From Jātaka to Vernacular Fiction: Adaptation of the Buddhist Plot of the Two Brothers (Journey beyond the Sea) in Classical Korean Literature

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the strategies for adapting the specific Buddhist plot (the story of the two brothers travelling beyond the sea in search of a magical pearl) that has been recounted over the course of centuries in classical Korean literature. The objective of the article is to examine the adaptation of this plot through a comparative analysis of similar narratives, highlighting the distinctive features and changes determined by the various genres and philosophical ideas under the influence of which these texts were written, the purposes of creating these narratives, the target audience, etc. The comparison is based on three texts: Ten Stages of Tathagata Shakya’s Practices (1328), Wǒrin Sǒkpo (1459) and the vernacular fiction Story of Chyǒk Syǒngŭi (19th century). Furthermore, the article lists all relevant previous Buddhist manuscripts containing the plot of interest, provides a brief outline of Korean Buddhist literature tradition, and emphasizes literature as a universal medium connecting Confucian and Buddhist cultures.

Keywords

• buddhist literature
• wǒrin sǒkpo
• classical korean literature
• jātaka
• korean vernacular fiction
• buddhist plot