The Musimsa Seonwon on Heuksando Island was found to be a temple that existed from the mid-8th century to the Goryeo Dynasty through continuous excavation since 1999. In particular, it is fortunate that we can find a clue to understanding the nature o...
The Musimsa Seonwon on Heuksando Island was found to be a temple that existed from the mid-8th century to the Goryeo Dynasty through continuous excavation since 1999. In particular, it is fortunate that we can find a clue to understanding the nature of a temple in the flow of Buddhism in Silla and Goryeo due to its geopolitical location as Heuksando Island, even though it is invisible in the literature. However, there is still no choice but to conduct research at the level of presenting the possibility through circumstantial evidences on major issues such as the temple's foundation period and ideological tendencies. This paper, too, is an introductory text that estimates the status of Musimsa Seonwon in Buddhist history with insignificant materials due to the small number.
First of all, with reference to the results of extensive research on routes to China, this paper suggests the possibility that the sea route via Heuksando Island, that is, the inclined sea route of the Yellow Sea, may have been used by the priests in quest of the Buddha- Dharma who entered Gangnam, China during the Tang Dynasty for the quest of the Buddha-Dharma in Tianchuk (India) between the end of the 7th century and the beginning and middle of the 8th century. This is the assumption that the timing of use was raised compared to the existing Heuksando Island’s sea route, which was mainly highlighted in relation to Jang Bo-go's activities in the early 9th century. In addition, it was thought that the trend of early the Zen Buddhism, which was popular in the Gangnam area at the time, influenced the establishment of Musimsa Seonwon and the character of a Zen Buddhist temple. This is because the existence of a monk who served as the abbot of a Zen Buddhist temple as a monk in Silla was already discovered in China, and information about the Zen priest in quest of the Buddha-Dharma entered Silla, so it is possible to assume an influence relationship.
On the other hand, based on the literature data that recorded the circumstances of the transit through Heuksando Island and the aspects of the remains of ancestral rites found at Sangrasan Mountain on Heuksando Island, as maritime exchanges became active after the 9th century, maritime faith for safe navigation developed, and as a result, Heuksando Island might have been influenced by such faith. However, the nature of marine Buddhism that can be commonly thought of, that is, the relationship with Avalokitesvara faith, could not be found superficially in Musimsa Seonwon. However, as the characteristics of Zen Buddhism in the southwest coast showed the elements of Avalokitesvara belief, it was understood that Musimsa Seonwon also had a character that valued Avalokitesvara belief as a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be thought that Jang Bo-go had supported not only to Heuksando Island but also to Musimsa Seonwon in order to embrace Zen monks and temple gate from the southwest coast by using the faith and character of Musimsa Seonwon.