Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 17. (Budapest, 1998)

Ildikó NAGY: The „Blazing Light " Buddha and his Heavenly Entourage in a Korean Painting at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts

ILDIKÓ NAGY THE "BLAZING LIGHT" BUDDHA AND HIS HEAVENLY ENTOURAGE IN A KOREAN PAINTING AT THE FERENC HOPP MUSEM OF EASTERN ASIATIC ARTS In the 4 century A. D. Buddhism reached the Korean peninsula, which at the time was divided into three kingdoms.

1 According to the historical sources, in 372, in the second year of King Sosurim's reign, the Chinese monk Sundo (his original Chinese name was Shun-dao) introduced Buddhist teachings to the sovereign of the northern Koguryo kingdom. As a result of this, in 375, the Ibullansa and Ch'omulsa monasteries were built within the limits of the capital, Kuknaesong. By the 6th century Buddhism had spread the length and breadth of the Korean peninsula, and, through the mediation of the Koguryo and Paekche kingdoms, had even reached Japan. Since Buddhism reached the peninsula via China - in other words mainly by land -, it was the various schools of its mahayana trend that took root in Korea. Examples were the Kukrak Chongt'o, or Pure Land School; the Hwaom School (the school of Avatamsaka Sutra or Garland Sutra, Huayan in Chinese); and the Son-jong (Meditation) School (Chan-Buddhism) and its various versions. After the flourishing of Buddhist culture and the different schools in the period from the 7

th century to the 10

th century (a time which saw the emergence of the Unified Silla Dynasty), Son-jong absorbed the other schools and became general, a process that was complete by the 15th century. At the same time it could not remain free of other Chinese ideas, for example Confucianism, which regulated state life, and religious Daoism. A similarly important influence was exercised on it by ancient Korean beliefs and by the practice of shamanism, which persists to the present day. Melding together these miscellaneous influences. Buddhism has remained a living religion in Korea ever since its appearance in the peninsula in the 4

th century A. D. It has permeated and enriched Korean culture as a whole and in the course of the centuries has given rise to a rich art. Comparatively few works of early Korean Buddhist art have survived (the earliest sculptures date back to the 6

th century and some fragments of wall paintings to the 4

th century, although the earliest paintings known to us are from the 12

th and 13

th centuries)." Moreover, a significant percentage of later art works were also destroyed. In Korean Buddhist shrines the cultic objects - the Buddhas, the bodhisatrvas, the disciples and the protective deities

3 - are represented by statues which are generally placed on the altar. However, the symbolism is only complete in company with the painting hung behind the statue: the painting depicts the very same Buddha, deity, etc. and shows his heavenly entourage and/or legend in accordance with the sacred writings. These paintings (ritual hanging scrolls, Kor. t'aenghwa) constitute a characteristic type of Buddhist visual arts of Korea.