『삼국유사』를 통해 본 신라와 고려의 관음신앙

Abstract

『Samguk Yusa』contains Buddhism-related records of the Three-dynasties period and especially those of the Shilla dynasty period. Yet at the same time it also includes several records related to the Buddhism of Goryeo, and we can see that from the records involving the Goryeo dynasty's Avalokiteśvara belief(觀音信仰). Avalokiteśvara belief of the Shilla dynasty period recorded in『Samguk Yusa』can be characterized and categorized mainly by how it was realized, such as a pursuit of and belief in salvation in the contemporary plane of life, or voluntary character-building exercise and achievements, or a belief in the everlasting existence of the bodhi-sattva(眞身常住) which was based upon the Potaraka belief(洛山信仰). Then, the scope of the Avalokiteśvara belief widened, and became more developed, coming into the Goryeo dynasty period. The secular nature(pursuing things in this plane of life), seen in the Shilla dynasty period, remained, and aspects of State-Buddhism still strongly featured themselves as well(in order to overcome certain national crises), and the Water-moon Avalokiteśvara Painting(水月觀音圖) of the Goryeo dynasty period can be interpreted to be displaying the Avalokiteśvara Belief, considering its inherent qualities of healing. In the Shilla dynasty period, the Potaraka(Naksan)-based Avalokiteśvara belief was established as a belief in the everlasting existence of bodhi-sattva. Yet in the Goyreo dynasty period the belief did not remain contained in the realm of the Naksan-sa temple. It expanded to engulf the Geumgang-san mountain area, and the fact that a Naksan-sa temple and a Gwaneum cave(관음굴) were established in the vicinity of the Gaegyeong capital area shows us the widening and expansion of the Potaraka-based Avalokiteśvara belief. And we can also examine the characteristics of the Buddhist beliefs of the Goryeo dynasty period by looking at how the Potaraka-based Avalokiteśvara belief extended into the establishment of a Sarira belief(舍利信仰), with the royal family leading trend of belief. So, one might say that we can see how the Avalokiteśvara belief was expanded and became more complicated, during the time period of Shilla and Goryeo dynasties, through『Samguk Yusa』.