조선전기 정업원과 비구니주지

Abstract

This study looked at Jeongeobwon(淨業院), a temple located within the capital’s palace in the early period of Choseon Dynasty when the suppression of Buddhism was heightened while the faith in Confucianism was highly encouraged. Jeongeobwon, along with Naewondang(內願堂) or Naebuldang(內佛堂), which are places where Buddhists trained themselves based on the teachings of Buddha, were not only the center of Buddhism in the palace but also the cradle of Women’s Buddhism. Established right after the capital’s castle, palace, the shrines of the royal family and the altars to the gods of the earth and harvest were built after Hanyang(漢陽) was designated as the capital of the Korea’s last dynasty, Jeongeobwon went through a number of closures but existed until the middle times of Choseon Dynasty(朝鮮王朝). Just as most of the Buddhist monks living in Hanseong(漢城) came from the two upper classes of Joseon, so-called Yangban(兩班), most of the bhiksunis(比丘尼) in Jeongeobwon were from royal or distinguished family. The women of the royal family including the king’s wives usually entered the Buddhist priesthood and stayed in Jeongeobwon when the king passed away. Furthermore, a series of entrances into the Buddist priesthood by kings' wives continued after King Taejong(太宗)’s death caused his concubines' to seek the Buddhist priesthood and join the members of Jeoneobwon. Some of them led Jeongeobwon as a head priest and gained support and protection from the women of the royal family including queens who wanted to uphold the spirit of Buddhism. However, as Confucianism settled as a major principle of politics, Jeongebwon became the target of closure and the leaders of it including a head priest and bhiksunis faced suppression. Despite the policy to suppress Buddhism and promote Confucianism in early Choseon, Jeongeobwon maintained its standing as the palace’s temple until it faced closure in mid Choseon. Jeongeobwon, located in the palace of the nation’s heart led by women including bhiksunis and a head priest was a symbol of the Buddhism culture of the Choseon Dynasty at the time when the mountain was a stronghold of Buddhism and women experienced severe persecution.