The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Central Museum of Buddhism and the National Heritage Administration completed the first ‘Inscription Rubbing Research Project (2013-2023)’ for about 10 years last year and began the second project (2024-2028) this year. The person leading this project as the general researcher is Heungseon, a monk who was recently designated as a master rubbing master of the Jogye Order.
Monk Heungseon, whom we met at the Temple Stay Integrated Information Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 21st, said, “Rubbing is a delicate work that requires consideration of everything, including ink, light, and wind, but there are many national treasures that have been damaged because they were done carelessly in the past.” Having been obsessed with rubbings for over 40 years, he has served as the director of the Central Museum of Buddhism and a member of the cultural heritage committee, and is an expert who has selected over thousands of major inscriptions from around the country, including the five-story stone pagoda of Jeongnimsa Temple site in Buyeo and the Goguryeo stele in Chungju, which are national treasures.
“A rubbing is to put a piece of paper on a tombstone first and then beat it with an ink bat to scoop it out. However, in the past, since there were no experts and just anyone could do it, they first applied the ink upside down and then put paper on top of it and scooped it out. It was a stain on cultural property. Once the ink soaks in, it is almost impossible to remove. “There are many cultural heritages that have been damaged due to faulty rubbings, such as the national heritage pagoda at Godalsa Temple Site in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, the petroglyph group at Chilpo-ri, Yeongil, Gyeongbuk, and the support pillars at Bomunsa Temple Site in Gyeongju.”
―Even light and wind have to be taken into consideration.
“If the wind blows strong, you won’t be able to stick the paper. Almost all of the inscriptions have been through weather and damage over a long period of time, so many of the letters and pictures are very faint. What you see varies depending on where and how the sunlight shines. The consistency of the ink appears to be different as well. If it’s cold, the stones will freeze, and even if it rains, you won’t be able to do it. Humidity also has an effect. So there aren’t that many days a year where I can work.”
―It is said that this is actually the first time since King Sejong the Great that a project to research epigraph rubbings has been conducted at the national level.
“It has been partially done by interested people, but this is the first time since King Sejong that it has been done officially at the national level. The inscription is not only a great cultural heritage and work of art in itself, but also has great historical value. Moreover, it is also important as a calligrapher as it is often engraved with texts written or composed by famous calligraphers or famous calligraphers of the time. However, due to lack of interest, not much research has been done properly. Currently, there are approximately 12,000 inscriptions identified across the country, and among these, approximately 8,000 must be rubbed. However, due to lack of manpower and budget, only about 800 items have been completed.”
―I think it would take over a hundred years to research everything.
“At first, I thought it would take about 15 to 20 years if there was sufficient budget and manpower. However, the budget kept getting cut and labor costs were not working properly… . “It’s a pity that people who work feel a sense of self-destruction instead of pride.”
―I heard that you personally collected and covered the costs for national affairs.
“Because it is absolutely necessary, we must do as much as we can. Last year, in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, a rubbing of a Buddhist monument belonging to a person named Haengwon Lee was examined, and it was confirmed that it was a copy of Silla’s Kim Saeng’s calligraphy, which was called Shinpil (神筆). It wasn’t even reported to academia. Kim Saeng’s handwriting has not been passed down in books and is confirmed only through tombstones. Such important cultural heritage continues to emerge, but we cannot stop it just because it is difficult. “I hope that along with the rubbing work, humanistic education on epigraphs in general and education on proper rubbing methods will be provided at the national level.”
Reporter Lee Jin-gu [email protected]
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