PLATE FACING PAGE [I Kim Ku Ha. President of Buddhist Committee for 1917] Frontispiece [II General view: Pomo-sa] 2 [III General view: Yuchom-sa, Diamond Mountains] 4 [IV Sari monuments: Yuchom-sa] 6 [V Main Temple: Kumsan-sa] 10 [VI Sari monument pyramid, Kumsan-sa. (A relic of Buddha is supposed to be enshrined here)] 16 [VII Geomantic Mast: Chung-ju] 18 [VIII The Buddha: cave temple, Sukkul-am] 22 [IX Bodhisattva figure, Sukkul-am] 24 [X Great Miriok: Eunjin. General view] 26 [XI Group at Fukoan, branch of Sinkei-sa; Diamond Mountains] 28 [XII Hain-sa: Building for the Wood-blocks] 34 [XIII Hain-sa: Building for the Wood-blocks, interior] 38 [XIV Great Buddha relief on rock face: Inner Kongo] 44 [XV Sari monument to Muhak: Hoiam-sa] 48 [XVI Head-priest and Pagoda: Sinkei-sa, Diamond Mountains] 50 [XVII Main Temple: Yuchom-sa, Diamond Mountains] 52 [XVIII Carved Door, Yuchom-sa] 54 [XIX Brahmanic Guardian of Buddhism: Songkwang-sa] 56 [XX, A, B. Two Deva Kings, Guardians of World Quarters: Sukwang-sa] 58 [XXI Gigantic Deva King. Guardian of World Quarter: Pawpchu-sa. The Korean standing by is a married man of normal stature] 60 [XXII Wall painting: The White Tortoise Scene of the Sei-yeu-ki: Pongeum-sa] 66 [XXIII Wall paintings on plaster: Sukwang-sa] 68 [XXIV Great figures of Buddhist Trinity, seated: Pawpchu-sa. Sakya, Monju, Fugen] 70 [XXV Great figures of Buddhist Trinity, standing: Kumsan-sa. Amida, Kwannon, Daiseishi. (Thirty feet or so in height)] 72 [XXVI Figures—a Trio of Trinities: Sukwang-sa. (The figures are said to be Kwannon, Amida, Daiseishi, Monju, Vairoshana, Fugen, Jihi, Sakyamuni Teikakara)] 74 [XXVII Figure and painting of Kwannon: Pomo-sa] 76 [XXVIII Hall of the Ten Kings of Hell: Yongju-sa. (Notice combination of figures and painting; the god of hell with two helpers, five kings with small servants, two other officers, and one of the two Brahmanic guardians)] 78 [XXIX Hall of Five Hundred Rakan: Sukwang-sa] 80 [XXX Extraordinary combinations of Rakan figures: Hall of Five Hundred Rakan: Songkwang-sa] 82 [XXXI Painting of the Seven Stars: Sukwang-sa] 84 [XXXII Group painting: Sukwang-sa] 86 [XXXIII One of the Eight Scenes in the Life of Buddha: Sakya gains Enlightenment: Pomo-sa] 88 [XXXIV The God of the Mountain: Fuko-an, branch of Sinkei-sa, Diamond Mountains] 90 [XXXV Portrait of one of the chiefs of the Sixteen Kakan: Chikchi-sa] 92 [XXXVI Great painting: Pawpchu-sa] 94 [XXXVII Great painting displayed at Buddha’s Birthday Ceremony: Tongdo-sa] 94
KOREAN BUDDHISM
KOREAN BUDDHISM: HISTORY
Since 1911 it has been my privilege to make four journeys into Korea, so long known as “The Hermit Kingdom.” To-day Korea has ceased to be an independent nation; she has been completely absorbed by Japan and forms part of the Japanese Empire. I found much of interest in the country. I studied the people and their daily life; I visited many of the famous points of interest and beauty; I have studied somewhat into Korean history. Nothing, however, has more interested me than the study of Korean religions, particularly Buddhism. When asked to give some public lectures this summer, I consented gladly to speak for three evenings on the subject of Korean Buddhism. My three lectures will deal with History—Condition—Art.
The history of Korea falls into three sharply marked periods. The first is known as the era of the Three Kingdoms—it ended with the year 918, a year easy to remember because exactly one thousand years ago. The second is the period of the Koryu Dynasty; it began with the year 918 and ended in 1392, a date easy for us to remember because precisely a century before the discovery of America by Columbus. The third period, known as the period of the Yi Dynasty, began with 1392 and continued until 1910, when the independent history of Korea ended with its absorption by Japan.
The history of Buddhism in Korea is divided into the same three periods, as the things which caused breaks in the national history were related to the religion. We shall then speak of the Buddhism of the Three Kingdoms, of the Koryu Dynasty and of the Yi Dynasty.
PLATE II
General view: Pomo-sa [Page 31]
The early period is called the era of the Three Kingdoms because at that time the peninsula was occupied by three different nations. The largest, in the north, was called Koguryu. Japanese pronounce the name as Koma. It occupied more than half of the peninsula. Its capital city was P’yeng-Yang, still a city of importance. The second kingdom was smaller; in the southwest of the peninsula, it was known by the name of Pakche, which is pronounced by the Japanese Kudara. The third kingdom occupied the southeastern section of the peninsula. It was larger than Pakche, but smaller than Koguryu, and was called Silla, Japanese, Shiragi. Such then, were the three kingdoms which existed through a period of hundreds of years.
Unfortunately all names in Korea have several pronunciations. They are usually spelled with Chinese characters. If a Chinese pronounces the name, he will pronounce it in a certain way, dependent upon what part of China he comes from; a Korean will pronounce the same characters quite differently; a Japanese has still a different pronunciation. It is for this reason that the Korean and Japanese names of these kingdoms differ; the same characters are pronounced Koguryu by the Koreans and Koma by the Japanese; Pakche on the Korean tongue becomes Kudara with the Japanese; and where the Korean says Silla, the Japanese says Shiragi.