Samguk Yusa

by Ilyon

  “Heaven showed mercy to the myriad creatures. Spirits descended to place eggs in the mountains, hiding themselves in the mist. In the darkness a voice was heard but no-one was to be seen. The gathering crowd responded to the voice with dance and song.

  “After seven days the wind blew hard and the clouds cleared, and from the blue heavens six round eggs descended at the end of a purple string. People gathered from the neighborhood and made a ring around the eggs. Five of them were taken to each of five towns and the sixth remained in this castle. The six eggs descended simultaneously on the same string of brotherly affection.

  “The heavenly being who remained in this castle brought forth virtue and gave laws to the living creatures of the earth. He ascended the treasured throne and everything under heaven became clear. He built a palace of beauty and simplicity on a low earthen platform. He presided over his government and ruled the people with impartial love and justice. Among other things, he taught his people the first lessons of etiquette. Thus travelers made room for each other on the roads and farmers helped each other in the fields.

  “Noblemen from the four directions offered their services to assist his rule, and the people welcomed his officials to look after their farms and pastures on high and low lands. But, alas! Like morning dew on the grass, he was unable to enjoy the long life of the 'Camellia Tree' (referring to a phenomenally long-lived tree in a Chinese legend). When great sorrow darkened heaven and earth the whole nation mourned with deep grief, as if they had lost their own father.

  “But gold never loses its sparkle and jade rings its echo far and wide. His royal descendants have flourished to all ages, and their sacrificial offerings in his memory will be fragrant ever more. Though the moon wanes and the tides recede, his royal standard of right living will never change.”

  The chronicles of the nine rulers of Karak descended from Sejo, King Suro, have been recorded as follows. (Hyon, as usual, gives Chinese dynastic and cyclic dates. The Christian-era dates given here are deduced from them, and there may be some slight errors.)

  King Kodung: Father King Suro, mother Empress Ho. Crowned on 13 March, 193. Reigned 39 (55) years and died 17 September 232. His Queen was Mojong, daughter of Ch'onpu-kyong Sin Po, who bore his son Map'um. The Kaihuang Calendar says, “His family name was Kim, a corruption of Kum, meaning gold, because his father King Suro was born from a golden egg.”

  King Map'um: Family name Kim. Crowned in 232, reigned 39 (32) years and died 29 January, 271. His Queen was Hogu, granddaughter of Chongjong-gam Cho Kuang, who bore him Crown Prince Kojilmi.

  King Kojilmi: Also called Kommul, family name Kim. Crowned in 271, reigned 56 (55) years, died 8 July, 327. His Queen was Aji, granddaughter of Agung-Agan, the mother of Crown Prince I-p'um.

  King I-p'um: Family name Kim. Crowned in 327, reigned 62 (60) years, died 10 April, 389. His Queen was Chong-sin, the daughter of Sanong-kyong Kukch'ung, who bore Crown Prince Chwaji.

  King Chwaji: Also called Kimjil. Crowned in 389. He took a servant girl as concubine and promoted her relatives to important positions in the court, causing disturbance in the nation. Availing himself of this situation the King of Kerim (Silla) attempted an attack on Karak. An upright courtier of Karak, Pak Won-to, expostulated with his King: “Even a grassblade waves its head in the wind high above the colorful insects which crawl below, and men are in like case. If heaven falls and earth sinks, man has no place to live and no place to keep.”

  The King's heart was troubled. He summoned a fortune-teller and asked his advice. After consulting his mysterious book, the diviner said, “Your Majesty's fortune is written in the I-Ching. It says, 'Cut the big toe and the small toes will recoil.' For an interpretation, please consult the I-Ching.” (One of the Confucian Classics, the I-Ching or Book of Changes is mainly concerned with divination.)

  The King understood: “If the leader of evil, low-class men is kept at a distance, his followers will be converted to the right path by a virtuous man.” He sent his beautiful mistress into exile on a lonely island called Hasan-do, reformed his corrupt administration and brought peace to his people. After reigning fifteen years he died in 404. His Queen was Pok-su, daughter of Tonyong Tae-Agan, and she bore his son Ch'wihui.

  King Ch'wihui-' Also called Chilka, family name Kim. He was crowned in 404, reigned 31 (30) years and died 3 February, 435. His Queen was Indok, daughter of Chinsa-Kakkan and mother of Chilji.

  King Chilji: Also called King Kumjil. He was crowned in 435 and in the following year erected Wanghu-sa (the Queen's Temple), dedicated to Queen Ho, the Princess of India, to commemorate her marriage to King Suro and to pray for the repose of her fragrant soul. He reigned 42 (36) years and died on 4 October, 477. His Queen was Pang-won, the daughter of Kumsang-Sagan and the mother of Kyom-chi.

  King Kyom-chi: Also called King Kumkyom. He was crowned in 477, reigned 30 years and died on 7 April, 507. His Queen was Suk, daughter of Ch'ulch'ung-Kakkan and mother of Kuhyong.

  King Kuhyong: Family name Kim. He was crowned in 507 and reigned 42 (42) years. During his reign King Chin-hung of Silla (540-576) raised a large army and attacked Karak.10 King Kuhyong led his valiant troops against the enemy, but there was no hope of victory against the heavy odds. At length he sent his brother T'aljujilgum to the capital (Kyongju) as a hostage, and finally his royal son Sangson-Cholji-kong went to Silla to surrender. His Queen was Kyehwa, the daughter of Punjil-Suijil, and she bore him three sons—Sejong-Kakkan, Mudo-Kakkan and Muduk-Kakkan. In the book Kaihuang-lu it is written, “In the fourth year of Chung Tai-t'ung (Imja) Karak surrendered to Silla.”

  According to the Sankuo Shih Karak was conquered 490 years after its founding by King Suro. However the Karak-kuk-ki from which this account is taken makes the conquest thirty years later, giving a total duration of 520 years.

  (The figures in brackets in the above table correspond to the dates

  in the chronological table in the appendix of this book.)

  Footnotes to Book Two

  The text actually uses the name “Munho,” because the posthumous title of the second Koryo King, Hyejong, was Mu, written with the same Chinese character as the second syllable of the Silla King's title. It was thought disrespectful to use a king's title, or any part of it, to refer to anyone or anything else.

  This “Iron Gate of Silla” is described in the T'ang-shu, the official chronicle of the T'ang dynasty. According to the Japanese scholar Dr. Ikeuchi it was located at Togwon.

  The Five Great Mountains were T'oham-san in the east, Chiri-san in the south. Kyeryong-san in the west, T'aebaek-san in the north and Pu'ak (Great Mountain) in the center. The Three Small Mountains were Naeryok in Kyongju, Kolhwa in Yongch'on and Hyollye in Ch'ongdo.

  The Samguk Sagi states. “The coffin of the royal dead was buried on the hill south of Pongdok Temple by his august will.”

  According to the Samguk Sagi Sinmu's son, who succeeded him, wished to take this girl as a concubine of the first rank.

  There were two fortresses of this name, one north of the Han River and one south of it. The location of the northern fort is now unknown, but the southern one was on the site of the old town of Kwangju in Kyonggi Province, where portions of the walls can still be seen.

  The word used here actually refers to a divinity, and the song is a magic spell.

  “Suro” is an attempt to express in Chinese the native Korean word “Soori” and “sol,” meaning “supreme” and “holy,” as is Sunung, the posthumous title of this king.

  The Samguk Sagi says that Kim Yu-sin's sister Munhui was the consort of King Muryol and the mother of King Munmu. It also states, however, that Kim Yu-sin's father was Soyon, also called Sohyon. The “Soun” in the geneology given here may quite possibly be a corruption of Sohyon.

  Actually Karak was conquered by King Pophung (514-539). His successor King Chinhung attacked the Kaya people who were Karak's neighbors. The two events are frequently confused in historical documents.

  BOOK THREE

&nb
sp; III. The Rise of Buddhism

  59. Sundo Brings Buddhism to Koguryo

  (Ilyon says that three other monks, Popsim, Uiyon, and Tamom followed Sundo to Koguryo, but since no details about them are recorded he confines himself here to Sundo.)

  According to the Koguryo Pon-gi section of Samguk Sagi, in the second year of King Sosurim (372), which was also the second year of the Hsien-an era in Tung-tsin when Hsiao Wu-ti ascended the throne, Fu-chien, King of Ch'ien-Ch'in (one of the evanescent states which appeared in China following the breakup of the Han Empire) sent an envoy to Koguryo with a Buddhist image and scriptures and also a monk named Sundo from his capital of Changan.

  Two years later another Buddhist monk named Ado arrived in Koguryo from Tsin (another Chinese state). In February the following year (375) the King had Ch'omun Temple (otherwise called Songmun Temple) built for Sundo and Ibullan Temple built for Ado. This was the beginning of Buddhism in Koguryo.

  The Biographies of the Monks (Haedong Kosung-jon)1 states that Sundo and Ado came from Wei (still another Chinese state) but this is a mistake. They came from Chen-Chin. The same book says that the two temples are the same as the present Hungguk and Hungpok Temples, but this also is a mistake. In those days the capital of Koguryo was at Anshi-ch'eng, north of the Yalu River, now called Anminchiang. Therefore Hungguk Temple, which is in Songgyong (Kaesong, the Koryo capital), cannot be one of the temples mentioned here.

  Song of Praise to Sundo

  On the Yalu banks the spring grass in green kirtle swings,

  Across the rippling river the balmy winds from the Lotus

  Paradise sing; Over the silvery waves the oars splash softly,

  Far over the sandy beach the seagulls cry;

  Wide over the silent water the red sails flutter toward the bay,

  Loud the waterfowl shriek above the leaping spray;

  From whence comes this fishing boat to our shore,

  Bringing a holy guest over the misty sea?

  60. Nanta Brings Buddhism to Paekje

  In the Paekje Pon-gi (official records of Paekje) it is written: “In the year of the coronation of King Ch'imnyu, which was the ninth year of the Tai-yuan era of Tung-Tsin Hsiao Wu-ti (384), an Indian monk named Marananta came to Paekje from Tsin, and was warmly welcomed by the King's court with due respect. Temples staffed by ten monks were erected in the new capital, Hansanju. This was the beginning of Buddhism in Paekje.

  “Upon his coronation in February in the seventeenth year of Tai-yuan (392) King Asin of Paekje2 issued a royal decree granting permission to the people to seek blessings in the worship of Buddha. 'Marananta' means 'Child-Disciple' (of Buddha). He worked many miracles in Paekje, interesting records of which are found in the Biographies of the Monks.”

  Song of Praise to Marananta

  From the misty past the wonders of nature descended from heaven—

  Though it is hard to show wonders by learning the art,

  If you know the truth you will dance and sing with gladness,

  You will call your neighbors to see your rejoicing.

  61. Ado Brings Buddhism to Silla

  The Silla Pon-gi (official records of Silla) contains the following account. During the reign of King Nulji (nineteenth Silla ruler, 417-458), a famous Indian monk (Sramana in Sanskrit) named Mukhoja came to Ilson-gun in Silla from Koguryo and began to preach Buddhism. But the Silla people, far from believing his strange teachings about Buddha and the Lotus Paradise, resented its denial of ancestor worship and of their traditional customs. The poor monk would have been killed by an angry mob but for the protection of Morye, a kindly villager who invited the stranger to live in a cave in his garden.

  At this time, the Liang Emperor in China sent an envoy with Chinese clothing and a parcel of incense to the King of Silla.3 However, nobody in the court knew what the incense was or how to use it. The King therefore sent a messenger to travel throughout the kingdom with the incense to see if he could find anyone who knew what it was. Eventually, he came to Morye's village. (On hearing of his mission, Morye consulted Mukhoja.)

  “Listen, my good monk,” Morye said, “a bundle of pink sticks has arrived in Silla from China. They have a strong scent which makes all the court officials feel strange, and neither King nor courtiers can tell what they are called or how they should be used. Have you any idea what they are?”

  “When the rose-colored sticks are burned,” Mukhoja replied, “everyone will smell the sweet fragrance of Buddha Dharma (Buddhist doctrine) and if they pray with clasped hands before the curling smoke they will see gods and goddesses of great love and mercy who will fulfill their wishes.”

  At this time the King's young daughter fell ill with a strange malady, and no medicine would cure her. Mukhoja was summoned to the palace. He burned incense and conducted a Buddhist ceremony before the princess, chanting a strange litany. Soon the princess rose from her bed with her health completely restored. Overjoyed, the King gave the monk a large reward, but Mukhoja gave it to Morye and disappeared.

  During the reign of King Pich'o (posthumous title Soji, 479-500) a monk named Ado, the high priest, who strongly resembled Mukhoja in appearance, came to Silla with three disciples and resided in Morye's home while preaching Buddhism to the people. Not long after, Ado died without suffering any pain or sickness. (This implies that he had achieved Nirvana, the escape into non-being from the wheel of death and rebirth which is the goal of Buddhism.) But his disciples recited the Buddhist chants and continued preaching, until gradually they made many converts. (Ilyon here notes that the Biographies of the Monks states that this story is at variance with other sources. It also says that Ado is represented as having come from Soch'uk kuk in India or from Wu in China. In view of the paragraph which follows, it is difficult to know exactly what source he is referring to as the “Biography of Ado.”)

  The Biography of Ado says that he was born in Koguryo and his mother's name was Ko To-yong. During the years of the Chen-shih era (240-248) a man of T'sao Wei (a Chinese kingdom) named Wo Ch'u-ma, who had come to Koguryo as an envoy, fell in love with Ko To-yong and she bore him a son whom she named Ado. When the boy was five years old she sent him to a monastery to become a monk. When he was sixteen he visited Wei (another Chinese kingdom), where he met Wo Ch'u-ma and attended the lectures of Hsiench'ang, a high priest in that country.

  Three years later, when he returned to Koguryo to visit his mother, she said to him, “The Koguryo people do not yet know Buddhism but 3,000 months hence a sage-king will appear in Kerim who will lead his people to embrace the faith.

  “Seven principal temples will be erected on seven sites. (In what follows, it is difficult to disentangle Ilyon's own comments from the prophecy attributed to Ado's mother. The remarks in parentheses are presumably his.) The first is Ch'onkyong-nim east of Kumgyo (where Hunghyun Temple now stands. Kumgyo (Golden Bridge) is now Soch'on-gyo, West Stream Bridge. The site of this temple was chosen by Ado, but construction did not begin until 528, and the whole project was not completed until the reign of King Chinhung, 540-576). The second is Samch'on-gi (now Yonghung Temple, constructed simultaneously with the first temple). The third is on the southern side of Yong-kung, the royal palace. (This is Hwangnyong Temple, whose construction started in 554.) The fourth is on the northern side of the royal palace (where Punhwang Temple now stands. It was constructed in 635, when Queen Sundok was on the throne.) The fifth is Sach'on-mi (now Yongmyo Temple, constructed in 636). The sixth is Sinyu-rim (now Ch'onwang Temple, built in 680 during King Munmu's reign). And the seventh is Soch'ong-jon (now Tamom Temple).

  “All these temples will be erected during the flowering of Buddhism in Silla. They were predestined to be temple sites from before the days of Buddha. If you go and preach the great teachings of the Buddha, Heaven will send down blessings upon the East (Silla).”

  Deeply moved, Ado set out for Kerim, where he took up residence in Sori (where Omjang Temple now stands). In the year 263, when King Mich'u had been on the throne f
or two years, Ado presented himself at court and asked permission to preach Buddhism to the people. But the courtiers, repelled by his strange appearance, not only denied his petition but even threatened to kill him. So Ado bade farewell to the King and came to Soknim (now Ilson-hyon), where he bid himself in a private house, and heaven and earth trembled with a strange sound. Morye, the master of the house, received him with the highest respect calling him Adu Samma. (Ilyon says samma is an ancient Silla word for monk.)

  In the third year of the reign of King Mich'u (264) the King's daughter Songguk Kongju was stricken with a strange malady which neither medicine nor sorcery could cure. Greatly worried, the King sent messengers throughout the land to seek a physician who could heal the princess.

  Finally Ado was summoned to the palace, where he at once restored the princess to perfect health. Highly pleased, the King said, “My good monk, what is your wish? You shall have it.”

  “I have no wish for myself,” Ado replied. “I wish only that Your Majesty erect a temple in the Ch'onkyong-nim (Heavenly Mirror Forest) where I may pray to Buddha to send down blessings upon your kingdom.” The King agreed and erected a temple in the forest, called Hungnyun-sa.

  Ado loved simplicity and frugality as was the custom in those days. He lived in a small cottage overtopped by reeds and grass. When he preached Buddhism to the crowds which thronged around him at night, meteors fell from the skies and scattered their illuminating sparks on the temple grounds like heavenly flowers.

  Morye's sister Sa-ssi was converted to Buddhism by Ado. She became a nun and lived in a convent which she had built in Samch'on-gi, called Yonghung-sa.

  When King Mich'u died (284) the people of Silla rose up and tried to kill Ado, calling him a wicked monk. He returned to Morye's house, and there he dug his own grave and ended his life, to appear in the mundane world no more. With his death Buddhist evangelism was suspended in Silla.