경주 남산 불곡마애좌상의 도상 연구 : 신라 성모신앙과의 관련성을 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to interpret the name and composition background in relation to Buddhism recognition in Silla, based on the fact that the indigenous faith in Silla influenced the composition of Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha. Notable features of Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha are the fact that it was first placed in niche of the worship statues in Three Kingdoms period, and the expression of a unique head part that seemed to haul the hair or hood to the shoulder, the hands that were hidden in the sleeve, and the foot depicted as wearing socks. These features are expressions that can not be found in ordinary Buddhist statues, and they are considered to be symbols of the Buddha statue associated with the indigenous faith in Silla. Silla was the country where the acceptance and recognition of Buddhism was the latest, and indigenous faith would have exerted enormous influence in Silla society. Therefore, in order for emerging religion called Buddhism to be rooted in the Silla society, it was necessary to presume a familiarity similar to the existing indigenous faith. So, it is presumed that the Buddhism and the indigenous faith were naturally combined by creating an indigenous statue borrowing Buddhist statue form, and Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha may have been Buddha statue based on the situation of the times. Through this, the statue expressed differently from the traditional Buddhist statue in Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha may have been related with the worship statue worshipped in the indigenous belief before the acceptance of Buddhism and expressed the indigenous god of Silla by borrowing Buddhist statue form. In Silla, mountain faith worshiping Youngsan, which was geographically or ideologically important, and Holy Mother faith, which believed that Holy Mother resided in this mountain and protected Silla, developed. In particular, Namsan, where Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha was located, was NamAk(South mountain) among WanggyeongOak (5 mountains of capital city) before unification. Namsan, before Buddhism recognition, was the birthplace of the founder, Park Hyeok-jae, and became a center of strengthening the kingship and after Buddhism recognition, became an subject of faith as Buddhist land embodied by the royal family of Shilla. It is after the 7th century that the temples were founded in Gyeongju Namsan where the greatest number of Buddhist monuments now remain. As mentioned earlier, Namsan was a very important place related to the royal family of Silla, and indigenous beliefs were deeply rooted, as there was a separate subject of worship, which was described as 'Namsan god' in later records. While Buddhist temples were built around the plains and rivers of Gyeongju in the middle of the 6th century, it is considered that the reason why the worship statue of combined form of Buddhism and indigenous faith was confirmed would also have related to the special meaning of Namsan. Gyeongju Namsan was a very important place related to the royal family of Silla, and the indigenous faith was rooted deeply as there was a separate subject of worship, which was described as 'Namsan god' in later records. It is presumed that this was the case that the royal family of Silla who publicly and actively used Buddhism implied that they maintained the conservative nature of Namsan for a certain amount of time. In other words, Bulgok rock-carved seated Buddha, as a concrete example of the process of Gyeongju Namsan becoming Buddhism, is thought that indigenous faith features of Namsan after Buddhism recognition would have remained its identity until relatively late times.