초록 열기/닫기 버튼
This article explored the popularization process of the Guanyin cults during the Medieval period of Chinese history. The established researches on the Guanyin cult mostly treated the cult as beliefs of a sub-deity of the Buddhist Pantheon. Although the Guanyin was a Buddhist Bodhisattva who redeemed people in distress, the deity had been completely turned into a popular deity whom people usually asked for secular helps of the earthly lives during the early medieval period of Chinese history. In particular, this research focused on the two mediums for the transformation of the Guanyin cult. This study carefully considers the two significant means of dissemination of the Guanyin cults, “Relevant Legends of Guanyin’s Responsive Manifestations (觀音應驗說話)” and “Great Compassion Mantra (大悲咒)” of the “Dhāraṇī of the Bodhisattva With a Thousand Hands and Eyes (千手千眼陀羅尼)” in the historical context. When Kumārajīva (鳩摩羅什) translated “the The Universal Door of Boddhisattva Guanshiyin (觀世音菩薩普門品)” of the “Lotus Sutra (法華經)” into Chinese during the Six Dynasties period, the relevant legends of Guanyin was passed from person to person through the oral tradition, and it contributed to the creation of Guanyin’s image as a tutelary deity in the local community. Since the Tang Dynasty period, the esoteric Buddhism (密敎) had exerted a dominant influence on the Chinese Buddhism and systemized the ceremonies and rituals of the Guanyin worships. As a result, the esoteric Buddhist incantation ceremonies like the recitation of Great Compassion Mantra began to be introduced to the Guanyin cults. Due to these new ways, the popular beliefs of Guanyin who would save the people from distress could spread throughout the whole China during the Medieval period of Chinese history. Consequently, this research presents a new approach to understand the nation-wide propagation process of the Guanyin cults.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
Guanyin, Popular Religion, Relevant Legends of Guanyin’s Responsive Manifestations, Great Compassion Mantra, accessibility
观音, 民间信仰, 观音应验说话, 大悲咒, 可达性
