투고논문

30 June 2026. pp. 113∼149
Abstract
The Eight Great Spiritual Pagodas of the Liao dynasty became prominent from the reign of Emperor Xingzong onward. They were chiefly rendered in high relief as small pagodas or dhāraṇī pillars, often with their names inscribed. Unlike the Indian Eight Great Stupas, however, the Liao set includes the Āmrapālīvana Vimalakīrti Pagoda, which is not directly related to the Eight Events of the Buddha’s life. Previous studies have interpreted the Liao Eight Great Spiritual Pagodas either as images symbolizing Śākyamuni’s Eight Events or as substitutes for pilgrimage to Indian sacred sites, which had become difficult because of political change and disrupted travel routes. Other studies have linked this devotion to the transmission of the Dasheng bensheng xindi guan jing through Balhae to Japan. These interpretations, however, do not fully account for the devotional character and production context of the Liao Eight Great Spiritual Pagodas, especially the significance of the Vimalakīrti Pagoda.
This paper examines examples of the Vimalakīrti Pagoda in Liao material culture and analyzes the Xindi guan jing and the “Record of the Eight Great Spiritual Pagodas at Luohan Monastery” to clarify why this pagoda was included in the Liao set. It also considers Liao perceptions of the pagodas and their names, discusses Emperor Xingzong’s intentions through the “Preface to the Collection of Names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the Buddhist Canon,” and compares related Xixia works.
This study argues that the inclusion of the Vimalakīrti Pagoda reflects Vimalakīrti’s long-established status in Chinese Buddhism. Liao Buddhists recognized the scriptural basis of this pagoda system in the Xindi guan jing and regarded the pagodas and their names as efficacious for attaining buddhahood, removing karmic obstacles, and breaking hell. The devotion developed within Xingzong’s cakravartin ideal of establishing a Buddhist order through the compilation, publication, and dissemination of sacred names and dhāraṇīs. It also appears to have influenced Xixia iconographic expression and devotional practice.
요대 팔대영탑은 요 흥종 연간을 기점으로 특히 성행한 도상으로, 주로 소탑 또는 경당 형태의 고부조로 제작되었으며, 명칭도 함께 새겨졌다. 주목되는 것은 인도의 팔탑과 달리 요대 팔대영탑에는 부처의 팔상과 직접 관련이 없는 암라위림유마탑이 포함되어 있다는 사실이다. 기존 연구에서는 이 점에 크게 주목하지 않고, 요대 팔대영탑을 석가의 팔상을 상징하는 도상으로 보거나, 정세 변화와 교통로 단절로 인해 좌절된 인도 팔탑 순례를 대체하는 장치로 이해해 왔다. 또한 그 신앙의 유행을 『대승본생심지관경』이 발해를 거쳐 일본으로 전해진 전파 경로와 관련지어 설명하기도 하였다. 그러나 이러한 해석은 요대 팔대영탑의 실제 신앙적 성격과 제작 양상, 특히 암라위림유마탑의 존재가 지니는 의미를 충분히 설명하지 못한다.
이에 본 논문은 요대 암라위림유마탑의 사례와 특징을 검토하고, 뒤이어 『심지관경』과 「나한원팔대영탑기」의 분석을 통해 팔대영탑에 암라위림유마탑이 포함된 배경과 의미, 그리고 이에 대한 요나라 사람들의 인식과 신앙 수용 양상을 살펴보았다. 마지막으로 「대장교제불보살명호집서」의 분석을 통해 암라위림유마탑의 제작과 명칭 사용에 반영된 흥종의 의도를 논의하고, 아울러 서하 작품과의 비교를 통해 요대 팔대영탑 신앙의 서하 전파 가능성도 검토하였다. 이를 통해 『심지관경』에 암라위림유마탑이 포함된 것은 중국 불교에서 오랫동안 축적되어 온 유마거사의 특수한 위상을 반영한 결과임을 확인하였다. 또한 요나라 사람들은 유마탑이 포함된 팔대영탑의 경전적 근거가 『심지관경』에 있음을 명확히 인식하고 있었으며, 팔대영탑과 탑명에 성불의 계기이자 업장 소멸과 파지옥의 공능이 있다고 여겼다. 이러한 신앙은 유마사상을 중시한 흥종의 불교적 지향과, 명호·다라니의 간행·유포를 통해 불교적 교화 질서를 구현하려 한 전륜성왕적 이상 속에서 전개되었으며, 이후 서하의 도상 표현과 신앙 양상에도 일정한 영향을 미친 것으로 보인다.
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Association of Buddhist Studies
  • Publisher(Ko) :불교학연구회
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Buddhist Studies
  • Journal Title(Ko) :불교학연구
  • Volume : 87
  • Pages :113∼149