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We wish to draw a reference to Korea while discussing about China and Japan. Korea drew its religious inspiration from

- 75 China on the one hand and had been instrumental in introducing Buddhism to Japan on the other hand. As for the Buddhist religion the Government of Korea maintains that though it was a cultural product of Korea but the seed of Korean Buddhism was Chinese. In ancient days the Koreans believed in the supernatural power. They worshipped king as a supernatural being. At that time Confucianism was the religion of Korea. But as a result of cultural communication between China and Korea that existed long before 372 A.D. it did not take much time for the Koreans to appreciate and accept the higher form of religion perhaps due to the reason that the people of Korea were prepared for a change in thoir cultural life. Thus when Buddhism officially entered into the country in 372 A.D. they accepted the religion welcoming the Buddhist philosophy, art and culture. It is said that one Chinese monk, Shundo or Shun-Tao, was invited by Korean Emperor and he propagated Buddhist religion in Kokuryo (or Koguryo) region for the first time. Some other monks, viz. A. Tao (Chinese), Marananda (Indian or Tibetan), Mukocha gradually spread Buddhist religion in different regions of the Korean peninsula. Within a few centuries the regions of Kogryo, Paekche, Kudara and the Kingdom of Silla or Shiragi came under the spell of this new religion. Buddhism also influenced the social and political life of the Koreans. The powers of the Buddhist eccleciastical 1. Korea its people and culture, p.. 149.

鈥� 76 - 1 + class became so strong that the clergy even prevailed over the court and authorities of the monarch were overshadowed by the Buddhist priests. 鈥� Buddhism exceedingly flourished in the Korean peninsula for a thousand years after introducing there. The Unified Silla Dynasty patronised Buddhism in a more stronger way. The Silla kings were the most prominent patroniser of the Buddhist art and culture in Korea. } Several Buddha and Bodhisattva images were carved during the 'Three-Kingdom Period' also. Buddhist images of these types were introduced to Korea from China. " ' Different monks from Korea went to China during the Unified Silla Dynasty. Famous among those monks were Yuantso: (613-683 A.D.), Yuan-hiao (617-670 A.D.) and Yi-siang (625-702 A.D.). From that period different Korean bonzes visited China for obtaining deeper knowledge of Buddhism. Kyongu, the then capital of Korea, became an important centre of Buddhist art and culture. Different Indian, Tibetan and the Persian monks and traders used to visit Kyongu. As a result of that commercial connection, there occured an inter- : change of ideas and doctrines. It should be mentioned here : that some of the Korean monks also visited India, the spiritual motherland' of Buddhism. k '

- 77 Before we proceed further, we wish to narrate briefly here the episodes related to the Indo-Korean contacts after Buddhism started spreading it's root in the Korean soil. Prajnavarmana, one of the prominent Buddhist scholars of Korea, went to China and then visited India with another Chinese monk. It-sing, one of the noted Buddhist monk-scholars of China, described the itinerary of the Korean monk Prajnavarmana in his account. In a Korean legend we find an important aspect of Indo-Korean relationship in the remote past. It says that 53 monk s- scholars of India visited Korea and in the Diamond Mountains established the monastery of Yu-chom-sa. These monks as the legend speaks subdued a ferocious dragon by placing an image of the Buddha on each root of a tree which might have been the dwelling place of the dragon. This story related to a period of many centuries back, is visually depicted in the Yu-Chom-sa monastery. During the Silla and Unified Silla rule (A.D. 668-935) the Korean sculptors made a large number of Buddhist statues. Among them the thinking-Buddhas of the Silla dynasty in the pagna-posture'l and the Buddhist triads are remarkable. Different other beautiful sculptures were produced during this period in Korea. The images in half cross-legged in meditation form was one of the most impressive styles of the period. 1. Incidentally it may be noted here that this 'Pagna-posture i.e. thinking Buddha is reflected in many of the Bodhisattva images made during the Asuka period in Japan.

- 78 In the transition period extending from the Three Kingdoms period to the Unified Silla dynasty there appeared excellent stone works of new types. The images of Amitabha and Maitreya were the popular works of art of that age. One of the important sculptures of the Three Kingdoms Period is now preserved in the National Museum of Korea, the description of which is given below :