceptions, were related to the Sūtra of the Pure Light Incantation enshrined in the relic crypts of pagodas-a practice that has little connection to contemporaneous Chinese dhāraṇī practice. However, the newly discovered Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment sheets, whose date this paper infers to be between the eighth and ninth century, show that Unified Silla had a dhāraṇī practice closely linked to coeval Chinese practice. The Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment sheets from Silla show the modification and continuation of Chinese dhāraṇī practice. Unlike the Chinese amulet sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment that were buried in tombs, the Silla amulet sheets were likely enshrined in one of the pagodas erected on Mount Nam in Silla's capital. At the same time, they were placed in the pagoda to wish for good afterlives of the soldiers who died at the battle, suggesting that they had a mortuary function similar to those buried in Chinese tombs
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Buddhism · Incantation · Literature · Spell · Theology · Wish · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Japanese History and Culture · Philosophy
| Highly cited | No |
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