Iryŏn's Samguk yusa preserves several accounts of Buddhist monks of the ancient Korean state of Silla encountering supernatural beings in what may be termed vision-quests. Information of this kind has hitherto been understood by scholars as evidence of the persistence of ancient Korean shamanism. As context, this article problematizes the idea of shamanism and its relationship to Tantric Buddhism and provides evidence for the visionquest motif in Sino-Indian Buddhist literature. It focuses on examples of this motif in the Samguk yusa to suggest that connections between ancient Korea, China, and India are closer than previously believed. The motif does not demonstrate the rapprochement between indigenous shamanism and Buddhism so much as attest to an ancient approach to religious experience.
目次
the problem of "shamanic" themes in Indian and Chinese Buddhism 17 memorabilia of the three kingdoms: a critical introduction 22 the acquisition of knowledge in the Buddhist traditions of Silla 23 Chinja and the quest for Maitreya 25 Chajang 27 selections from "chajang sets the monastic rules" 27 selection from "the nine-story pagoda of hwangnyong monastery" 31 selection from "fifty thousand Dharma bodies on mount Odae" 33 MYÔNGNANG 35 Myôngnang and the Acquisition of Secret Methods for the Protection of the State 35 Selection from "Myôngnang and the divine seal school" 36 conclusion and significance of this study 37 notes 40
