진골 출신의 明朗은 善德王代에 入唐해 밀교를 습득하여 文武王代 四天王寺 창건에 깊이 관여했다. 그 과정에서 명랑은 문무왕대에 시중을 역임한 김천존의 추천을 받았다. 밀교는 본래 인도의 토착신앙에서 발생했지만 중국으로 전래되는 과정에서 지역적 특수성이 정화되면서 보편성을 띠는 불교주술을 내세웠다. 밀교가 지닌 성격은 중대왕실이 신라 토착적인 사조를 강조하기보다는 보편성을 가지는 儒敎나 佛敎를 도입하는 한화정책에 부합될 수 있었다. 밀교승려였던 명랑은 외삼촌인 자장과는 달리 중대왕실과 정치적으로 밀접하게 관련되어 중대왕실의 상징적인 사찰인 사천왕사의 창건에 깊숙이 개입할 수 있었다. 명랑의 밀교사상은 文豆婁法으로 나타났다. 문두루법은 『灌頂經』에 의거한 것으로 圓木에 5방신의 이름을 적어 놓아 邪魔를 쫓는 밀교주술이다. 명랑은 『관정경』을 근거로 5방신상을 세우면서 密壇을 만들었다. 문두루법은 중생의 교화와 깨달음을 목표로 하는 보편적인 불교주술이었다. 명랑은 선덕왕릉 아래에 사천왕사를 창건하면서 사천왕신앙을 내세웠다. 사천왕신앙은 보편적인 호국신앙의 하나로 『金光明經』을 근거로 한다. 명랑은 『금광명경』에 관심을 갖았다. 한편 문두루법이 신라 토착신앙의 신성지인 신유림에서 이뤄지고 사천왕사의 건립으로 이어지면서 명랑의 사천왕신앙은 신라 토착신앙을 융섭하는 성격을 갖게 되었다. 밀교의 신앙은 토착신앙을 포용해 보편적인 불교신앙으로 내세울 수 있었다. 하지만 그 과정에서 기존의 토착신앙과 대립할 여지가 있었다. 명랑보다 앞서 활동한 密本은 토착신앙과 깊은 관계가 있었던 法惕과 대립했다. 또 명랑 이후에 활동한 惠通도 機張山의 熊神이 된 毒龍과 대립관계에 있었다. 다만 밀본에게서 강조된 것이 토착신앙을 제압하는 것이라면, 혜통의 경우에서 그것을 포용하는 모습을 보여준다. 명랑이 신유림에 밀단을 만든 것은 분명 토착신앙을 대치하는 성격을 지닌 것이지만, 토착신앙을 제압하는 모습이 강조되었던 것은 아니었다. 이점에서 명랑의 밀교신앙과 밀본·혜통의 그것이 차이를 보인다. 이런 차이는 그들의 신분이나 사회적 위치, 그리고 사상적 경향과 관련되어 있었다.

Myeonglang(明朗) was one of Esoteric Buddhist monks who lived in the 7th century. He established ‘Sin-in sect(神印宗)' as a sect of Esoteric Buddhism for the first time. His father was named Jaeryang(才良) and his mother was named Madam Namgan(南澗夫人) as a daughter of Sopan(蘇判) Murim(茂林). She was also a sister of Chajang(慈藏). Originally, Myeonglang grew up in the family of True- born nobility. He had two brothers, who were named Gukgyo-daedeok(國敎大德) and Eui'an-daedeok(義安大德) respectively. Both of them were Buddhist monks. In the period of King Seondeok's(善德王) rulership, Myeonglang went abroad to the territory of T'ang dynasty to learn Esoteric Buddhism. Moreover, he was also deeply involved in the foundation of the Four Devas Temple(四天王寺) as carried out in compliance with King Munmu(文武王). Here, Myeonglang was recommended by Kim, Cheon-jon(金天尊). Kim had such a close relationship with royal families in the mid of Silla dynasty that he could hold an important post titled Jungshi(中侍) successively. Esoteric Buddhism was originated from India's shaman faith, but came to be a Buddhist spell with certain universality due to diluted regional specialty in India on the way of introduction to ancient China. Universal nature of Esoteric Buddhism could comply with Han-assimilation policies advocated by royal families in the mid of Silla dynasty, which put more stress on introducing universalism like Confucianism or Buddhism rather than Silla dynasty's own native trend of thought. As a monk of Esoteric Buddhism in those days, Myeonglang was so closely connected with his contemporary royal families in the political aspect. That is why he could be involved in the foundation of the Four Devas Temple that symbolized the ideology of royal families in the mid of Silla dynasty. Myeonglang's thought of Esoteric Buddhism was revealed into Mundurubeop(文豆婁法). Mundurubeop was completed according to “Abhseka Sutra(灌頂經)”. It was a universal Buddhist spell that aimed to enlighten and awake all sentient beings. It also contained so-called ‘Tathagatagarbha thought(如來藏思想)' as one of universal thoughts in Mahayanist Buddhism. For the practices of such thought, Mundurubeop emphasized the practices based on intuition of Buddhist ascetic exercises(觀法). It could be even slightly led to attaining Buddhahood. The historical period of Myeonglang's lifetime was the time just before Esoteric Buddhism philosophy was completed, and the time in which the various elements of Esoteric Buddhism were complied into one book by referring to many different Buddhist scriptures or Sutras. One of the outcomes was Ajiguda's(阿地瞿多) “Dhanani's collections of Sutra(陀羅尼集經).” Based on these collections of Sutra, Ajiguda formed Bojip-hoedan(普集會壇) as esoteric altar for the first time, which had a considerable effect on Myeonglang's Esotheric Buddhism thought later. While founding the Four Devas Temple under the royal tomb of King Seondeok, Myeonglang advocated the faith in the Four Devas. The faith in the Four Devas was one of his contemporary universal religions on the defense of fatherland, which was based on “Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra(金光明經)”. Myeonglang made his home a temple named ‘Geumgwangsa(金光寺)’, which is considered to be originated from “Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra”. Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra might have considerable effects on his faith in the defense of fatherland and such faith was expressed with the faith in the Four Devas. The Temple of Four Devas was founded at Shinyurim(神遊林) under the royal tomb of King Seongdeok, which was also considered to be Trayastrimsa(忉利天) as a shrine for Indra(帝釋). After a while, Myeonglang's faith in the Four Devas absorbed the faith in Indra. Through Mundurubeop, he could advocate the faith in the Four Devas in association with faith in Indra. Actually, he attempted to fuse Silla‘s native shaman faith into the faith in the Four Devas.

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Myeonglang, Esoteric Buddhism, The Four Devas Temple, Mundurubeop, Abhseka Sutra, Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra

明朗, 密敎, 四天王寺, 文豆婁法, 灌頂經, 金光明經