원효의 오도처와 화성 당항성

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between the place of Wonhyo’s (617-686) enlightenment and Hwasung city’s Danghang fortress in western Korea by evaluating the historical record to explore the route that Wonhyo would have taken when traveling to China in this era. It normally took three to four months for an envoy from Gyeongju, Silla, in the southern part of Korea, to make the round trip to and from Tang, China, with seasonal factors being the main consideration in determining land or sea routes. Thus Wonhyo and his companion Uisang’s route choice would have been similar to that of the envoys. Wonhyo and Uisang attempted two scholarly trips to China. On the first attempt, they went through Goguryeo in the northern part of Korea; therefore, it is supposed that they would have taken the Juk ridge route. But on their second attempt, during which trip Wunhyo attained his enlightenment, it is believed that they would have taken the Gyerip ridge route, which connects Dang-un port in Hwasung with Gyeongju in the South. The Gyerip ridge route is primarily over land, passing through Juksan, Chungju, Yunpoong, Moongyung, Hamchang, Sangju, and Sunsan, but may utilize a waterway to travel from Yeoju to Dang-un port in order to shorten the land route through Juksan. It is not certain whether Wonhyo and Uisang traveled entirely over land or partook of the waterway shortcut. However, considering that the waterway would have been much less tiring than the land route and that Dang-un port was within the jurisdiction of Hwasung, with Danghang fortress at the center of the city, it seems that Wonhyo probably would have utilized the waterway in his journey. The location of the tomb where Wonhyo and Uisang took shelter and Wonhyo attained his enlightenment is commonly considered to be near either modern-day Shinhung temple in Hwasung city or Sudo temple in Pyungtaek city. This paper suggests that it might be more reasonable to place Wonhyo’s enlightenment in a tomb near Danghang fortress. This argument takes into account that Dang-un port was the starting point of the sea route to China and that in Wonhyo’s time, Dang-un port was under the jurisdiction of Danghang fortress, which is located in current-day Hwasung city. Furthermore, in the epitaph Seon master Wolrang in Moon Light Mountain written by Young Kim, it is said that Daetong sat in meditation for three months on Jik mountain, and some suggest that this place might be related with the place of Wonhyo’s enlightenment. However, a person could not sit in meditation for as long as three months in a place that is or used to be a tomb. Therefore, both Daetong and Wonhyo may have sat in the same place in meditation, but that cannot be the tomb where Wonhyo attained enlightenment. Lastly, if the place Wonhyo attained enlightenment was a tomb, that place could not have subsequently become a temple. Thus considering that the historical record indicates that seasonal factors determined envoy travel routes; that Wonhyo would thus have planned to leave from Dang-un port for his trip to China; that the place on Jik mountain where Daetong sat in meditation could not have been a tomb; and that a temple cannot be built on a tomb, it follows that the tomb where Wonhyo attained enlightenment would be near Danghang fortress.