| Title |
Interpretation of Bokbal Anghua at the Summit of Pagoda and Pomegranate Pattern of Dancheong through Study on the ‘Womb-Egg’ Symbolism of Indian Stupa |
| Keywords |
Stupa ; Pagoda ; Womb-Egg ; Bokbal ; Anghua ; Suckryudong ; Dharma Buddhism ; Symbolism |
| Abstract |
Architectural form of Buddhism in Korea lost its original meaning due to indirect absorbing from China, including fundamental translation fallacies from India. By studying ‘womb-egg’ symbolism of the Indian stupa, it is possible to understand the Korean pagoda correctly. 'Egg in the womb' symbolism of stupa dome comes from Indian traditional world view of the Cosmic Creation long before the Buddhism. Stupa dome becomes the outermost pot as a container putting sarira relics of an egg in the innermost pot. The concept of 'egg in the womb' is changed into Buddhist dharma truth after hatching and spreading all over the world. Parasol of stupa, symbol of nobleness, grows to a bunch of flowers and combined to 'purna ghata', that is, 'vase of plenty'. This paper interprets omnipresent multicolored pattern of seokryudong, pomegranate pot, at Korean Buddhist temple which lost original meaning as egg-hatching and spreading over. Angwha, upward flower, at the top of Korean pagoda has been transformed both from harmika, reversed stepped pyramid, and from overgrowing flower parasol to the heaven of Indian stupa. Therefore, mistranslated terminology Bokbal, overturned bowl, by Chinese should be renamed to egg and should be recovered by the original womb-egg symbolism. |