222 CHAPTER NINEbeliefs. Symbolic of this integration was the tendency to build Buddhist tem-
ples on secluded mountaintops. Like many native traditions, Korean shaman-
ism placed great faith in the power of mountain spirits, who often took the
form of demonic tigers. By laying claim to the homes of these spirits, the
Buddhists hoped to appropriate their powers for the protection of the nation.
A. Koguryo (37 B.C.E.-668 C.E.}: The territory of the Koguryo kingdom
covered the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula, overlapping mod-
ern China. Traditionally, Buddhism's entry into the kingdom is placed in
the year 372, the second year in the reign of King Sosurim. A monk from
China, Sundo (Shun-tao), is credited with introducing Mahayana at the
behest of the Chinese king Fu Chien. There is evidence, however, that a
native Koguryo Sangha had developed prior to this date. Scholars have
speculated as to whether this Sangha received its Buddhism directly from
central Asia rather than through China, but the evidence is inconclusive.
At any rate, Sundo's mission does seem to represent the introduction of
the religion to the Koguryo court. Within twenty years after his mission,
nine temples were established in the capital ofKuknaesong (Tong'gou,
China). Shortly before the kingdom fell, Buddhist monks formed a militia
for its protection, establishing a pattern that was revived in later periods of
Korean history.
B. Paekche (18 B.C.E.-660 C.E.}: In the southwest portion ofKorea, the king-
dom ofPaekche arose shortly after Koguryo. The Paekche king granted
official recognition to Buddhism in 384, following the arrival of an Indian
monk who had traveled to Paekche via China. The first temple was built
the following year. In the sixth century, the Paekche monk Kyomik trav-
eled to India to pursue Vinaya studies. He returned to Paekche in 526,
accompamed by the Indian monk Paedalta (Vedatta). Together they estab-
lished a productive translation institute in the capital, Wiryesong (near
Seoul). As a result of their work, Kyomik is regarded as the father of
Vinaya studies in Korea. Paekche was especially active in exporting Bud-
dhism and other aspects of Chinese culture and technology to Japan. One
of the most prominent nuns of this period, Popmyong, was a native of
Paekche who traveled to Japan in 655 and achieved fame for her ability to
cure illness by chanting the Vimalakirti-nirde5a SiUra. Her regional Korean
accent is said to be responsible for the way the Japanese chant Chinese
Sutra passages to this day.
C. Silla (57 B.C.E.-668 C.E.}: Situated in the mountainous hinterlands of
southeast Korea, Silla was the most isolated of the three kingdoms and
thus the last to recognize Buddhism officially. The missionary monk Ado
(b. 357?) is said to have dazzled the Silla court with his miraculous pow-
ers. Other sources credit a monk from Koguryo with introducing Bud-
dhism to the Silla kingdom in the fifth century. Buddhism did not
become the state religion until the sixth century, however, largely because
the government was less centralized than in the other two kingdoms and
the aristocracy was able to put up more resistance to what it viewed as a