The Throat-Bell Container (huryŏngt’ong) Recovered from the Wooden Seated Vairocana Buddha of Early Chosŏn in Hainsa

Abstract

In the Vairocana Hall of Haeinsa, there are two Vairocana statues made in the 9th century, during the Unified Silla period. In 1490, the statues were filled with sacred objects whose specific contents were almost identical to each other. Following the practice passed down from the Koryŏ period, five treasure bottles were put inside an offering container termed “throat-bell container” which was then topped with a sarira reliquary and a bead. It was covered with a round mirror and true-mind syllables(chinsim chongja 眞心種子) were written on the lid. There are also innovations made in the Chosŏn period: namely, five-wheel syllables(oryun chongja 五輪種字) written on the five treasure bottles that take the shape of five mirrors, bottles covered with eight-petal lotus bud, the use of yellow fabric wrappers with the written spells of the four directions(sabangju 四方呪) or five-wheel syllables and the votive inscription written in red ink on blue textile. The earliest example of the offering container with a long breathing hole was found inside the Manjushri statue of Sangwŏnsa. A well-organized system had been established by the time the offering containers at Haeinsa were prepared. As the Great Preceptors Sinmi and Hakcho, renowned Buddhist monk scholars were in charge of enshrining the offering container, it is likely that they exerted a considerable influence on the organization of the sacred objects. The Yongch’ŏnsa edition of Chosang kyŏng (Sutras on a manuscript entitled Sŏngsang sohwa pokchang ŭi (Manual on the pokchang of sculpted and painted sacred icons) preserved at Haeinsa are two important texts that dictate how to prepare the sacred objects for offerings. Inclusion of five flowers, five flags, and five parasols were the influence of Myogilsang taekyowang kyŏng (Sutra on the king of the great teaching which is sublime and auspicious) and likely began around the time the Yongch’ŏnsa edition of Chosang kyŏng was published in the sixteenth century. In conclusion, the throat-bell container from the Vairocana Buddha statues of Haeinsa can be considered as a prototype for offering containers made during the Chŏson.