Myo Gwaneumsa Temple Bulja

A bulja is a whisk made by binding hemp fibres or animal hair to the end of a handle. Originally a household implement used to drive away mosquitoes and other insects, within Buddhism it became a ritual implement symbolising the practitioner brushing away the dust and afflictions of the mind. In Buddhist usage it is called bul or buljin ('dust whisk'). Buddhist monks prize the baekbul, made from the tail hair of a white horse, which is often depicted as an attribute in portraits of patriarchs (josa). The handle is frequently decorated with a carved dragon motif. The bulja is said to be held as an attribute in order to dispel evil obstacles and misfortune from the sacred figure. In China it served as a ceremonial implement of the Seon (Chan) school, favoured in exchanges between Seon monks, and was also used as a token of the transmission of the dharma. The bulja of Myo Gwaneumsa Temple is made of white animal hair tightly bound with brass thread in three layers so that the hairs will not fall out, showing excellent workmanship. The wooden handle is unadorned, but the grip is decorated with a tassel resembling the sash of a monk's robe. It is a relic of Seon Master Hyemyeong (dharma name Hyewol), said to be made from the mane hair of a male lion, though this cannot be confirmed. Although this bulja appears to have been made sometime between the late Joseon period and the Japanese colonial period, it is a notable piece of cultural heritage material for its excellent craftsmanship, its clear history of transmission, its good state of preservation, the way it reveals the dharma-transmission lineage of its owner, and the rarity of surviving examples today.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gijang, Busan

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료