. esoteric buddhism under the kory (–) 599
ch. 5, 111a; ch. 10, 206a), were used as textual authorities for the per-
formance of many of the Esoteric Buddhist rituals. It remains a fact
that most of the Esoteric Buddhist scriptures translated and composed
by the three ācāryas of Tang China (Śubhākarasiṃha [637–735], Vajra-
bodhi [669–741], and Amoghavajra [705-774]) were included in the
two Korean Tripitakaṣ. In addition, all the later Song translations of
Esoteric Buddhist works by Dharmapāla (963–1058), Dānapāla/Shihu
(fl. tenth century), and Fatian (?–1001) were included there
as well.^7 Among the latter scriptures are the Guhyasamāja tantra (T.
vol. 18, no. 885) and the Śrīvajra-maṇḍalaṃkāramahā tantrarāja (T.
vol. 18, no. 886), works that belong to the later Indian developments of
tantric Buddhism. In 1328 C.E., a special compilation of Esoteric Bud-
dhist works were written in gold according to the Kŭmsŏ milgyo taejong
sŏ [ ] (Preface of the Golden Books^8 of the Esoteric
Tripitaka)̣^9 written by the official Yi Chehyŏn (1287–1367).^10
This preface shows that at that time Esoteric Buddhist scriptures were
understood as belonging to a distinct class of Buddhist texts.^11
Although extant examples of Esoteric Buddhist literature written by
Korean Buddhists during the Koryŏ are very few, at least one extant
ritual manual, the Pŏmsŏ ch’ŏngji chip (Ch’ŏngji Collec-
tion of Sanskrit Books),^12 has survived. It was compiled by the monk
Hyegŭn (fl. late eleventh century, after 1228) in 1218 C.E. The
manual is organized around the contents of the two major Esoteric
Buddhist sūtras, the Mahāvairocana (T. 848) and the Vajraśekhara
(T. 865), both of which were included in the first Koryŏ Tripiṭaka,
and is therefore likely to have been used in conjunction with rituals
involving the Vajradhātu and Garbhadhātu Mandalas.^13 Many of the
(^7) For these monks see Orzech, “Translation of the Tantras and other Esoteric Bud-
dhist Scriptures,” in this volume.
(^8) This refers to Buddhist scriptures written with gold. Several such books dating
from the second half of the Koryŏ have been preserved (see Chang 2004, 283–311).
(^9) For the text of this preface, see Yi 1918–1979, 161–162.
(^10) A highly influential scholar at the close of the Koryŏ dynasty (HPIS 723ab).
(^11) For a discussion of the presence of Esoteric and tantric Buddhist texts in Koryŏ,
see Pak 1975, 45–62.
(^12) A copy of the original book is presently kept in the library of Tongguk University
in Seoul. For a descriptive article regarding this compilation, see Chŏn 1990, 47–64.
See also the brief bibliographic note in Sørensen 1991–1992a, 159–200, §37. 13
According to Chŏn Tonghyŏk it was the She da Piluzhe’na chengfo shenbianjiachi
jing ru lianhua tai zanghai hui beisheng manchaluo guangda niansong yigui gong-
yang fangbian hui
(T. 850) ascribed to Ṥubhākarasiṃha (637–735); its derivative,