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The "Uranbun ritual" was created in the Shilla and Koryeo Dynasty when the Buddhism came from China flourished, and transmitted to the Choseon Dynasty. The "Uranbun ritual," which was made for the dead in the royal family had developed into the rite for the common people as well in the Koryeo Dynasty, and in the Choseon Dynasty, the "Mokryun Sutra" was published and read widespread among the people of the country.
During the Choseon Dynasty, due to the acceptance of the confucianism and exclusion of the Buddhism, Buddhist rites were almost abolished. Thus, the "Uranbun ritual" was changed into "Bakjung play," celebrated on the fifteenth of July in the country. After opening to foreign nations, the "Uranbun ritual" was represent in a small scale, ending up making a new zenre, the "Mokryun drama."
Of seven or eight already presented dramas and plays, the representative "Mokryun dramas" are as follows: "Uranbun" (1932), by Kim, So-ha(1899～1989), "the hell and life"(1947) by Jung, Dong-min(1924～1998), "the world of Lotus"(1967) by Lee, Kwang-rae(1908～1968), "Mokryun and Lady Chungjae," by Lee, Sung-beop(1929～ ) and so on. Reviewing the above four, it is obvious that the center of the drama lies the scene of the hell, and the quality of the drama follows how to express the scene.
"Uranbun" by Kim, So-ha was the first "Mokryun drama" in Korea, which was published on in the monthly journal of "Buddhism" in Aug., 1932. Since both Kwun, Sang-ro who led founding the "Buddhism" in 1925, and Han, Young-wun who undertook the journal in 1930 considered the play as the fastest way of propaganda, this drama got into light.
"Uranbun" established the great hell, and Mokryun met with
his mother and saved her, but she was captured again in the small dark hell. Mokryun helped her again with the Buddhist power, only founding her become a dog in Wangsasung castle.
"The hell and life" by Jung, Dong-min was played most frequently since 1947, and "The world of Lotus" by Lee, Kwang-rae was the first attempt as a Buddhist music symphony drama in 1967. Both play designated the great hell in the center of the stage, but different from "Uranbun," it had the knife hell and boiling hell at the right side of the stage, and ice and grief hell at the left side. In "The world of Lotus," the mother was saved only in the great hell.
"Mokryun and Lady Chungjae," the most recently written one, explained the scene of the hell in detail because the writer was a senim, yet could not express it on the stage. Mokryun helped Lady Chungjae, but she went to the hell again. Reborn as a dog, she finally went up to the heaven and be born again by the rites of "Uranbun".
While "Uranbun" and "Mokryun and Lady Chungjae" are mainly composed by conversations, "The hell and life" and "The world of Lotus" are full of dramatic characteristics. "The hell and life" is similar to the popular plays in the 1940th, combining dance and songs, and uniquely contains the song of the main subject.
All three except for "Uranbun" make use of the mirror of karma; it goes down during the play, and changes the time and space to the scene of reflecting the past. While "The hell and life" is full of romantic atmosphere, it is worth paying attention to "The world of Lotus," in that it applies a new-expressionism , and makes a new form of the music drama, a symphony drama that utilizes the percussion instrument. The "Mokryun drama" has been changed from "Uranbun ritual" to "Mokryun's petition"- "Mokryun Sutra"- "Kangchang" and "Mokryun drama" through the Shilla, Koryeo, Choseon and the present.
The present "Mokryun dramas" are all indoors-scripts written by the method of western modern play.
In order for the "Mokryun drama" to develop, first, it should be played in the temple, indoors or outdoors, on the "Uranbun" day (July. 15) half of it is the ritual, and the other half is the play.
Second, the "Mokryun drama" should make the hell more concrete; studying the ten kings, the positions in the hell are to be expressed in more detail.
Third, the "Uranbun ritual" or the "Ten kings ritual" should be performed by the method of the traditional Buddhist ritual.
On the "Uranbun" day, with the "Uranbun ritual" or the "Ten kings ritual," the "Mokryun's petition" may be taught; from July the 13 to 18, the "ghost period" of opening the gate of the hell and feeding the ghosts, the "Mokryun drama" should be performed in the big temple.
If those above are possible, the "Uranbun day" can be changed into a bigger event than the one for the Buddha's day.
And the adolescence problem would disappear, contributing to making a more peaceful country; the "Uranbun" day is a day for reverence for parents.