淨土經典의 往生思想과 鄕歌에 나타난 彌陀信仰 연구

Abstract

[Sam-guk-yu-sa (三國遺事, Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms)] is the treasure-trove of the archives where the source of Korea’s Pure Land Faith can be traced. We need to understand and accept the Pure Land Faith as the main veins of Korea’s traditional Buddhism. The folktales and hyangga (鄕歌, old Korean folk song) contained in the [Sam-guk-yu-sa] is characteristic in a way that the type of the public’s Buddhist faith was undulating and brings fortune. Most notably, [Je-mang-mae-ga], one of hyangga included in the [Sam-guk-yu-sa], is the song of Wolmyeong Temple wishing for the Amitabha Pure Land to go to Nirvana, clearly displaying Koreans’ perspectives on the Pure Land Faith. This hyangga shows that the woman will be going to Nirvana, which shows the human equality idea that Amita Buddha refuses to discriminate gender or class, which consists of the cornerstone of Buddha’s ideolology. Likewise, this hyangga explicitly expresses Koreans’ perspectives on the life after death. This implies that, in consideration of the period, the aristocratic Buddhism is gradually transferring to the public Buddhism shared by the bottom rungs in Shilla society. In addition, the deceased revives by the living. This demonstrates the 'meritorious supplication for a deceased one,’ proving Amitabha Faith is realized by other power. [Won-wang-saeng-ga] written by Buddhist Monk Gwangdeok is the most representative in expressing the 'rebirth in the Pure Land’ on an explicit way, which is a literary prayer of wishes full of deep religious faith towards 'Buddha of Unhindered Light’ and an attitude looking for something truthful. This hyangga is where the essence of the Pure Land Buddha chanting which explicitly displays the faith, wishes, and action – the fundamental mindset of those practicing the Pure Land Buddha chanting.