The unique world of Korean Buddhist art, finally seen in the painting of the Divine Assembly!
The only book that delves into the birth, development, and secrets of Shinjungdo in detail!

The first comprehensive study of Korean Buddhism's unique sacred treasure, the "Shinjungdo" (Shinjungdo), has been published. The book, "The World of Shinjungdo," is the result of extensive academic research and is the first work of Venerable Hyeonju, a Buddhist monk familiar to Buddhists through his broadcasts on BBS and BTN.
Sinjungdo is a Buddhist painting depicting good deities who protect the Buddhist law, and is a unique cultural heritage that combines not only Korean Buddhist rituals and beliefs, but also folk beliefs and Taoist elements.
However, when the public encounters Shinjungdo in a temple, they often think of shamanistic paintings.
However, this book dissects the historical origins, development, and iconographic secrets of Shinjungdo, revealing the once unfamiliar and strange Buddhist painting as a representative cultural heritage of Korean Buddhism.

The author is considered a rare researcher who has persistently explored the topic of prudence, and has published 13 academic papers on the subject to date.
This book can be said to be the fruit of such long research.
『The World of Shinjungdo』 is not a book that simply explains a single point of discord.
This is a comprehensive academic achievement that explores the formation and evolution of Shinto beliefs, the complex symbolism of their iconography, and the openness and convergence of Shinto beliefs rooted in our country's traditions. At the same time, it is a commentary that can be enjoyed by general readers as well.
Through this, readers will understand the importance of prudence within the context of the imagination and tradition of Korean culture, which is attracting global attention, and will realize that it is another cultural asset that can be presented to the world.

The Shinjungdo of the Joseon Dynasty is a new arrangement and expression of the guardian deities of India, China, and Korea, who were given a hierarchy within the Buddhist system.
Therefore, the study of prudence is not only very broad in scope but also difficult and challenging in content.

--- p.23

There are Dharma-protecting good spirits, sentient beings who have not achieved true enlightenment or nirvana, but who possess supernatural powers and have the status of gods.
Buddhist gods are hierarchically included among the living beings who undergo reincarnation in the six realms, and their nature also appears as comprehensive beings that include heavenly gods, asuras, and animals.
However, because they possess abilities that surpass those of humans and have made a vow to protect the Buddhist law, Buddhism reveres them as special deities and calls them 'Dharma-protecting gods' in the sense that they defend the Buddhist law.
--- p.35

Unlike other gods, the Four Heavenly Kings have the additional role of observing the world and encouraging wealth.
For this reason, the Four Heavenly Kings were given a unique status among the many guardian deities, and were called the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of the World.’
The Four Heavenly Kings frequently appear in Gandhara reliefs produced in the 1st to 2nd centuries AD.
It is mostly depicted in Buddhist scriptures in the scene where a bowl is offered to the Buddha, and the Four Heavenly Kings are depicted in the form of noblemen wearing turbans.

--- p.44

After Buddhism was introduced to China, many Buddhist monks from India and Central Asia worked hard to spread the Buddhist teachings.
However, due to cultural and language barriers, I could not help but feel many limitations during the teaching process.
Accordingly, simple religious activities such as chanting or praying became more preferred.
The Buddhist monks who came from the West used mystical techniques such as ‘prayer for rain’, ‘spiritual experience’, and ‘auspicious omen’ to attract the public to Buddhism.
--- p.54

The Korean belief in the Hwaeomsinjung faith began as a personal faith that supported Hwaeom practitioners, but in the story of Bocheon, it changed into a patriotic faith.
And in the latter part of the Unified Silla period, it gradually began to reveal a militaristic nature, as in the story of Hong Jin and the Chigun (緇軍) of Haeinsa Temple.
--- p.65

In general, 'Cheonryong' is an abbreviation of 'Cheonryong Palbu (天龍八部)', meaning one of the Eight Departments.
The Eightfold Path can be divided into the Eightfold Path of the Tathagata and the Eightfold Path of the Four Heavenly Kings.
The eightfold division of Tathagata that appears in many Mahayana sutras such as the Avatamsaka Sutra and the Lotus Sutra is composed of the heavenly beings (Kubanda), dragons, yakshas, ​​gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnara, and mahoraga, and the eightfold division of the Four Heavenly Kings is composed of the gandharvas, viśāsakas, Kubandhas, saridas, dragons, buddhanās, yakshas, ​​and raksals.

--- p.98

The painting of the gods and goddesses was compiled under various backgrounds, starting with the painting of the gods and goddesses by Dogapsa Temple around 1740, including the guardian deity of the water and land ritual, the belief in the gods and goddesses of the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the belief in the gods and goddesses of the Buddhist chanting.
It also appears that it began to be produced as the need to visualize it within Buddhist scriptures arose in accordance with common rites such as “Do-ryang-eom-jeong Seol-ro,” “Garam Gongyang,” and “Bo-bong-won.”
And in the late 18th century, with the emergence of independent Shinjung rituals, Shinjungdo began to establish itself as an essential component within Buddhist scriptures, and from the early 19th century, when the 『Jakbeop Gwigam』 was distributed nationwide, the production of Shinjungdo also increased rapidly.
As can be confirmed in Appendix 3, this late Joseon Dynasty god belief was formed as an integrated character that included ① gods appearing in the ritual text of the Water and Land Festival, ② gods of the Avatamsaka Sutra, ③ gods based on the Surangama Sutra, and ④ even the indigenous gods of the Joseon Dynasty.

--- p.113

Both Prince Natasha and Wei Taichen are subordinates of the Four Heavenly Kings and share the commonality of being battle gods in the form of children.
However, in the story of the Buddhist monk Doseon, the role of protecting the Buddha's sarira changes from Prince Nata to Wi Taecheon, which is noteworthy.

--- p.172

It is said that King Yeomma became the ruler of the afterlife because he was the first human to discover the path to the afterlife after death.
This appearance can also be found in early Buddhist scriptures.
In the Anguttara Nikaya, King Yammara already appears as the judge of the afterlife, which shows that his role was accepted as such in Buddhism.

--- p.185

Among the 104 gods organized in the late Joseon Dynasty, there are quite a few gods that were outside the category of Buddhism.
These were mainly gods belonging to the guardian deity department that protects the earthly world, and included not only Taoist gods such as Seonghwangshin (城隍神), Samyeongshin (司命神), and Sarokshin (司祿神), but also household gods worshipped by the people, such as gods who guard the gate and windows (門戶神), gods of the courtyard (主庭神), gods of the well (主井神), gods of the kitchen (主?神), and gods of the back room (?厠神).

--- p.201

Taoism in the late Joseon Dynasty was centered around hermits who lived in seclusion, and they focused on training Taoism that focused on internal elixir cultivation rather than ritual-centered, ceremonial Taoism.
In addition, the intellectual class of the late Joseon Dynasty recognized the Taoist practice of Naedanbeop (內丹法) as a method of health promotion, and hoped to become immortal through health promotion, and pursued the ideal world of Seon-gye (仙界).

--- p.204

The most representative iconographic characteristic of Yeo Dong-bin is that he is a Confucian scholar wearing a white robe and a belt, and has a large mole under his right eye.
He also reveals that his sword, which is rumored to be a real weapon, is not a real weapon, but a sword of the mind that cuts through afflictions, greed, anger, and lust.
However, the fact that various documents repeatedly mention that Yeo Dong-bin was carrying a sword shows that the sword became an important symbol of Yeo Dong-bin.

--- p.209