17세기 浮休系 僧徒의 碑 건립과 門派 정체성의 형성 = Buhyu-sect Monks’ Construction of Memorials and the Religious Identity in the 17th Century

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study focuses on the fact that building a memorial in mid to late Chosun was one of the influential ways to declare legitimacy. Here, this author will analyze the activity of building memorials by Buhyu-sect disciples growing as one of the mainstream factions of Buddhism in the 17th century to examine the process of forming identity as a religious sect.
In the early 17th century, unlike Cheongheo-sect disciples, Buhyu-sect disciples did not build any memorials for high priests, and their religious sect was hardly divided. Yet, in 1636, Buhyu Seonsu’s disciple, Byeokam Gakseong, took the initiative in building the memorial of foundation for Jeonju Songgwangsa Temple. Building this memorial of foundation was the first case of building a memorial for a Buddhist temple in late Chosun and also the first case of building a memorial by a Buhyu-sect disciple. With this memorial of foundation, Gakseong declared that he was a successor of the religious tradition following Imjejong, Taego Bowoo, and Buhyu Seonsu for the first time. With this, we can see that a Buhyu-sect disciple adopted Imje Taego’s religious tradition as the legitimacy of the religious sect.
In the 1660’s, Buhyu-sect disciples founded several memorials for high priests. With the memorials and manners, we can assume that in the 1660’s, too, Buhyu-sect disciples declared Imje Taego’s religious tradition while not expressing their awareness of identity to deal with the Cheongheo sect. However, as Gakseong’s disciples, Yulgye or Cheoneung, stated that they were the disciple transmitting the religious tradition of Seonsu and Gakseong, the disciples started to show the aspects of competing with the superiority of their legitimacy. Meanwhile, from the fact that Seonsu, Gakseong, and Huieon’s memorials were founded along with Beopjusa Temple through the cooperation of Beopjusa Temple’s monks, we can see that Suncheon Songgwangsa Temple could not attain the status as main temple of the Buhyu-sect until then.
In 1678, a memorial for Bojo Jinul was founded in Suncheon Songgwangsa Temple, and also the memorial of Songgwangsa Temple. The two memorials were built by Songgwangsa Temple’s monks who were mostly Buhyu-sect Chwimi Sucho’s disciples. They were intended to clarify the tradition of Songgwangsa Temple founded by Jinul and having 16 national priests staying there in a row and also declare Buhyu-sect Chwimi religious sect’s succession of Songgwangsa Temple with Baekam Seongchong in front. From this, we can assume that late Chosun Buhyu-sect disciples’ universal characteristics like intention to transmit the tradition of Jinul and Songgwangsa Temple, consciousness of identity to deal with the Cheongheo sect, or the rather linear genealogy of Buddhist doctrine having Songgwangsa Temple as a medium were declared first by a faction of Buhyu-sect Chwimi’s religious sect in 1678. Later, the Baekam sect transmitting the tradition of Seongchong was growing as one of the mainstream religious sects in Buddhism, it seems that it was gradually adopted through Buhyu-sect universal awareness of identity.
As written above, the 17th-century Buhyu-sect disciples’ foundation of memorials was the process and product of the formation and division of religious sects in Buddhism and also the formation of identity as a religious sect. This is also the very process and product of reorganization in Buddhism during mid to late Chosun and also the transmission and transformation of Buddhist tradition.