''Yeongsanjae'' (영산재, 靈山齋) is a

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

ceremony which re-enacts

Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

delivering the sermon now known as the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...

. The attendees would learn self-discipline from this ceremony, and it consists of various rituals. Primarily preserved and conducted by the

Taego Order The Taego Order or Taego-jong is the second largest order in Korean Seon, the Korean branch of Chan Buddhism. Characteristics Seonamsa is one of the head monasteries of the Taego Order, which includes over 8,000 monastics and 3,100 temples. ...

, the ceremony, which takes place annually on June 6, includes tea ceremonies, decorations, prayers, rites of purification, offerings to

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

and rites for the dead. There are also many different music that is used in the ceremonies, along with use of certain

Martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

History

The dance originated during the

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

. Yeongsanjae is one form of Buddhist ritual, performed in hopes of wishing the deceased to rest in peace and be free from the sufferings. Yeongsanjae is practiced on the 49th day after a person’s death because in Buddhism, it is believed that the soul of the deceased will reach the heaven on the 49th day. In the past, Yeongsanjae was practiced for over 3 days, but now it has been reduced in size, which they only perform the ceremony for one day. While there are many other forms about 49th day rituals, Yeongsanjae is known to be the largest ritual of all. It is one of the

Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea The Intangible Cultural Heritage (, ''Muhyeong Munhwajae'') are aspects of intangible culture that the government of South Korea has officially designated for preservation in accordance with the 1962 Cultural Property Protection Law. They are p ...

, having been designated as such in 1973. In order to preserve Yeongsanjae, Korea has created the Yeongsanjae Preservation Society.

Dances

There are many types of dances that are being practiced during Yeongsanjae such as Barachum, Beopgochum and Nabichum. Each dance has its own meaning and purpose for the ceremony and they are performed separately.

Barachum

Barachum Barachum is a representative of the Korean dance, Korean Buddhist ritual dance, (''jakbeop''), and is performed by Buddhist monks with ''bara'' (hangul:바라). The term ''bara'' describes a cymbal-like Korean instrument made with brass. The dance ...

, also known as the cymbals dance, was named this because they used the instrument called “bara”. This dance was performed to defeat the evil spirits and purifying the mind. While the dance contains several different dance moves such as moving forward, backward, and roaring while hitting the bara, most of the movements are very static and rarely moves or makes a loud sound. This is because Barachum is designed to make solemn atmosphere.

Beopgochum

Beopgochum is another dance that is performed during Yeongsanjae. “Beopgo” refers to one of the Buddhist instruments that looks like a big drum made with wood. Usually, Beopgochum is performed in a team of two: one main person who performs the dance while another plays the instruments. Unlike Barachum and Nabichum, Beopgochum contains rapid, big movements and loud sounds. This dance is performed at the end of the ceremony, after Barachum and Nabichum. By performing the dance at the end, it expresses the joy and enthusiasm that the ritual has smoothly practiced.

Nabichum

Nabichum Nabichum (literally 'butterfly dance') is a Korean Buddhist dance (''Jakbeop'') for ritual service. The dance is named after its choreography and costume which resemble the appearance of butterfly (''nabi'' in Korean). Some people regard nabichum ...

was named because the dance moves resemble the appearance of nabi, which means a butterfly in Korean. Nabichum contains the most gentle moves out of all the dances performed during the Yeongsnajae. Nabichum is performed during the offering and worshiping, in hopes of repentance.

Music

Along with dances, traditional Korean instruments are played all throughout the ceremony. Some of the instruments played at the Yeongsanjae are jang-gu (Korean drum),

haegeum The ''haegeum'' () is a traditional Korean string instrument, resembling a vertical fiddle with two strings; derived from '' xiqin'', traditional Instrument of Xi people, which was introduced in Goryeo Dynasty through Northern Song. It has ...

(string instruments ), and

geomungo The geomungo (also spelled ''komungo'' or ''kŏmun'go'') or ''hyeongeum'' (literally "black zither", also spelled ''hyongum'' or ''hyŏn'gŭm'') is a traditional Korean plucked zither with both bridges and frets. ''Geomungo'' is a representative ...

(instrument with six strings). In this ceremony, a special song, called

Beompae Beompae (, also written ''pomp'ae'' or ''pŏmp'ae'') is a Korean genre of Buddhist chants and songs., one of three key traditional Korean song types, together with '' gagok'' and ''pansori''. Description There are three kinds of ''beompae'': ...

is played. "

(梵唄) used in Buddhist ceremonies is a tribute to Beomseo (梵書) and is called Eosan (魚山). Regarding the origin of beompae, there are theories of the origin of Yeongsanhoesang, myoeum bodhisattva’s music offering, and Chinese breakfast creation theory.契), and Kang Seung-hoe (康僧会) made the Nihang Beompae (泥恒梵唄) and spread the name of the Beompae (梵唄聲明) in Gangnam. This beompae was passed down to the Korean beompae by Jingamseonsa (眞鑑禪師), who went to the Tang Dynasty to study abroad."

Procedures

There are a total of 12 steps to performing the Yeongsanjae and each step of the procedure has its own meaning. # Siryeon 시련(侍輦) # Dae-ryung 대령(對靈) # Gwanyok 관욕(灌浴) # Jojeonjeoman 조전점안(造錢點眼) # Sinjung-jackbeob 신중작법(神衆作法) # Gwaebul-un 괘불이운(掛佛移運) # Sangdan-gwongong 상단권공(上壇勸供) # Beopmun 법문(法門) # Sikdang-jakbeob 식당작법(食堂作法) # Jungdan-gwangong 중단권공(中壇勸供) # shisik 시식(施食) # Bongsong 봉송(奉送)

Law Enforcement

Jakbeopmu can be said to be an enlightenment martial art, where which one makes offerings to the body through body movements, reciting the Buddha with their mouth, and thinking of the 3 treasures of fire, law, and victory in mind. This writing method is carried out in harmony with Eojang Master's clear voice" In Yeongsanjae, there are 4 different types of Jakbeopmu: # Barramu (바라무) These were Baramu's ordeal poems: Gwanyoksi, Shinsinjokbeopsi, Jojeonjeomansi, Gwaebuliunsi. These are a public announcement of the upper part and a resturaunt recipe poem. # Nadimu (나비무) "Butterfly radish ordeal poetry (single method of four directions, multiple methods, cultivating method), gaebuliunsi (multiple methods), upper-gwon public poetry (three spirits method, doryang method, multiple method, hyanghwa crab method, three male taesjak, spear) After marriage, the Hell Manipulation Method, the Salvation Keonjang method, the yokgeoni/jeongbeop world mantra, then the Baron Om method, the Unshim crab method, the Diagonal Shakyat veneration method), and the dining room method poem (jagwi’s illegitimate method)." # Beopgomu (법고무) "Trial poem (beop rubber after the ear cultivation method), disclosure of the upper volume (beop rubber after a method of cultivation), and a restaurant method poem (beop rubber after the cultivation method)." # Tajumu (타주무) This is a dance performed between the ceremonial ceremonies in the restaurant recipe.

Majesty

Majesty is a decorative element which refers to the splendid decoration of the sanctuary where the Buddha is enshrined and the doryang with various fire bodhisattvas inscribed with the name of the Bodhisattva and Jihwa. The solemnity of decoration is divided into worship and indoctrination. "The solemnity for worship is a mural or Buddhist painting depicting the object or image being worshipped, and the solemnity for education is a Buddhist evangelism. These are paintings and murals that contain the contents of the original life and the original life, and are expressed in sculptures or paintings." Majesty can be used to help a person who is new to Buddhism understand what is happening.

References

External links

Yeongsanjae
at YouTube by

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Buddhist festivals in Korea Important Intangible Cultural Properties of South Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity {{SouthKorea-culture-stub