초록
경상북도 김천 대휴사(大休寺)의 일본 불교 존상은 일제강점기가 시작되는 1910년경에 일본 신의진언종지산파(新義眞言宗智山派)가 대구에 설치한 별원(別院), 즉 대구 편조원(遍照院) 본당에 봉안하기 위해 조성되었다. 이들 존상 중 목조홍법대사좌상(木造弘法大師坐像)은 일본 진언종을 개창한 고보다이시 쿠카이(弘法大師 空海, 774-835)의 모습이며, 목조대일여래좌상(木造大日如來坐像)과 목조부동명왕좌상(木造不動明王坐像)은 진언종의 불교 사상과 신앙을 대표하는 존상이다. 지금까지 알려진 일제강점기에 조성된 대일여래상, 홍법대사상, 부동명왕상은 대부분 마애상이나 석조상으로, 대휴사의 존상들은 당시 일본 사찰에 봉안된 나무로 만든 일본 불교 존상이라는 점에서 매우 주목된다. 이들 불교 존상은 조형적으로는 근대적인 미감을 갖추고 있지만, 그 도상적인 연원은 헤이안(平安)시대(794-1185)까지 거슬러 올라간다. 즉 대일여래상은 신의진언종을 개창한 고교다이시 가쿠반(興敎大師 覺鑁, 1095-1143)이 만든 대일여래상의 신앙적인 전통을 계승하고 있으며, 홍법대사상은 고보다이시 쿠카이의 제자였던 신뇨신노(眞如親王)가 그린 신뇨신노 스타일[樣]을 따르고 있고, 부동명왕상은 겐죠(玄祖) 스타일의 십구관(十九觀) 부동명왕상을 답습하고 있다. 일제강점기 대구 편조원에 봉안되었던 당시의 모습은 구체적으로 알 수가 없지만, 이들 존상은 신의진언종의 삼륜신상(三輪身像)으로 조성되었을 가능성이 매우 높다. 즉 대일여래상, 홍법대사상, 부동명왕상이 각각 자성륜신(自性輪身), 정법륜신(正法輪身), 교령륜신(敎令輪身)의 성격을 지녔을 것으로 추정된다. 한편 1950년대 전반의 실달사(悉達寺)(대구 편조원의 후신)의 상황이긴 하지만, 그 전신인 일제강점기의 대구 편조원에서 고보다이시 신앙의 전통이 계승되고 있었음을 추측하게 하는 본당 내부의 모습도 확인할 수 있다. 즉 실달사 본당에 놓여 있던 유골들은 11세기 이후 고보다이시 신앙과 함께 유행했던 고야산(高野山)의 납골(納骨) 신앙의 전통을 보여 준다.
Three Japanese Buddhist scuptures of Daehyusa temple in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do province(慶尙北道) are enshrined in the main hall(本堂) of Henjoin temple in Daegu, an annex temple built by the Chisan School(智山派) of Shingi Shingon sect(新義眞言宗) in Daegu around 1910 when the Japanese colonial period began. The following statues are believed to have been made around this time: the Statue of Kobo daishi(弘法大師像), which is the figure of monk Kukai(空海, 774-835), the founder of the Shingon sect(眞言宗) of Japan, and the Statue of Dainichi nyorai(大日如來像) and the Statue of Fudo myo-o(不動明王像), which are notable sculptures representing the thought and belief of the Shingon sect. Most statues identified of Dainichi nyorai, Kobo daishi, and Fudo myo-o from the Japanese colonial period thus far are rock-carved statues or stone statues. The statues of Daehyusa temple are noteworthy in that they are the first discovered Japanese Buddhist sculptures made of wood, known to have been enshrined in Japanese temples. Furthermore, they are valuable sources that can provide clues to the religious atmosphere of the temples of Chisan School of Shingi Shingon sect at the time. Although these statues have formative features that partially reflect modern aesthetics, their iconographic origins date back to the Heian period(平安時代, 794-1185). In other words, the Statue of Dainichi nyorai inherits the religious tradition of the Statue of Dainichi nyorai, which was created by monk Kakuban(覺鑁, 1095-1143), the founder of the Shingi Shingon sect. The Statue of Kobo daishi follows the Shinnyo Shinno(眞如親王) style founded by Monk-Imperial Prince Shinnyo who was a disciple of monk Kukai. The Statue of Fudo myo-o manifests the Genjo(玄祖) style among the statues of Fudo myo-o. Although not much is known about how the statues were enshrined in the Henjoin temple in Daegu during the Japanese colonial period, it is very likely that these statues were created as Shingi Shingon sect's statue of three-wheeled body(三輪身). That is, it is estimated that the Statue of Dainichi nyorai, Statue of Kobo daishi, and Statue of Fudo myo-o have the characteristics of the body of self-nature chakra(自性輪身), the body of great dharma chakra(正法輪身), and the body of order chakra(敎令輪身), respectively. The fact that the statue of three-wheeled body was established in the Shingon sect in Japan by monk Kakuban also lends credence to this possibility. It is thought that people who came to the Henjoin temple in Daegu worshiped the statue of three-wheeled body to understand the teachings of the Dainichi nyorai. Although it is the case of Sildalsa Temple (悉達寺, the successor of Henjoin temple in Daegu) in the first half of the 1950s, the main hall includes features that reinforce the idea that the tradition of Kobo daisi faith(弘法大師信仰) is passed on. To illustrate, the human skeletal remains in the main hall of Sildalsa Temple reflect Koyasan(高野山)'s tradition in laying ashes to rest, which has been popular in conjunction with the Kobo daishi faith in Japan since the 11th century.