Images of the Four Heavenly Kings in Unified Silla as the symbol of national defense

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Abstract

This paper aims to examine the role of the Four Heavenly Kings in the Unified Silla period of Korean history. When images of the Four Heavenly Kings were first created in Unified Silla they were all enshrined in royal memorial temples. The royal memorial temples were built on the north, east, west and south sides of the Silla royal capital and images of the Four Heavenly Kings were engraved in the reliquaries found inside each temple. The fact that they were all enshrined in the royal memorial temples, especially in the stupa, indicates that the Four Heavenly Kings had their own special function. The role of the Four Heavenly Kings in Silla was not only to protect the temple, but also, more importantly, to protect the whole nation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)271-293
Number of pages23
JournalBuddhist Studies Review
Volume32
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015

Keywords

  • Four Heavenly Kings
  • Royal memorial temples
  • Sachǒnwang temple
  • Seokgu-ram grotto
  • State protection

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