경주 南山 七佛庵 불교조각과 石經片으로 본 통일신라의 불교신앙과 의례

Buddhist Art, Stone Sūtras, and Buddhist Practices at Chilburam Hermitage, Gyungju in the Unified Silla Period

경주 남산에 위치한 칠불암은 통일신라기의 전형적인 양식을 보여주는 항마촉지인의 본존불을 중심으로 하는 마애삼존불과 그 앞 방형석주의 사면불로 구성되어 있으며, 그 사면불 중 동면에 약합을 든 약사불이 등장하여 학계의 큰 주목을 받아 왔다. 그런데 이곳 칠불암에서는 종래 잘 알려진 위의 불교 조각뿐 아니라, 석판에 불교 경전의 원문을 새긴 석경편이 함께 발견되었다. 이 석경편들은 『金剛般若波羅密經』(鳩摩羅什 譯, T.235, K.0013)과 『藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經』(玄奘 譯, T.450, K.0177)의 전체를 여러 석판에 나누어 새긴 것으로, 그 파편 중 일부가 전하는 것이다. 이 석경편에 대해서는 학계에서 그 존재에 대해 간단히 언급할 뿐, 그 기능 및 조성요인, 관련 불교의례에 대해 깊이 있는 연구가 이루어진 바 없다. 본 연구는 칠불암 석경편을 상세히 분석하여, 석경과 불교조각의 배치 및 장엄 방식, 불교 조상과 석경과의 관계, 당시 불교신앙과 의례에서의 활용 등을 고찰한다. 칠불암에 조성된 불교 조상 중에서 약사불을 중심으로 하는 석주의 사면불은 『금강경』과 『약사경』 석경과 긴밀히 연관되어, 약사신앙이 중심이 되는 불교의례를 위해 함께 계획되고 조성되었던 것으로 보인다. 불교 신도들은 동면에 약사여래가 크게 조각된 사면불을 右繞하면서 예경하고 『약사경』과 『금강경』의 독송을 행했을 것으로 생각된다. 칠불암 석경편들의 존재는 8세기 통일신라시대 불교도들이 불교신앙 및 의례에 불교 존상에 대한 예경과 더불어 불교 경전을 활용한 송경의식을 적극적으로 활용했을 가능성이 높음을 보여주는 소중한 예이다.

At the Chilburam Hermitage 七佛庵 site located on Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju, there are seven Buddhist sculptures: four Buddhas on a four-sided stone pillar, and a Buddha triad which is behind the stone pillar. Carved on a large stone wall, the Buddha triad consists of a Buddha seated with his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, or earth-touching gesture at the center and two bodhisattvas standing on the Buddha’s both sides. Four Buddha images are carved on the four respective sides of the stone pillar. On the east side of the pillar, the Buddha who sits holding a wish-fulfilling jewel 寶珠 is presumably the Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha. These seven Buddhist images have been studied as representative Buddhist sculptures from the eighth century of the Unified Silla Period. Besides these Buddhist sculptures, five pieces of stone slabs carved with Buddhist sūtra texts were also found at the site. The texts for the stone sūtras were drawn from the Sūtra of Merits and Virtues of the Past Original Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata 藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經 translated by Xuanzang 玄奘 in 650 C.E. and the Diamond Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra 金剛般若波羅蜜經 translated by Kumārajīva 鳩摩羅什 in 402-412 C.E. These stone sūtras found at the Chilburam site have been mentioned in several studies, but little has been studied on their religious motivation, function, and related Buddhist practices. This study examines these Buddhist stone sūtras and sculptures, and explores the relationship between the Buddhist sculptures and stone sūtras, their uses in the Buddhist rituals and practices, and the ways in which they were placed. It also suggests that the Buddha images which were carved on the four sides of the pillar that has Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha at its center, and the stone sūtras were planned and created together for an important Buddhist practice at the site in which the Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha was worshipped as the center of Buddhists’ religious faith. At this site, Buddhists most likely worshipped the Buddhas on the four sides, and special religious focus was laid on Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha at the east side of the pillar, as they circled clockwise around the stone pillar, reciting the two Buddhist sūtra texts which were carved on stone slabs likely placed on the sides of the four-sided pillar, enhancing the Bhaiṣajyaguru Buddha cult. The presence of the stone sūtras at the Chilburam demonstrates that the eighth century Buddhists in the Unified Silla not only worshipped Buddhist sculptures, but also recited the Buddhist sūtra texts which were carved on the stone slabs and displayed around the pillar in their Buddhist faith and practices.