Intangible Culture ISSN:2799-3868(Print) 무형문화연구

By introducing various editions of the Essence of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm during Lifetime stored in the Daeseongsa Temple in Woomyeonsan Mountain, and examining their correlation with the Universal Commentary to Yesujae Rite and the Commentary to Yesujae Rite, this paper aims to reveal the ideological basis of the Yesujae Rite, the Buddhist rite performed during one’s lifetime in order to build good deeds and good karma (hereinafter called “Yesujae”), and the background of the compilation of this ritual book by the Joseon Dynasty monk Songdang Daewoo. In addition, by comparing and examining the differences in the Yesujae in each edition, I aimed to reveal the trend of Yesujae practice during the Joseon Dynasty period. It was noted that the 31st edition of the Essence of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm during Lifetime, the Donghaksa Temple edition (1567), which has not yet been introduced to the scholarly community, was published a year after the earliest edition of the 25th edition, the Ankuksa Temple edition (1566), but the earlier edition of the 31st edition actually predates the 25th edition. In addition, since both editions were compiled by the monk Songdang Daewoo, it was thought that the 25th edition, concise prescriptions (K. Chwaryo), was the one that kept the basic content of the 31st edition and summarized and reorganized only the essentials, and that it was a measure to make it possible to choose either the compendium of essentials (K. Chanyo) or Chwaryo according to the circumstances of the temple or the performer. Although the Buddhist rite performed for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm (hereinafter called “Siwangjae”) has existed since the Goryeo Dynasty period, and the Buddhist scripture of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm was published at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, due to the dissemination of the Tale of the Dark Realm, the anecdote of King Byungsawang became well known, there was a need to overhaul the rituals from simply offering to the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm, and thus, the Essence of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm during Lifetime was compiled by the monk Songdang Daewoo, As the dissemination of the Tale of the Dark Realm expanded the scope of the worship for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm to include the kings and their vassals, the Essence of the Buddhist Rite of Making Offerings to All Souls Lost in the Heaven, Earth, Land, and Water was reoriented in Yesujae by writing the Essence of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm during Lifetime as a basic guide to the procedure of making offerings. Furthermore, the intensive publication of Yesujae ritual collections from the mid-16th century to the 17th century suggests that Yesujae was at its peak during this period. In addition, after 1670, many of the major sections of the Essence of the Seven Rites for the Ten Kings of the Dark Realm during Lifetime tend to be omitted, which is thought to reflect the tendency of Yesujae to be simplified in response to certain circumstances in the Buddhist world around this time.