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| Ven. Gyeongam demonstrates the Korean "bulbokjang," or dedicating sacred materials to Buddhist image, ritual at Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC on Feb. 22. / Courtesy of the Preservation Society of the Traditional Bulbokjang Ceremony |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
A gilded wooden statue of "Gwaneum," the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy crafted during 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom, and its sacred devotional materials are on view at the "Sacred Dedication: A Korean Buddhist Masterpiece" exhibition at the Smithsonian's Freer|Sackler, giving a glimpse into Korea's "Bulbokjang" (dedication of materials in Buddhist statues) tradition.
The Bulbokjang ritual, or the Buddhist image consecration ritual, refers to a religious ceremony of installing dedication materials into the hollow cavity of a Buddhist sculpture, transforming the material image into a divine being for religious worship.
The Buddhist custom has been handed down in Korea since the Goryeo era and is unique to Korean Buddhism. It was listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage no. 139 in 2019.
Dong-A University professor Jeong Eun-woo said analysis of data has revealed that dedication materials formed a certain pattern by the 14th century during the Goryeo Kingdom and further developed into a more uniform structure centered on the "huryeongtong" (throat-bell container), which acted as the heart of an image along with different types of dedication materials.
"The most important dedication materials are votive inscriptions, Buddhist texts, dharani, the throat-bell container and other various objects, such as textiles and garments," Jeong said.
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| "Bokjang," or dedication materials in Korean Buddhist statues, on display at the Freer and Sackler Galleries of the Smithsonian Institution / Courtesy of National Museum of Korea |
At the Freer|Sackler exhibition, some 72 objects including sacred texts and symbolic objects, such as seeds and jewels, which were sealed inside the bodhisattva sculpture are on view.
The exhibition, which opened last September, is co-organized by the National Museum of Korea, which loaned the 13th century Buddhist image and conducted researches on its hidden contents.
Keith Wilson, curator of the exhibition, mentioned that the wooden image still has its original metal crown intact, which is rare for religious sculptures in museums. "The dedication materials found inside are also really interesting, especially because they show that the object was consecrated twice," Wilson said.
A symposium "Korean Buddhist Images and Dedication Practice" was held in conjunction to the exhibition last week, shedding light on the tradition at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC, which form the Smithsonian's national museums of Asian art.
Ven. Gyeongam, a monk of Jogye Order who serves as the president of the Preservation Society of the Traditional Bulbokjang Ceremony, demonstrated the dedication ritual at the symposium with four other monks who strive to maintain the tradition.
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| Ven. Gyeongam, right, demonstrates the Korean "bulbokjang," or dedicating sacred materials to Buddhist image, ritual at Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, DC on Feb. 22. / Courtesy of the Preservation Society of the Traditional Bulbokjang Ceremony |
According to Ven. Gyeongam, a designated successor of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage no. 139, the ceremony is largely divided into two parts ― dedicating sacred materials and opening the eyes of the Buddhist statue, representing virtue and the wisdom, respectively.
Major sacred materials enshrined in Buddhist images or paintings are "sari" (relics of Buddha or a high priest), grains and Buddhist scriptures.
As the ceremony grants sacredness to Buddhist images, it is conducted by only a few monks behind closed doors. The public rarely gets a chance to see this ritual.
"Bulbokjang has been passed down within Buddhist temples for centuries and we decided to open it to the public as we try to give this to the future generation," the monk said.
Ven. Gyeongam said the sacred objects can change in keeping with the times.
"Scriptures were written on 'hanji' (Korean traditional mulberry paper) in the past, but are now printed on modern paper. We now can dedicate a flash drive, which can store the whole Tripitaka Koreana, instead of the traditional book format," he said.
The exhibition runs through March 22.
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