Stupa of Buddhist Monk Daegyeong from Borisa Temple Site, Yangpyeong (Presumed)

This is the sarira stupa of the Buddhist monk Daegyeong, who was active in the late Unified Silla and early Goryeo periods. Daegyeong (862–930) was born in 862, the second year of King Gyeongmun of Unified Silla; he left home to become a monk at the age of nine and received the monastic precepts at nineteen. Thereafter, favouring Seon meditation over doctrinal study, he trained under State Preceptor Muyeom at Seongjusa Temple. He then travelled to China and devoted himself to practice there for several years, returning home in 909, the 13th year of King Hyogong. While living in seclusion at Sobaeksan Mountain, he was summoned by King Taejo of Goryeo and became abbot of Borisa Temple. He passed away at the age of 68, whereupon King Taejo gave him the posthumous title Daegyeong and named his stupa Hyeongi. The stupa was moved to Seoul in 1913 from the Borisa temple site in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do; in the process its base stone was lost, and it now rests on a newly made base. It is a typical octagonal sarira stupa, with the body stone set on the platform and covered by a roof stone. The lower base stone of the platform is made up of several octagonal tiers, carved all around with lions, clouds and lotus flowers. The middle base stone is divided by cloud carvings into separate faces, each carved in relief with a single mythical bird with a human head and a bird's body. The upper base stone is wider than the lower one and has three tiers of moulding above it. The body stone of the stupa has door-panel shapes carved on its front and back faces, images of the Four Heavenly Kings on the two flanking faces, and bodhisattva figures on the remaining two. The underside of the roof stone is carved in relief with alternating flying celestial figures and flower ornaments, and each sloping face is concave. Of the finial, only a lotus-bud-shaped ornament remains. Overall the structure of each part is well ordered and dignified, and the piece is outstanding in form and balance. Since the memorial stele for Daegyeong found at the same site was erected in 939, the 22nd year of King Taejo of Goryeo, this stupa too is thought to have been made around that time.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물