Нарративные аспекты прошлой жизни (전생) в буддийских историях республики Корея и Шри-Ланки

1. Introduction

This is an introductive study on Buddhist stories of both Korea and Sri Lanka. It aims a comparative analysis of a Korean Buddhist story selected from a medieval historic text with a Sri Lankan story from an important Sinhala literary canon. For this purpose, a preliminary survey to the both source books is going to be made focusing on characteristics of texts and the manner of composing stories. Expected outcomes through this study are summarized in three below: (1) an introduction to the source books for the researchers of both Korea and Sri Lanka; (2) an introductive analysis and comparison of Buddhist stories of both Korea and Sri Lanka for succeeding further researches; (3) a comparative appreciation of the role of the supernaturality in the earlier Buddhist narrative literature of both countries.

Stories about Buddhist monks and episodes containing the ‘past-birth’ in the Samgukyusa (三國遺事) and a Sri Lankan history book Maha vam sa are the objects of this research. An old Sri Lankan Buddhist story collection Saddharmaratna valiya is also a supplementary source book. In the next chapter of this paper, there will be a brief survey on the place of both source books in each country. In the chapter three, a comparative analysis of the stories is going to be progressed focusing on the past-birth motif. The past-birth motive is an aspect of the supernaturality in Buddhist storytelling. It is important not because of its strangeness but because of its role to propel the story. However, the role of this past-birth motif in Buddhist stories seems different in both countries. This difference is assumed caused by the different intention of each author (or translator) who selected and composed the stories in their book. The chapter four argues the plot structure of stories. Plot is also a useful part for understanding the role of the supernaturalism as a narrative element in Buddhist stories. All of discussions are generalized as a conclusion in the chapter four.