Intangible Culture ISSN:2799-3868(Print) 무형문화연구

This study aims to examine the transmission process and ritual significance of the Sejong Buddhist Nakhwa-beop, which was designated as an Intangible Heritage of Sejong Special Self-Governing City. Based on fieldwork and oral interviews conducted at Seollseondang Hall of Yeongpyeongsa Temple in Sejong on August 30, 2025, the study analyzes transmitted ritual objects together with related documentary sources. The findings confirm that, in 1975, during his tenure as abbot of Buseoksa Temple, Hwanseong received from Pyeongyang Nojang not only the method of producing nakhwa, but also the ritual procedure centered on the Sugu Dharani, a liturgical practice combining nakhwa offering and contemplative visualization, as well as the symbolic items of transmission, including the monastic staff (jujangja), the brazier, and the key ritual text, the Odae Jineon-jip. These findings suggest that Nakhwa-beop should be understood not as a simple folk amusement involving fire, but as a Buddhist ritual grounded in the structure of tri-guhya, incorporating mantra recitation, offering, and the contemplation of the luminous radiance of flame. Hwanseong practiced this ritual during his years at Buseoksa in both seasonal observances and private devotional rites, and after founding Yeongpyeongsa, he preserved and transmitted it to Deokmun and Wonhaeng, thereby laying the foundation for its modern continuation. Subsequently, through the establishment of the Sejong Buddhist Nakhwa-beop Preservation Society and the development of the Nakhwa Festival, the tradition expanded into a form of public cultural heritage engaging the local community, culminating in its designation as a Sejong municipal intangible heritage in 2024. Therefore, the Sejong Buddhist Nakhwa-beop can be evaluated as both an important component of Korean Buddhist ritual tradition and a living religious-cultural heritage in which preservation and contemporary adaptation coexist.