지공의 고려에서의 위상과 나옹의 지공 계승 - 지공의 사리와 보스톤미술관 사리구 문제까지 -

Abstract

The Boston Fine Art Museum in the United States exhibits a 22.2 cm tall ‘silver-plated Rama tower-shaped sarira case’ purchased from Yamanaka Trading Company of Japan in 1939. This sarira case enshrines 5 small octagonal reliquaries, which are called the ‘3 Tathagatas(如來) and 2 Patriarchs(祖師).’ Since the sarira is not an artifact, it was returned to Korea on April 16, 2024 at the request of the Jogyejong Order. This has increased the interests in the status of Jigong and Naong in Korean Buddhist history. This study focuses on 2 backgrounds and 2 Buddhist reasons why Jigong, an Indian monk, was able to leave a strong impression on Goryeo Buddhism. The 2 background factors are: first, during the Yuan intervention, the status of Goryeo people was higher than that of the Chinese Han people, so Sinocentrism did not work; Second, Jigong came to Goryeo as the incense priest of the 6th emperor Jinzong(晉宗) of the Yuan Dynasty. The 2 Buddhist factors are: according to Jigong’s claims, his lineage was the blood relative of Buddha on his father’s side and the blood relative of Dharma on his mother’s side. In addition, Jigong used the Mahayana Buddhist śīla-vinaya of non-birth precept(無生戒) as his main teaching method, which was a method that he could teach many people at once regardless of their status or positions. As a result, Jigong came to have a huge influence on Goryeo Buddhism. As a Jigong's disciple, Naong emerged along with the downfall of Shin Don. In this respect, Jigong's influence must have been strong in King Gongmin's appointment of Naong as the royal preceptor. The relic that shows this relationship between Jigong and Naong is the sarira reliquary in the Boston Fine Art Museum.