‘제주한라산신제단법당’과 제주불교

Abstract

Gwaneumsa Temple in the modern periods held the relief activities for the residents in Jeju, with hanging the signboard of ‘The Sanctum of Hallasan Mountain God in Jeju’ at Sorimsa, one of Gwaneumsa’s branch. It was conducted as the religious ritual with showing the activist aspect of Jeju Buddhism. This article deals with the correlation between social activism of Jeju Buddhism and the active role of Jeju Buddhism in the ritual for the god of Hallasan Mountain. In 1908, after the abolition by Japanese imperialism in Jeju Island, the consciousness for the god of Mt. Halla was restored with the intention of relief activities for the residents of Jeju Island. Gwaneumsa enshrined the god of Hallasan Mountain to Sorimsa as its Samseonggak since 1933. Thereafter, Gwaneumsa purposely emphasized the function of Samseonggak that performed the ritual task for the god of Hallasan Mountain, with hanging the signboard of ’The Sanctum of Hallasan Mountain God in Jeju’, at Sorimsa. It implies that Jeju Buddhism in the modern periods had the activist attitude in regional issues of Jeju beyond its religious practices, Social activism of Jeju Buddhism reached the peak in 1918 when anti-Japanese movement of　Beopjeongsa took place. Association of Jeju Buddhism and Buddhist monks of Gwaneumsa cooperated with other social organizations in Jeju for famine relief in Jeju, and political assistance of Korean compatriots in Machuria. In consideration of social activism of Jeju Buddhism, hanging the signboard of ‘The Sanctum of Hallasan Mountain God in Jeju’ at Sorimsa implies the comprehensive and cooperative stance of Jeju Buddhism about regional issues in Jeju.