Samseonggak
| Samseonggak | |
 Samseonggak of Buseoksa | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 삼성각 |
| Hanja | 三聖閣 |
| RR | samseonggak |
| MR | samsŏnggak |
Samseonggak (Korean: 삼성각; Hanja: 三聖閣) is a type of building typically found in Korean Buddhist temples. Such buildings enshrine the gods Sansin, Chilseong, and Dokseong. Belief in such gods is described as the "three god belief" (삼신신앙; 三神信仰), and is unique to Korea. The gods are thought to grant wealth; children and longevity; and good luck and joy respectively.[1] Some temples also enshrine the three holy monks of Goryeo (Jigong/Dhyānabhadra, Naong, and Muhak) or Dragon King.[2]
Three god belief
[edit]Sansin (산신; 山神; lit. 'mountain god') is a god indigenous to Korea. The belief of Sansin was common in Korea as every village had a mountain and every mountain was believed to have Sansin. When indigenous beliefs were incorporated into Buddhism, Sansin became one of the Dharmapala.[3]
Chilseong (칠성; 七星; lit. 'seven stars; Big Dipper'), a god in charge of longevity, is thought to have originated in China and is related to Taoism.[4]
Dokseong (독성; 獨聖; lit. 'alone saint'), also called Nabanjonja (나반존자; 那畔尊者), is a saintly figure that seeks enlightenment alone and gives sentient beings good luck.[5] The identity of Dokseong is disputed: some see it as Pindola Bharadvaja while others view it as Dangun Wanggeom.[6]
Three god belief is an example of Korean religious hybridism that merges Korean indigenous belief, Taoism, and Buddhism. However, it was sometimes criticized in modern Korean Buddhism: Han Yong-un argued that Dokseong should not be an object of worship as it is a saint of Hinayana and belief of Sansin and Chilseong should also be abolished.[7]
Characteristics
[edit]
Samseonggak buildings are found in most Korean Buddhist temples and are usually located on the outer edges of the temple grounds. They are typically three kan wide at the front and one kan deep at the side. Inside the building, Chilseong is usually placed at the center with Sansin and Dokseong next to it.[8]
Paintings of Chilseong from the Goryeo dynasty often depict the deity with other star gods such as Jeseokcheon (Sakra) and Noinseong (Canopus) while those from the Joseon dynasty place greater emphasis on Chilseong. Sansin is commonly portrayed as an elderly man with a white beard accompanied by a tiger in a pine forest. Dokseong is depicted as a hermit living alone in a similar natural setting.[9]
History
[edit]Most surviving samseonggak buildings and paintings of the three deities date from after the 19th century. Interest in the deities associated with worldly blessings grew significantly after the hardships caused by the Imjin War in 1592 and the Qing invasion of Joseon in 1636. Famous painters participated in creating the paintings and patrons from all levels of society commissioned them.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "칠성각에는 어떤 의미가 담겨 있나요?" [What does Chilseonggak mean?]. Bulgyo Sinmun (in Korean). 2007-11-03.
- ^ Park, Sang-guk (1995). "삼성각" [Samseonggak]. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ Oh 2002, p. 47.
- ^ Oh 2002, p. 52.
- ^ Oh 2002, p. 58.
- ^ Lee, Jong-ik (1995). "나반존자" [Nabanjonja]. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ^ Oh 2002, p. 59.
- ^ Kim 2020, p. iii.
- ^ Kim 2020, p. 51-58.
- ^ Kim 2020, p. iii-iv.
Cited journals
[edit]- Oh, Cool Sea (31 December 2002). "불교와 민속신앙" [Buddhism and Folk Religion]. Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies (in Korean). 5: 41–60.
- Kim, Sooyoun (2020). 조선후기 삼성각의 형성과정과 봉안불화 [A study on the formation process of late Joseon period Samseonggak shrine and in the buddhist paintings] (Master thesis) (in Korean). Wonkwang University.
External links
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Media related to Samseonggak at Wikimedia Commons
